How Do I Know If My Pond Fish Are Pregnant?

If you have male and female fish in a pond, chances are that the female will show signs of pregnancy at some point. If so, and if you'd like to raise the babies also, remove the eggs and place them in an aquarium, or the other pond fish and the father will eat them.

Things You'll Need

  • Informational book/Packet
  • Pond fish
  • Shallow area
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Instructions

  1. Identifying a Pregnant Fish

    • 1

      Flock the fish you believe to be pregnant into a shallow portion of the pond for observation. Make sure you have a way to block the fish without panicking them too much.

    • 2

      Check the belly. When eggs start growing in the stomach of the fish, the belly of the female will start to swell.

    • 3

      Observe near the tail. When a pond fish becomes pregnant, especially on lighter fish, you will notice a black spot appear near the tail on the side of the fish.

    • 4

      Pay attention to the behavior. If the fish acts shy, such as swimming far from the surface, rarely surfacing or staying away from other fish, this is a telling sign of pregnancy and that the fish is searching for a safe place to lay eggs.

    • 5

      Anticipate the nesting location. Strange behavior such as flushing out areas of rock at the bottom of a pond several times per day, rearranging stones and eventually steadying herself over them could telegraph the nesting spot.