I don't know about in a pond but I do know that in all the many aquariums I've had that they hide everywhere. On the top, bottom, under/between little rocks, creases, etc. if you see twenty you probably have 40 or more. But many will be eaten because as they get older they get braver and then the other fish gobble them up. If you want to save some its a good idea to catch them and raise them up a little in an aquarium.

Yes you are in trouble. I had a large spawn 2 years ago and had over 200 survive. I gave them away on Craig's list. Last year I had over 100 and this year only 33 because I lost my big lady. They hide everywhere. Most of them should get eaten but some will survive.

Matt

Hanne, yes! You're in big doodoo! Once your goldfish are happy enough to have babies, it will never stop! If there are enough hiding places, many will make it to a size that's too big to eat for the others. And then in a year or two there will be grandbabies!
We started with six in a 3500 gallon pond - 12000 liters or so - and now we have at least fifty. It would have been a hundred and fifty, but we give them away by the dozens every spring, when they're easier to catch (fewer plants in the way). My pond friend Sharon in the next town and I, we plot every spring if we will buy a dozen predator fish between us as goldfish birth control... but I love seeing the little ones, and I marvel when I see them change color from black to orange or red and white. So enjoy! While looking for a future place to give/sell them to!

:) Mary

Mine seen to like it at least a foot deep in the same foliage where the big guys play sex games. Sandy

Thanks everyone for your replies.

Seems a consensus that Im probably only seing the tip of the iceberg. I looked into my deep part (3 feet) today with a flash-light, sun doesnt get all the way down there this time of year, and its all filled with hornwort. That one plant I bought in July has sure multiplied! So lots of space to hide down there too.

Today I only located maybe 8 around the pond. And yes Mybusyfamily, you are so right... yesterday they all darted about when I touched a plant, but today there were just swimming happily along in the middle of the deep water with no cover! They sure looked like they were sure they were big guys now.

They still only look like eyelashes, and Im really glad my garden is enclosed cuz I dont think I want my neighbours to see my on the edge, bottom up with a magnifying glass studying the water for hours :-D

I have really considered the aquarium, but I dont want to push my luck, and I read everywhere that its so hard to raise them successfully in a different water. Its my first pond and first fish-litter.

McDevitt, can I ask how big your pond is? 200 surviving babies!!

Mary, how long did it take them to multiply that much? Im really amazed. I love little ones, but I have 4 females so Im also a little scared ;-)

Just to explain what kind of pet-mum I am. Our oldest daughters bun had a litter of five several years ago, and we managed to give three away to family and friends, and kept two. Then our youngest daughter of course wanted babies too with her bun some years later. Nobody wanted the babies. We had 5 this time too. So we decided to keep all of them cuz we didnt want then to go strangers. We built a big insulated shed in the garden for all of them with in and outdoor cages and big runs... and neutered the males. We had 10 when we had most, now we only have 3 left. But they get to live nice and full lives till the end.
So see why I worry a bit about having too many babies :-D

And ... the boys in the pond are doing the chasing again out there this evening!

I would love to see the little fishies grow up, and of course Id find them happy homes rather than being overstocked... or build a bigger pond ;-)

Hanne

2500 gallons

Matt

Geez! I have about 50 goldfish in a 3500 gallon pond and I've never seen babies except this spring. There is no sign of them now. What do you think my chances are of having all 50 being the same sex? HAHAHA. I was assuming the bigger/older fish were eating the babies. Maybe the babies (if I have any) are hiding in the huge expanse of WH and WL?

Mondotomhead, I think if your fry was born this spring they should be big enough now to be out with the big guys. But this is only from what Ive read.

In a quick count today I found 21 swimming around at the surface. Theyre still too tiny to see further down in the water.

And I was right about the chasing, the pond was full of eggs again yesterday. This tiny guy is litterally swimming in a sea of eggs.

{{gwi:231542}}

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And heres another checking out his future brother and sisters.

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And lastly one with a water lettuce for size comparison.

{{gwi:231547}}

So, when will these guys be big enough to not get eaten? Ive read some say when theyre big enough to not fit into the mouths of the parents, and others say that the adults wont eat them when they can tell that theyre fish.

The last two days the big ones have been busy eating eggs, so at least the little guys got a break :-)

Thanks again.

It's been 5 years I think. We saw the first babies the second spring, but we didn't really see them until they were much bigger! There were also lots of tadpoles. How many tadpoles and frogs we have is very different from year to year - didn't see any little froglets this year at all, and only two adult ones, Bubba (the biggest one) and Waldo (half his size).

Hanne, if your worst fears come true, you're going to have to deal with it or else your pond will overpopulate. With all its bad consequences. Now, you're on the right continent for orfes (golden or silver), they are excellent for keeping the goldfish baby population under control. They're hard to get here and expensive - the breeder had some disease or other a year ago or thereabouts, and had to import new breeding stock out of Germany. Sharon and I couldn't quite afford a dozen between us this last spring. Maybe next year. Orfes are beautiful and sleek, they swim in a little school if you have at least three, and they are very good at chasing down the tiny fry.

:) Mary

Thanks again, Mary.

I finally found out what an orfe is. No online dictionaries were able to translate it for me.

And youre right, orfes or emder, as we call them are sold at every pond-store here.

I promise you that I will deal with it if I have a problem. I have already read about spawning mops and Hortons great idea about dipping the mops in boiled water and feeding the boiled egg to the fish afterwards :-)

I was just kidding about keeping them all.

I seem to have read that a goldie need 50 gallons of water, is that correct? Then I would have room for 10½ grownups. But how do you calculate the babies?

Have a nice day :-)
Hanne