Goldfish Station

The spawning tank is where you will be mating the goldfish and hatching and raising the fry. It should be long and low, allowing for as much swimming length as possible. The tank needs only a box or power filter and an aerator. It probably does not need a heater if you are following the seasons; some experts prefer it. Again, if you have champions or other exotics, then I expect you to take all precautions. However, for a simple breeding tank, all you need is the above. Gravel, rocks and other decorations will prove quite cumbersome, so don't include these. After the mating takes place, you will need to remove the parents immediately. Later on, when culling the fry, you will need to extract some more fish. A decorated hatchery will be too difficult to navigate with a fishnet.

The water for this tank should have been distilled for at least two days and should have been with an operating filter for at least a week. Many experts suggest putting some salt in the water at this time, but you may make your own decision. Some experts prefer to place one teaspoon of salt for every five gallons of water. This is done in a hospital tank in many cases to deal with different diseases. This is much like disinfecting the water before breeding. However, I think this is somewhat overdoing it. I prefer to err on the side of caution. You might send your own fish into shock unless you treat your tank with this kind of stimulus regularly, which I do not recommend. If you must, I suggest that you add one level teaspoon of salt for each ten gallons of water. And make sure you wait a few days before adding the fish themselves.