How often do you find yourself stuck in the house on them cold winter days, suffering from the winter blues? I bet you said quite often, if you did then your answer is like that of most people during the winter months. I want you to stop right now and think about what you just read, if you do find yourself stuck in the house during the winter with nothing to do, you should consider yourself very lucky. Most people are always complaining that they don’t have enough time in the day to get things done. So, according to a lot of folks, if you have nothing to do in the winter because your stuck inside, you are indeed a very lucky person.
Now, if this is true and you find yourself in the winter with nothing to do, and you need an idea to help shake the winter blues, why not take up a great activity like breeding goldfish. Breeding Goldfish is pretty easy and quite fun to do, if you currently have adult goldfish that do well in their tank or aquarium then you already have passed one major hurdle, because you already know how to feed, treat and raise goldfish. Adult goldfish that are foraging around your tank hunting for food will eat any eggs they find, almost as soon as they are laid, and large goldfish will also eat any young that do survive and hatch, so if you have had goldfish for awhile, you have already been breeding without even knowing it. So, before you can start breeding them the first thing you must get is another tank, a small one is fine, nothing fancy.
The next important item you should buy is either a spawning mat or a spawning mop, both work equally well and can be purchased at most large fish supply stores or online. A spawning mat or mop looks just like it’s name suggests, either a small mat or mop. You can make a spawning mop from pieces of an actual clean, new string mop, or just use a bunch of rolled, and cut yarn, that it made into a small mop shape. When using a spawning mop you have made, either from a real mop, or yarn or string, you should boil it in hot water to remove any dyes, or chemicals in it, then let it cool. Once you have either a spawning mat or mop, place it into the aquarium that has your large goldfish in.
When female goldfish lay eggs, they love to lay them in thick weeds, or others areas whey they will be the most hidden or protected, in a tank without a spawning mat or mop. The eggs are often just deposited in the water, or near a plastic plant, where they either float around and get sucked up the filtration system, or are eating by the other large goldfish. The eggs will stick to the spawning mat or mop, giving them a much safer environment to be deposited in, and easily removed later.
Some signs that goldfish are ready to spawn and lay eggs are; the males will start chasing the females around for long periods of time, and they will usually bump or push against the females stomachs. Males often get white specks or spots on their gills or fins. When the time comes the female will lay or deposit her eggs around the strands of the spawning mat or mop, and the eggs will stick to it like tapioca pudding. The eggs will look like small bubbles that are transparent in color. Soon after the eggs are laid, the male goldfish will fertilize them, you will notice when this has occurred either by seeing a milkish substance being sprayed over them, or you will notice the tank has suddenly become cloudy.
When the eggs have been fertilized, you can gently remove and transfer the spawning mat or mop into the other tank, where the eggs can mature without the threat of being eaten by the adult goldfish. Once the little fellas hatch, you can start feeding them a little brine shrimp powder, or some other baby goldfish food that is available from fish supply stores or online. Once you get the hang of breeding your own goldfish, you can sell the young to fish stores in your area, or give them away to friends, the choices are up to you, either way, it’s a great fun activity, that can help you to shake the winter blues.
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