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Dan S
01-04-2009, 07:15 PM
Hello,

At somestage this year (Im hoping before this collecting season ends) I will have my first attempt at keeping Heckels. Tank wise, Im happy with my current setup, my Blues have been very happy in it (some are up for sale and the remainder are going to a breeding setup). Im about to increase my water production so I can keep on top of even larger water changes.

My query is though, Is it best to start off with Juvenile fish at about 3" or go for adults? (Im pretending money isnt an issue here). If you are a Heckel owner and you bought Juvenile fish, would you do it the same way again, or would you go for adults and the same goes the other way around?

If you did go for Juveniles, did you grow them out in a bare bottom tank or did you do that in a decorated tank? Obviouly Bare Bottom is easier but from reading posts it seems that Heckels are particularly intolerant of BB?

As I said, Ive been reading through the posts and Im just trying to find out what you would do differently second time round?

Also, Tankmates? What are you keeping with them? I know about the more common things like the Rummy Nose and Cardinal Tetras and Corys, but is anyone keeping anything a bit different and its working well?

All advice welcome really.

Dan

rowedder
01-04-2009, 07:27 PM
Hi Dan,
I would go with the younger ones just because at least you'd know they weren't old ones. Growing them out is part of the challenge and is very rewarding in the end. I bought some Heckles myself a few months ago and they are doing great. I had them in a BB tank for about three weeks with lots of driftwood and a fake plant. I have since moved them into my 150 with filter sand, driftwood, and a few live swords and java fern planted around the tank. I have 3 cories, 1 neon, 2 rummynose, 5 hatchet fish & 5 plecos in with them, all doing fine. Oh! I also added 2 of my very juvinile discus I raised, there about an inch long a piece. These little guys just hang out with them. I was curious to see what the heckles would do with such small discus in there with them, they didn't do anything different. Good luck with your plans.

Eddie
01-04-2009, 07:31 PM
Hi Dan,

When it comes to heckels, you can pretty much compare me to the average goldfish owner that liked the way a discus looked in the LFS, decided to by one and throw it in a tank not knowing a darn thing about the fish. Thats how I know what heckels are.

I only have 2 heckels and I am sure things would be different if I had a group in a biotope but like I said, I liked them and just bough them. I bought one at the end of October at about 3.5" and this one heckel started feeding on all foods straight away. He became the alpha male in my tank with other hybrids. Then not too long ago I picked up big heckel, around 5.5-6". This fish will only eat FBW. He is in the CT now with the other younger heckel and he still refuses to eat anything but FBW. Now this guy is the silent alpha male, could be a female. He or she hasn't eaten because I refuse to give in a give them FBW. The heckels dominate my tank, the yonger one mostly. He is ferocious during feeding time, like I have never seen.

All in all, I can only say that so far, the younger fish seemed to settle in faster and is alot hardier. I am thinking of getting some more younger ones also to start shifting my CT to a biotope with only heckels. JM2 cents

Eddie

Fishworm
01-04-2009, 08:33 PM
I bought mine at about 4.5 inches. seems like a good size to start out with. not too young, and not so old that they are about to die. :)

I keep mine in a 125 gallon tank with sand bottom and driftwood. the other fish in the tank are 3 Jurupari eartheaters, some rummy nose tetras that I just added, and 3 albino bristlenose plecos. the jurupari hate each other, but they never bother the discus, and the discus ignore them.

illumnae
01-04-2009, 09:22 PM
I would get mid-sized ones at about 3-4 inches. This makes them large enough to not take the arduous journey from river to LFS too badly, yet small enough that they can adapt well enough to your tank conditions.

Dan S
01-06-2009, 07:27 AM
Hello,

Thanks for the feedback guys. Looks like its juveniles then which will help the bank balance alot.

Dan