Hello all 8)

Got a couple questions, but first a little background on my fish.

Three years ago my cat was lonely while I was at college all day, So I set up a 10 gal tank with $1 of feeder fish in it for her entertainment.

After a month only two out of the 8 lived 8(

A year ago one of the two died. I decided to get a friend for the remaining one. Getting the largest comet (I believe) I could find.

Deciding the 10 gal tank was getting small I put together a 20 gal tank.

They spawned after the second day missing the event... "Oh my what is going on in the tank" I thought when I got home. Wow there must have been at least 2000 eggs everywhere!!!

They started to tear at the eggs very aggressively so I pulled out the parents placing them back in the 10 gal.

With in 2 days the eggs were all fuzzy with fungus.

Then after proper care I got the tank in order and put the parents in again. This time they laid fewer eggs and i decided to keep them in the tank. I was changing 25% of the water every other day with a syphon type filter and still the water seemed frothy on the surface so once again ther fish were removed.

Now I have two options and this is where my long awaited questions come in hehe

I have a pond outside with tadpoles and mosquito eating fish (Gambusia affinis). Can I place the goldfish in the pond hoping they can lay eggs in there?

Or should I figure how to remove the newly laid eggs so they may have a chance to hatch.

This is a wonderful forum which is bursting full of very helpful information.

Hope to hear from you soon 8)

Hi, Demiloon, and !
Generally, comets are excellent pond fish, if the pond is big enough. How many gallon big is your pond? They are much happier outside, have more natural life food like mosquito larvae and algae that grows alongside the walls of the pond, and are generally hardier and more resistant to diseases.
How is the temperature in Oregon right now? If its too much a temperature difference between outside and inside, you might wonna wait until its getting a bit warmer, otherwise Iwould say, go for it! Most any fish, placed suddenly in a different environment, will start spawning (my newly aquired koi a few years ago did it 3 or 4 days in a row, the pond looked like a bubble bath). I would put in some floating plants, like parrot feather (they don't actually need a pot, they just grow along the surface with no soil or hornwort, so the eggs have something to stick to, and when the parents are done, I would take them back into their 20 gl tank.
All kinds of little things are in a pond for the fry to eat, and they basically grow like weeds. There is a great link on top of this page, pinned, about the different available fry foods! ....

Thank your for replying so fast 8)

The pond is 15x5 feet and ranges from 1 to 3 feet deep. HAve had fish in it befor just not with tadpoles and frog eggs which I wouldnt want the fish to eat.

Wonderful idea 8)

The fish have spawned three times about a month apart... wonder if i let them spawn in the pond if they would spawn after returning them to the tank... lol will have to give it a go.

One thing I should add is that the eggs in the 20 gal have never produced... can she lay with out him if he is a male fertalizing?

Thanks for the great idea!

Demiloon