How can i tell if my blackmore fish is pregnant or has worms?

Question

i put two in the same tank about a month ago and one has been getting a belly i have no idea of the sex of either fish so how do i tell if it is pregnant or has worms and how do i tell what sex it is.

Answer 1

As others here have pointed out, goldfish are egglayers. It's certainly possible that your fish might be heavy with eggs (if it's a female, that is!). It's difficult to determine the sex of goldfish unless they're at least 1-2 years old, and then during the breeding season. Breeding males will develop tubercles (like white pimples) on the coverings over the gills and along the front edges of the side fins: http://www.bristol-aquarists.org.uk/goldfish/info/sexing-fs.htm There will also be a difference in the anal opening (vent) at tis time. Other methods of sexing are reported, but are unreliable. At other times, they all look female.

Black moors have a naturally large abdomen, so your fish may just be developing normally. I wouldn't think it's a cause for concen provided the belly is equal on both sides of your fish and the doesn't have an abnormally curved spine (there is quite a bit of natural curve to these, to "abnormal" might be hard to determine).

Fish are capable of getting an internal parasitic worm - the one I've dealt with is camallanus. Whether or not you'll be able to tell if your fish have this will depend on the size of your fish and a few outward symptoms. If your fish are small, when they are resting you might be able to se the actual worm sticking out of the vent - they're thin and red. They stick out to reproduce, so if you have these, you'll need to treat the entire tank to prevent infection of other fish and reinfection of the original parasite carrier. The worms will pull back in when the fish is moving. This can usually only be seen in fish up to the size of platies, though. In larger fish, the only real indications are the fish might stop eating and become very thin and/or develop the spinal curving (which is easier to see in straight-bodied fish).

Other possibilities include constipation (try withholding food for a few days and give the fish a cooked pea with the skin removed) or early stages of dropsy. I'll post some links with further information for you on these conditions below.

Answer 2

Black moor telescope goldfish don't breed in small tanks and not when they're small. By nature they have big round bodies and are delicate goldfish. Other fish will bite the eyes out of these fish. They don't have worms,they're not "pregnant". Goldfish are egg-layers and males chase the females around when they're ready to breed.

Answer 3

hi there,
i have a few black moors and have found that as they get bigger, their tummies grow - i think that's just their shape and probably nothing to worry about!

Answer 4

Fish aren't dogs they don't get WORMS as you say.