Is my blackmoor pregnant???

[Fishlove]

Hi,
I have 2 blackmoors in my tank! Recently I have noticed that the smaller one (buddy) is chasing my bigger one (Keith). Whenever I am near the tank Keith usually hides and won't come out! I've noticed he's got a bit fatter and he hasn't been eating properly! He usually plays with his food and then spits it out! His breathing has got heavier and he hangs at the bottom of the tank!
I don't know the sex of either of the fish but I'm not too sure if he is pregnant because I have only had Keith for about 6 months and buddy only 3 months and they are still quite small! I have recently had to treat my aquarium with fin Rot but seems to of cleared up! Also the fish are usually at the top of the tank but I turned the filter up and cleaned them out and they don't seem to do that anymore!
Any advice would be great thanks!!

 

[Samzter]

It sounds a bit like a disease. Post this in the unhealthy fish section. Although I'm not positive it doesn't sound right.

 

[Fishlove]

Thanks! Yeah I know im not too sure what it could be...

 

[bud29]

If it isn't eating normal it sounds more like a disease.

 

[Andy Sager]

Hi,
I have 2 blackmoors in my tank! Recently I have noticed that the smaller one (buddy) is chasing my bigger one (Keith). Whenever I am near the tank Keith usually hides and won't come out! I've noticed he's got a bit fatter and he hasn't been eating properly! He usually plays with his food and then spits it out! His breathing has got heavier and he hangs at the bottom of the tank!
I don't know the sex of either of the fish but I'm not too sure if he is pregnant because I have only had Keith for about 6 months and buddy only 3 months and they are still quite small! I have recently had to treat my aquarium with fin Rot but seems to of cleared up! Also the fish are usually at the top of the tank but I turned the filter up and cleaned them out and they don't seem to do that anymore!
Any advice would be great thanks!!

Just to set the record straight, black moors can not be "pregnant" because they lay eggs that are fertilized outside of the body. Only the live bearing fishes, (Guppies, Platies, Swordtails, Mollies, etc) can be pregnant. Just so that you know
Also, the fact that you only had these fish for a short time does not mean that they aren't sexually mature (although from the sounds of their size they shouldn't be). Males are geneally smaller than females so what you are saying they're doing could be pre breeding behavior if the fish are mature even tho small.
Moors, as with most goldfish, are bottom to middle tank fish and so the fact that they were hanging out at the surface sounds like it could have been oxygen starvation doing this which turning on your filter(s) may have solved. The fact that one is on the bottom breathing hard is not a good sign but may be a reaction to the meds used to clear up the fin rot. (Check that your water parameters are ok to rule out ammonia or nitrite toxicity causing this.)

A picture might help answer some of the other questions so if you can post one or two, maybe we can see something that you are missing


Hope this helps...

 

[Fishlove]

My blackmoor seems to be a lot better! He's eating and swimming around more! But still the smaller one is still chasing him! It isn't like bullying his just trying to shove his head at her rear end! But thanks everyone

 

[Hubert90]

My blackmoor seems to be a lot better! He's eating and swimming around more! But still the smaller one is still chasing him! It isn't like bullying his just trying to shove his head at her rear end! But thanks everyone

Hey, just to help ya sex ur goldfish and know when they are sexually mature. Male goldfish should have "breeding stars" on his pectoral fine and his gills covers! google breeding stars. Should have plenty of info! good luck

 

[Fishlove]

Thanks! Yeah I have tried having a look and I can't really see..I see on the smaller one just behind his gills like a tiny White dot bit I'm not too sure!

 

[jlk]

It would help if you answered the questions I posted on your thread in the unhealthy fish section.

 

[Andy Sager]

My blackmoor seems to be a lot better! He's eating and swimming around more! But still the smaller one is still chasing him! It isn't like bullying his just trying to shove his head at her rear end! But thanks everyone

FYI: That's typical breeding behavior. You may just have stunted fish (size wise) that have reached sexual maturity (age wise). Check the smaller one for the breeding tubercles on the gill plates.

 

[jlk]

Have these fish grown in the 6mths you have had them? If not, theres something else going on here as well. Tank size, water parameters, water change schedule, diet info would all be very helpful. Fin rot, heavy breathing, gasping, bottom sitting, spitting out food, etc are all big indicators of serious water quality issues. The behavior your seeing may be breeding behaviors but it also can be aggression related to poor water quality & inadequate space. As I asked in your other post, some more info would really help!