how can you tell how old your fish is? i got a new calico fantail and i want to know how old it is.



-goody-aka calico

Or can you tell by how big a fish is? The calico is 3 1-2` to 4' in.



Goody, aka , calico

I heard somewhere it's like counting the rings of a tree.
I think you counted the scales in a certain way or something -_-
Sorry,I dont really remember ;

oh ok thanks anyway. i see you are almost 12, i am too.


calico

I dont know how to tell how old they are, i dont think there is an exact science, but if S/hes that big, and showing breeding stars or if you know its a female and she looks to be full of eggs and such, then at least you know they are sexually mature. And thats all you really need to know for breeding purposes.

My Female Fantail is a little under 2 and is just over 3 inches, she was releasing eggs at a year old. My Male Shubie is a little under 3 and 5 inches. My calico fantail is around 7-9 months and is only 1 1/2 inches long. S/hes still to young to tell for sure, but im postitive its going to be female.

They dont have to be very old to be sexually mature, but once they start spawning behavior, then youll know. They wont breed before that.

Awesome, I just have to find out if it is a male or a female. I got a new little Black Moor yesterday, so i will see when he gets bigger what he is. I am pretty sure that i have another Fantail that is around the same as the calico so i will see what happens


-calico

Are they showing stars? I found females to be shaped alot different then males also. do you have a pic?

There is a way of telling how old it is by the scales, but you have to get a scale off the fish and put it under the microscope and count how many rings(I would'nt do it to my fish)...

Yeah i wouldnt do that to my fishy either. No he/she isnt showing stars yet, but i know what they look like, I had a fish that had them but he died.

No I dont have a pic. but i might get a digital camera soon. The calico looks rounder than my other fantail,and a little bigger,they havent chased each other at all, but they sometimes run around the tank togather.

-calico

I gots A Black Moor who is over a Year old...could be older...one of telling how old a BLACK MOOR is if they are fadded or turning bronze mean the're mature. Just my Opionio

If the 3.5-4 inches includes the tail then its probably one year old. Not many two-year-olds are put into the market unless they are show-quality or other high-end fish.