Hi new to owning gold fish. Got a Question.

[Kurono]

So my two gold fish live inside of a 72 gallon bow front, with a big ole canister filter underneath keeping the water clean, I chose to add live plants and keep it bare bottom. Anyways... So the waters healthy, I feed them varied diets of blood worms, veggies, pellet food (That I soak before feeding to them), sea weed occasionally, duck weed.

Anyways... So I assume there healthy.... But what the heck are they doing?

[mysterygirl]

That is mating behavior my friend. You have a boy and a girl and it's spring.

[HomerJay]

Looks like breeding behavior to me. Mine also do the pushing thing to each other at feeding time. My female usually is the one pushing the others away from the food area.

[mysterygirl]

It looks to me like your red cap is the female. When she pushes back she's letting him know "you're not the boss of me!"

[Hidr]

hehe Cute goldfish.

[Kurono]

It looks to me like your red cap is the female. When she pushes back she's letting him know "you're not the boss of me!"

Awwwwww that'd be so funny to find out Valentine is a girl, I'd have to rename it cause it comes off as such a boy name to me xD

hehe Cute goldfish.

Thanks ^__^ I love them dearly oddly enough.

Looks like breeding behavior to me. Mine also do the pushing thing to each other at feeding time. My female usually is the one pushing the others away from the food area.

Hmmm this was happening soon after a water change... Hope they don't try to breed... x---x its just a 72 gallon tank and I definitely don't have a pond.

That is mating behavior my friend. You have a boy and a girl and it's spring.

Glad to know I got a boy and a girl, and can tell who's what. Wonder what the babies would look like if they did actually do anything, since they are two different coloration types. Wonder which one is more dominant.

[HomerJay]

Mine do that for quite a while after a water change, no eggs yet though. It could be the fresh water or temperature change that makes them get frisky

Edited April 4, 2014 by HomerJay

[Kurono]

Mine do that for quite a while after a water change, no eggs yet though. It could be the fresh water or temperature change that makes them get frisky

Ah! Okay well I'm crossing my fingers I never get eggs, I wouldn't want to deal with the death toll, rehoming, fry raising bah just sounds frightening at this time xD But I'm glad they are coupling cause they always swim the tank together this is pretty adorable.

[Justin]

Valentine can be a girls name!

[Kurono]

Valentine can be a girls name!

Oh it can? Alright works out then, Though Cream Puff might be angry bout his name

[happysnapper]

They're cute! What's the boy's name?

I know how you feel about the fry thing. I've done it before, and these days I don't have that kind of time. I kind of cringe when mine start doing this and hope that if I do see eggs they'll just eat them. Buuuuutttt, I also know myself and if I see any fertilized with eyes I'll freak out and try to save them. Irrational, I know.

[Kurono]

They're cute! What's the boy's name?

I know how you feel about the fry thing. I've done it before, and these days I don't have that kind of time. I kind of cringe when mine start doing this and hope that if I do see eggs they'll just eat them. Buuuuutttt, I also know myself and if I see any fertilized with eyes I'll freak out and try to save them. Irrational, I know.

Well now that i know genders, The girls name is Valentine, and the boys name is Cream Puff. That's so cool so glad I bought Valetine a buddy and got to find out genders by doing so. Didn't know she was a girl. Both bought from different locations, he was a 5 dollar gold fish, she was a 22 dollar gold fish xD Lady and the Tramp much?

[DawnMichele]

Pretty Goldfish.

[GoldenSpoiledRotten]

If you have eggs, just let them eat them and do a huge water change 24 hours later to get rid of the left overs.

I hate to bring this up, but you may not know the gender of either fish at this point, other than that you have one female at least. Even two females will exhibit spawning behavior, as a wish for a free meal. The one way you can tell though is if you see 'breeding stars' (also called breeding tubercles) on one of the fish. If there are white bumps on the fish's leading ray of the pectoral fins and/or on the gill plates, then you likely have yourself a boy. And whomever lays eggs is a girl, of course.

Edited April 4, 2014 by ChelseaM

[mysterygirl]

Even two females will exhibit spawning behavior, as a wish for a free meal.

Interesting, Chelsea - I didn't know that.

[BronwynH]

If you have eggs, just let them eat them and do a huge water change 24 hours later to get rid of the left overs.

I hate to bring this up, but you may not know the gender of either fish at this point, other than that you have one female at least. Even two females will exhibit spawning behavior, as a wish for a free meal. The one way you can tell though is if you see 'breeding stars' (also called breeding tubercles) on one of the fish. If there are white bumps on the fish's leading ray of the pectoral fins and/or on the gill plates, then you likely have yourself a boy. And whomever lays eggs is a girl, of course.

I have two males who do this. They are both fairly 'driven' and I had to put them in a separate tank to protect my female and more submissive males. They console themselves about the lack of females by chasing and nuzzling each other.

