How Can You Tell When A Fish Is Going To Have Babies?

A fish becomes light in colour when she is pregnant and you can see the baby fish inside the expectant female fish. They get bigger in size and there is a little plug which is white in colour which forms at their buttocks. The bottom of the stomach of a female fish which is pregnant is usually square in shape.

A pregnant fish has a good appetite and can eat anything that it is fed (if it is a pet) or anything it finds in the ocean or river if it is a seawater fish or a freshwater fish. If you have a pet fish, you will notice that it takes a duration of about ten to twelve hours for it to give birth. It is roughly the same duration of time for a fish that lives in a pond, an ocean or a river. The newborn fish are usually bottom-feeders.

Most pregnant fish will have a swollen belly. Egg laying fish will usually look pretty swollen. Some egg layers just scatter their eggs in the water, but other egg layers will actually tend with their eggs and take care of their young which are called "fry". Livebearing fish like platys and mollies give birth to living swimming babies and sometimes may turn right around and eat them after they give birth to them. With live bearing fish, you can see a dark spot in their lower belly. This is actually the eyes of the baby fish inside the mother.

You may want to try what you call lighting. But, this only works with white or light colored fish. Lighting is something you have to do carefully without blinding your'e fish. You need a not exactly fresh battery in the SMALL I repeat SMALL flashlight. NO CANDLES! Point at the enlarged stomach with the light, although you don't always get results & can't seem to see anything. Just DON'T take your fish out of the tank! And, if you see that she is pregnant please buy a small GOLDFISH bowl put only the pregnant fish in. Please contain artificial or real plants, for the fry to hide in! By Kyla Wells

Sometimes fish have large bellies from eating too much, but there is no very accurate way to tell if your fish is pregnant. It may be best to put it in a tank alone and see if it does lay eggs or give live birth, if it gives live birth that will narrow it down as to what type of white fish you have.

What type of fish is it?  If it is a live bearing fish (guppy, molly, swordtail, platies) than the belly will be swollen/bulging right next to the anal fin.  It also may appear darker or have black dot there as well.  

If it is a egg layer, then it's going to be different for pretty much every type of fish.  Some fish will 'claim' a spot, and guard it because it is where they intend to lay the eggs.

It swim's sideways.

The female fighting fish will have a white spot on it's ventral fin.

My fish has a bloated stomach she swims slow the other fish chases her around

Usually when the fish looks like it's getting fatter and lazier

You will know because the fish will eat more and get fat

She is just concerned that is why she is moving all around and when she gives birth she remain cool and calm in the water so you don't need to worry about it.

It usually depends on the fish. I have guppies and usually the stomach swells up a bit. Other fish like Goldfish lay eggs but they often eat them afterwards

That is the sign you need!!! They will require more food also. Good luck!!!!

If it is bloated

My fish is floating on one side because one side is big

I don't really no But I would check with my local pet shop or where ever they sell gold fish they should be able to tell you.Hope this helps

I just bought a fish two catfish last night. One had a bloted belly so I assumed it was pregnant. This morning both its eyes are missing and it has a bite in its side.

There is a fish in my pond which keeps going under the pump! Why is this!
Its not stuck because it comes out at times.Its been two days under there and its a goldfish.I once saw a little black fish under the pump as well but I'm not sure if its a baby. What do you think the goldfish might be doing???

From thomas age 10   :)

When a catfish is pregnant it lays eggs...fish lay eggs.

A fat non pregnant fresh water fish.  Sometimes they have that future mother "glow" about them.

Mine seems real fat tonight and I noticed it yesterday me and my dad think its pregnant

A goldfish