Julian's Contest thread.

[Pardal]

Well my story in the hobby is in many ways similar to many , here in Simply.
As a child I use to rump in streams and ditches of Cuba , catching guppies, and crayfish , and move from live bears to egg layers, as my older brother and my father were keeping fish way before I was born.
In 1994 I came to this great country . by 1995 I join the Navy. Sometime around 2000. I bought a tank for my son, "suppously" . My fish keeper wake up in me again. And by 2002 I have my first Fish Dealer Florida State License , and was selling Angels and the occasional Discus. I have to admit my survival rate was terrible as well as even growth for the fry, sometime around 2007 I found Simply, as guest first , even forget my password. but by 2009 I was an active member . I have breed a few strains of domestics through out the years from the easiers to the Albinos an taste some waters around the Country , like Virginia, Hawaii, Florida and even over seas Italy, and Bahrain .
Sometime around 2015 my focus shifted to Wilds and a few domestics , with ocassional Angels, or blue rams. I still learning , and I have had a lot of aha moments here in Simply. but I do share my experience with anyone that ask.
So here are some pictures of what are currently working, with the exception of my domestics tanks.

116041 This pair is Male Blue face Heckel and Female Stendker Red Turquoise They are about 4 years but still kicking axx.

[Pardal]

116042

These are my other wilds with and intruder a male Blue Diamond. There are two Cuipeuas, one Brilliant Heckel, and an Alenquer Blue Royal. my apologies as I just wake them up ( turn on the lights) as wasn't sure to enter more tanks in the contest.

[Pardal]

116043
Here is the Angels invasion , Veil silvers, and Mottled Silvers with Blue genes, they are SD to Sub-adults size.

[Adam S]

Julian, the attachments on your second and third posts aren't coming through. The first pair looks great though. Always cool seeing fish interact with the hardscape.

[Pardal]

Julian, the attachments on your second and third posts aren't coming through. The first pair looks great though. Always cool seeing fish interact with the hardscape.
Yes , wilds and this Red Turq ignore prefer the drift wood over man made cones.

[Second Hand Pat]

Hi Julian, see if you can repost the pics in a new post and I will try to fix your posts above.
Pat

[Pardal]

116044 The Angels invasion second try.

[Pardal]

116045
The rest of the wilds, with an intruder a Blue Diamond to make an ood number, 2 Cuipeuas, 1 Heckel 1 Royal. will get better picture today.

[Swedgin]

116045
The rest of the wilds, with an intruder a Blue Diamond to make an ood number, 2 Cuipeuas, 1 Heckel 1 Royal. will get better picture today.

Oooh, I like those. The red one looks stunning.

[Pardal]

Thanks Tobi, is actually my favour of the red cuipeuas.

[Pardal]

Well I think I going to stick to only two tanks, The pair Blue Face Heckel x Red Turquoise . and my other wilds.
Just want to mention they were all in my display 150g. , But I moved 5 of them , and let the pair in the 150g. as everytime I move them to a breeding tank , they loose their motivation.

[Pardal]

116054

So this spoiled pair , have a 150g all for themselves to breed. They have spawn several times, and one of them with wigglers, but were less than a dozen, they move them all over the driftwood, and then they disappear, this time if we get wigglers I will reduce the water level to half.

[Pardal]

These are the rest of my wilds plus an intruder, unfortunately he has to hang with them as the rest of my domestic stock is compose of only 3 breeding pairs at the moment. The tank is an old 55 gallon acrylic in my fish room. I got the feeling all are males, so not expecting anything happen. will give some individual close up in the future.
116057

[Pardal]

116087
So all the eggs turn white, not fertile, The Heckel is not doing his job right, as I notice . He was "penciling" next to the eggs and above, and not on them, I going to add a flat type, cone/slate, hopefully they take it, over the drift wood.

[Pardal]

Today's post of the Second tank.
A close up of the Brilliant Heckel.
116088

[Pardal]

116134
This is today's post the rest of my wilds in the 55 gallon.

[Pardal]

116135
The pair BF Heckel X S Red turquoise with the flat cone, to avoid the male sliding to circumference and not fertilizing the eggs, hope they take it.

[Pices]

I am really liking that Red Culpeuas wild. I don’t have any but I would like to learn how to keep them once I master the domestics. I’ve never seen a flat cone. Hope they get the hang of it.
Patty

[Pardal]

Barb , makes flats ("cones" or should I said spawning plate/slate) as per request and I had seen in some videos, from europe in a pair of heckels precisely , that was actually hanging in the side of the tank, mine is actually from my angels, the problem is my male Heckel tends to go to the side following the circumference shape of the drift wood, and mixes more than he pencils.
Real Cuipeaus tend to be pricey, I used to pay for them in two installments a deposit and then final payment as they were from Wsabby . for the wilds focus in the water hardness more than in ph. I aim for a TDS of 70 to 100. with my middle point around 75ppm. There is a little bit more in to it. as I had find out that GH and KH my differ from the traditional way to estimate hardness by TDS divide by 10 after all TDS is an approximate value as your hardness is not Calcium only, the other main element is magnesium. and TDS well that could be a lot other stuff besides these other two.
Pat's has some nice sticker in her homestead section about parameters for wilds .
Julian.

[Pices]

I definitely see wilds in my future once I master the domestics. I know they’re more work so I may have to wait till I retire or win the lottery. Since I never remember to buy a ticket, it will definitely be a while.
Patty

[Pardal]

lol, i am pretty sure you will do well with wilds, Patty.
Julian.

[Pardal]

Ok, folks and out the race, too many things going on. Good luck to everyone.
Julian.

[Swedgin]

Shame. I thought this was quite an interesting thread.