[GoldenSpoiledRotten]

If you have eggs, just let them eat them and do a huge water change 24 hours later to get rid of the left overs.

I hate to bring this up, but you may not know the gender of either fish at this point, other than that you have one female at least. Even two females will exhibit spawning behavior, as a wish for a free meal. The one way you can tell though is if you see 'breeding stars' (also called breeding tubercles) on one of the fish. If there are white bumps on the fish's leading ray of the pectoral fins and/or on the gill plates, then you likely have yourself a boy. And whomever lays eggs is a girl, of course.

I have two males who do this. They are both fairly 'driven' and I had to put them in a separate tank to protect my female and more submissive males. They console themselves about the lack of females by chasing and nuzzling each other.

I totally forgot about your boys. You've mentioned them before on here. I said what I did mostly because both of those fish have very thin leading pectorals, making me believe that they could be both girls. But you're totally right in saying they could be both boys too.

[BronwynH]

If you have eggs, just let them eat them and do a huge water change 24 hours later to get rid of the left overs.

I hate to bring this up, but you may not know the gender of either fish at this point, other than that you have one female at least. Even two females will exhibit spawning behavior, as a wish for a free meal. The one way you can tell though is if you see 'breeding stars' (also called breeding tubercles) on one of the fish. If there are white bumps on the fish's leading ray of the pectoral fins and/or on the gill plates, then you likely have yourself a boy. And whomever lays eggs is a girl, of course.

I have two males who do this. They are both fairly 'driven' and I had to put them in a separate tank to protect my female and more submissive males. They console themselves about the lack of females by chasing and nuzzling each other.

I totally forgot about your boys. You've mentioned them before on here. I said what I did mostly because both of those fish have very thin leading pectorals, making me believe that they could be both girls. But you're totally right in saying they could be both boys too.

I'm sorry if what I meant to say came across wrong! I only meant to add another possibility to what you said. You're probably right in your guess of the little guys' sex. I'm terrible at sexing goldfish. I decided to try to sex my little guys before the breeding stars came in and only did slightly better than guessing (I had a success rate of 60%).

[GoldenSpoiledRotten]

If you have eggs, just let them eat them and do a huge water change 24 hours later to get rid of the left overs.

I hate to bring this up, but you may not know the gender of either fish at this point, other than that you have one female at least. Even two females will exhibit spawning behavior, as a wish for a free meal. The one way you can tell though is if you see 'breeding stars' (also called breeding tubercles) on one of the fish. If there are white bumps on the fish's leading ray of the pectoral fins and/or on the gill plates, then you likely have yourself a boy. And whomever lays eggs is a girl, of course.

I have two males who do this. They are both fairly 'driven' and I had to put them in a separate tank to protect my female and more submissive males. They console themselves about the lack of females by chasing and nuzzling each other.

I totally forgot about your boys. You've mentioned them before on here. I said what I did mostly because both of those fish have very thin leading pectorals, making me believe that they could be both girls. But you're totally right in saying they could be both boys too.

I'm sorry if what I meant to say came across wrong! I only meant to add another possibility to what you said. You're probably right in your guess of the little guys' sex. I'm terrible at sexing goldfish. I decided to try to sex my little guys before the breeding stars came in and only did slightly better than guessing (I had a success rate of 60%).

It didn't come across wrong at all, in fact I am glad you added to it. It's all guessing in the end, even when the stars come in (if we use Jenny's starry Bristol female as an example.) until we see all the signs pointing one way.

[BronwynH]

If you have eggs, just let them eat them and do a huge water change 24 hours later to get rid of the left overs.

I hate to bring this up, but you may not know the gender of either fish at this point, other than that you have one female at least. Even two females will exhibit spawning behavior, as a wish for a free meal. The one way you can tell though is if you see 'breeding stars' (also called breeding tubercles) on one of the fish. If there are white bumps on the fish's leading ray of the pectoral fins and/or on the gill plates, then you likely have yourself a boy. And whomever lays eggs is a girl, of course.

I have two males who do this. They are both fairly 'driven' and I had to put them in a separate tank to protect my female and more submissive males. They console themselves about the lack of females by chasing and nuzzling each other.

I totally forgot about your boys. You've mentioned them before on here. I said what I did mostly because both of those fish have very thin leading pectorals, making me believe that they could be both girls. But you're totally right in saying they could be both boys too.

I'm sorry if what I meant to say came across wrong! I only meant to add another possibility to what you said. You're probably right in your guess of the little guys' sex. I'm terrible at sexing goldfish. I decided to try to sex my little guys before the breeding stars came in and only did slightly better than guessing (I had a success rate of 60%).

It didn't come across wrong at all, in fact I am glad you added to it. It's all guessing in the end, even when the stars come in (if we use Jenny's starry Bristol female as an example.) until we see all the signs pointing one way.

Glad to have not confused an already befuddling issue too much!