Questions about Heckel

[noobxnoob]

I have viewed many pics of heckel.
Are they all have on black bar at their center of the body?
Or they are going to have more???

(Just curious... sorry if I put this post at the wrong place....)

[geekgeek]

This is my observation of my wild heckels. During the daytime, the heckels have the 1st, 5th and last bar all the time while one of them doesn't have any bars until it is stressed or not happy or at night time. Towards the evening when it gets dark, they all have their bars 1st 5th, and last bar.

During water change they all have bars 1st 5th and last. The darkness of the bars or the intensity of the bar is the same for all of them.

The one that doesn't have bars all the time doesn't show any bars during feeding or when it is happy.

I have a low tech tank. I have no lights, just natural lighting.

So not sure what they will be like if you have lighting.

The one without the bars (all the time) seems to be the leader while the barred one seems more shy.

[Apistomaster]

Heckels markings are among the most consistent of all discus but are still subject to their moods and health. I do not take their temporarary variabilty to have very much significance beyond that of the above factors If you have Heckels at some point you will see their full range of the displays of which they are capable. Be more concerned wih a tendency for the Heckels to be very dark. Like other discus, such a dark color can indicate poor water conditions or poor health.