black & white moors

Question
hi my name is Lisa.
i have bought a black moor fish and a white moor fish and some other goldfish, my question is on the moor's fish which one is the male or female?
if the black one is a female, how will i know when she will become pregnant by the white moor. they are doing fine except for they are hogs don't let none of my other fish eat. please get back with me on this, i had both of them for at least a month. thank you for your kind help, i hope this will help me, i don't know that much about fish.
Lisa

Answer
Hello Lisa,

For starters, sexing your fish. Goldfish are nearly impossible to really, accurately sex. I've read in a few places that there are some tell-all signs, but I have yet to test any of them. First, if you are looking to breed, please realize that the increase in mouths to feed increases waste. more waste, more ammonia, harder to manage. The best way to know for sure is to watch the two fish. If one begins to chase the other around the tank, and develops little white dots on and around his head, he's a male. Note, if he becomes inactive with spots, he's probably sick. Be very careful in trying to determine which is which. If your white moor is the male, it may be very hard to find those spots! I've also read that there is a difference in anal fins, as with many other fish, that tell there sex; however, I could not tell you which is which because when I tried using this method, I didn't notice a difference!

If your black moor is pregnant, or becomes pregnant, you'll notice two major changes. First, she'll eat more and get fatter. Even if you don't change feeding patterns. Second, she will become semi-territorial. She will seem a little aggressive as her pregnancy continues and she will fend off others to make herself a safe place to rest and prepare. Be warned, she can have thousands of little eggs stored up in her before she pops!

As far as food hogs? All goldfish are food hogs. Just be careful, I've heard stories they will keep eating and eating until their tummies explode!

Best of luck, and keep me posted on how things go!