I have 5 goldfish in my 55 gallon tank and somehow ended up with only 1 female. I periodically observe spawning behavior, but the boys usually loose interest pretty quickly. This morning however, I had to move the female (Winky) to one of my other smaller tanks because they were being positively relentless! I came home 9 hours later and she was laying eggs!!

So here's my dilemma: She can't stay in the smaller tank. It's a 25 and is already the temporary home of a small pearl-scale and an oranda with permanent swim-bladder damage. I'm not planning to fertilize the eggs since I'm not set up for fry at the moment. Actually, I was completely surprised because I read that goldfish wont normally reproduce in tanks!

How long should I wait before I move Winky back to the larger tank? Will they immediately go after her again because they haven't fertilized anything or will they leave her alone until she has eggs to lay again?

They will more than likley go right back at her. Goldies do spawn in tanks, most of the time to get this to happen the tank needs to go through a graduall change in temprature to about 68 degrees and the gradually bring it back up to high 70's.

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J-Pond
http://j-pond.myminicity.com/

please click on the egg/baby to help it grow:

They 'go after her' to induce her to spawn. Now she has layed the eggs i imagine the males will not be a relentless

Goldies will defiantely tank spawn

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1x350L Goldfish, 1x 286L Planted, 1x190L Cherry shrimp, 1x140L Feeders, 1x130L Planted, 1x119L Peppermint BN breeding colony