Suggestions on documentation

[brewmaster15]

Hi all,
I think its a good idea to suggest to all involved that detailed notes and records are necessary here . These will allow others to duplicate any observations and breeding successes. The best way to do this is with a notebook dedicated to each tank of heckels you have.

You should be very meticulous in record keeping... pH, conductivity, light cycles, foods fed and how many times daily, temp, water change schedule.... time in captivity etc.. Medications etc... all these things may be critical in our understanding of heckels...

Do not take anything for granted...many of the biggest discoveries in science where found accidentally... everything is important in research.

Please feel free to add your thoughts here as well.

Thanks,
al

[Apistomaster]

Someone needed to add to your recommendations so they don't stand alone.

I am trying to approach the captive breeding of Heckels by growing my potential breeders in just my tapwater.

If a pair forms then I will give them their own tank and gradually change the water to approximate their natural habitat during their spawning season.

Others, like tratore, are following the best advice to keep their Heckels in more natural water conditions at all times.

These are just some of the experimentation that needs to be done to sort out what the key factors are for getting our Heckels to spawn and raise healthy young.
Eventually we will understand them better. Something tells me Heckels have to be easier to "domesticate" than many of the reef fish now being bred commercially.
Larry

[Polar_Bear]

Like Larry, I am growing my Heckels out in tap water. Mine happens to be pH 7.6, uS 300, 84F. Mine are still small though at ca. 3 1/2" +/-. Water changes are 50% a day, with every fourth day being 100%. So far, so good, they eat very well and accept a wide variety of foods including CBW, FBW, FBS, Mysis Shrimp. All of my tanks are on a 12 hour schedule, and my water is pretty stable as far as parameters.