Gold fish acid water for heckel spawning behavior ??

[Iralde]

Hi everyone. Great forum. Heckels and Altums are my favourites. Anyway, I'm reading large amoungs about heckels, in orther to keep a group of them and try to rise them and study them to give all they needs to get a pair and make it spawn.

It's a fantastic fish. May be this is the reason why the more i read, the more doubts i have. I have keep them two years ago, but with other not wild discus, and with no cares of water at all.

Now it's time to try their spawn. I have read in this forum lots of differents experiences with them. For example: Those that says that they just spawn when they are old fishes or the fact that it's the female the one who decided when spawn.

Most of them i have red them in the past, but this one is completely new: ¿Can someone explain me (in easy words please) why and how do some people used gold fishes to succeed with heckel?

Thankyou so much. Iralde from Spain.

[TURQ64]

It's been posted recently here, but true Heckel spawns hardly happen....Best of luck..I know nothing of goldfish helping Discus spawn; it's out of my league, so I'll let someone with that experience reply.

[William Palumbo]

The Goldfish is a new one on me as well...Bill

[Second Hand Pat]

I wonder if he means old fish.

[Iralde]

Not old fish. Goldfish. Tht'a the doubt. Check what JimmyL said in this forum. Last page, the thread is named "heckel discussion and observations" Something like this: "Sorry didn't have time to go through all the questions. I've been fooling around with the wilds for a few years. Cross anything willing to breed together along with the domestic crosses. I raised them just like the domestic with the exception of a tank loaded with driftwoods and plants (plastic) glue on an upsidedown flower pot which is also a resident of the bristlenose pleco.
Whenever I found the rest of the fish on one side of the tank. I usually have a pair formed on the other side. I take the pair out in their separated 20 galon breeding tank with a central system of 200 gal capacity. 100% RO with 2-10 goldfish (depending how fast I want to add acid to the system) in the other tank to add acid to the water. Fish can tolerate extremely low ph created by the goldfish. They will spawn as the ph drop gradually. Heckels requires a lower Ph to hatch properly. As soon as the egg are turning black. I cut off the central system and start adding tap water to bring the mineral content back and Ph up. Otherwise they will die in the breeding water. They need the minerals to develope properly. 3 days after attachment. They are in tap water and they can be raised just like any domestic"

[Chaotica]

maybe goldfish is a "secret" word :p

[TURQ64]

Well, I still don't have a clue, but anyway, best of luck to you. I keep my water on the acidic side by other methods. You've shown an interest in two of the more difficult fish in the aquatic trade. If this post is your basis for Heckel facts, then you'd best start with the right goldfish. Not my cup of tea, but I already mentioned my lack of knowlege in the matter. I do, however, keep Heckel's and Altum Angelfish...

[William Palumbo]

I believe JimmyL was banned from Simply for claiming he was breeding and developing strains that he had no part of...I may be wrong. If not, I would have a hard time believing any of what he says...Bill

[Second Hand Pat]

I found the thread

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?44085-Heckel-discussion-and-observations&highlight=heckel+discussion+observations

and see others requested more info on his post and he never replied. Guess we know why.

[TURQ64]

as Sgt. Schultz says, 'I know nutting'.....But with several R/O's, and six bushels of Canadian peat, followed up with two pounds of acid buffer, I don't need 'nutting' new like goldfish water...Thanks for the head's up tho', I was spending too much time wondering ***....Gary

[William Palumbo]

LOL Gary!...if you can't get your ph low with all that, man you got problems!...Bill