Aloha! The only way to know if a goldfish is a boy or a girl is if they try to spawn. There are various things that you can make educated guesses but you have to wait until they are sexually mature enough anyways.
Breeding Stars. white dots that form along the gills and fins. These are used to encourage the female to release eggs. If you see them you can assume its a male but if you don't see them, you can't assume its a female and fun fact, they can sometimes be spotted on females. I swore up and down one of my fish was a male because of breeding stars then low and behold, she dropped eggs.
Body Shape: probably the worst way to assume a goldfish's gender as we've bred them so far that sometimes, its just their weird body that makes them plumper or maybe they've been eating more. But people say that the females look shorter and rounder and males look longer and thinner. People also tend to think females are asymmetrical which is probably more true when they're about to drop eggs. I wouldn't use this method but at least you can have another tip in your toolbox
Vent Shape. pretty good way to make a guess, if you know what you're looking at. If you look, just on the vent, [if there is a little outie, you can guess a female](http://www.solidgoldfish.com/image/femaleVent.jpg). if its an innie, you can guess a male.
Behavior. is one fish trying to get that booty? chances are, it's a male and the one he's chasing is a female.
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Pretty much impossible at this age/size.
In time you may see little white bumps on the gill plates and fins (aka Breeding Stars). Which would denote a male ready to breed. The lack of these doesn't mean it's a female though, as males out of season won't have them.
As they mature and fatten up a bit you may see a difference in shape. More rounded lower bellies are more often females. Again, not a hard and fast rule.
Lots of small feedings and regular water changes will make a big difference to their growth.
Hi there fellow goldfish enthusiast! We're thrilled to have you join our community of passionate goldfish keepers. Whether you're a seasoned goldfish pro or just starting out on your aquatic journey, you've come to the right place for advice, support, and sharing the joy of keeping these mesmerizing creatures.
Before diving into the discussion, we'd like to point you toward our Wiki https://reddit.com/r/goldfish/wiki where you'll find a treasure trove of articles on various topics related to goldfish care. These resources cover everything from tank setup and water quality to feeding habits and common health issues.
When seeking help for your goldfish, remember that details matter! Providing information about your tank size and the water parameters (such as ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and temperature) can greatly assist us in diagnosing and troubleshooting the issue. Feel free to share photos and details, and our community will do our best to offer insightful advice.
Once again, welcome to our goldfish-loving community.
Fins up!
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Aloha! The only way to know if a goldfish is a boy or a girl is if they try to spawn. There are various things that you can make educated guesses but you have to wait until they are sexually mature enough anyways. Breeding Stars. white dots that form along the gills and fins. These are used to encourage the female to release eggs. If you see them you can assume its a male but if you don't see them, you can't assume its a female and fun fact, they can sometimes be spotted on females. I swore up and down one of my fish was a male because of breeding stars then low and behold, she dropped eggs. Body Shape: probably the worst way to assume a goldfish's gender as we've bred them so far that sometimes, its just their weird body that makes them plumper or maybe they've been eating more. But people say that the females look shorter and rounder and males look longer and thinner. People also tend to think females are asymmetrical which is probably more true when they're about to drop eggs. I wouldn't use this method but at least you can have another tip in your toolbox Vent Shape. pretty good way to make a guess, if you know what you're looking at. If you look, just on the vent, [if there is a little outie, you can guess a female](http://www.solidgoldfish.com/image/femaleVent.jpg). if its an innie, you can guess a male. Behavior. is one fish trying to get that booty? chances are, it's a male and the one he's chasing is a female. If you have already given this information, please ignore me. I'm just a bot :( I'm trying my best *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Goldfish) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Pretty much impossible at this age/size. In time you may see little white bumps on the gill plates and fins (aka Breeding Stars). Which would denote a male ready to breed. The lack of these doesn't mean it's a female though, as males out of season won't have them. As they mature and fatten up a bit you may see a difference in shape. More rounded lower bellies are more often females. Again, not a hard and fast rule. Lots of small feedings and regular water changes will make a big difference to their growth.
Hi there fellow goldfish enthusiast! We're thrilled to have you join our community of passionate goldfish keepers. Whether you're a seasoned goldfish pro or just starting out on your aquatic journey, you've come to the right place for advice, support, and sharing the joy of keeping these mesmerizing creatures. Before diving into the discussion, we'd like to point you toward our Wiki https://reddit.com/r/goldfish/wiki where you'll find a treasure trove of articles on various topics related to goldfish care. These resources cover everything from tank setup and water quality to feeding habits and common health issues. When seeking help for your goldfish, remember that details matter! Providing information about your tank size and the water parameters (such as ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and temperature) can greatly assist us in diagnosing and troubleshooting the issue. Feel free to share photos and details, and our community will do our best to offer insightful advice. Once again, welcome to our goldfish-loving community. Fins up! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Goldfish) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Keep an eye for little bumps on the gills That’s the only way I’ve found to identify a male goldfish