Heres how things happen in my tank. The two males chase the female...the fourth goldie is totally uninvolved. So after a minute or two of harrasing the trio heads for the top corner of the tank. The female jumps out of the water a bit and releases her eggs. The males have been a bit put off by her jumping and don't know how to follow so she gets a few seconds to her self...which she spends EATING the eggs she just released before they can hit the bottom of the tank!
So now its back to chasing again, every time the female manages to lost the males for a few seconds...she heads straight for any eggs that managed to attach to anything and starts eating. Once the males have caught up with her it takes tham a good 10 seconds to convince her to break off her breakfast snack. Repeat this cycle over and over again till all fish involved are too tired to continue...or some other food is put into the tank.Meanwhile underneath the breeding mat, the loaches have found refuge, and today food is falling from the sky right into their hidey spot.
I really envy those of you that have fish that are willing to cover a tank with eggs and leave them alone long enough for you to find them.