Mixing Heckel with Heckel Cross

[Moon4Free]

Hi guys,

I know we've said it so many times that Heckel should be kept only by themselves but I just wonder how would it be if I would mix them with Heckel Cross which is somewhat their close relative. In Heiko's book it was mentioned quite a few times that natural cross Heckel do exist but, if I'm not mistaken, there's very few info on how they (Heckel Cross) live in nature. Maybe they do live with their parents (Heckel)?

My pair of Heckel Cross are the crossing between natural Heckel and Giant Flora so they are relatively big, approx 6 inches, which are about the same size as my Heckel gang.

What's your opinion if I'd put them together?

Any comments, suggestions, experience sharing are most welcome

[Second Hand Pat]

This is purely a personal choice.

[Moon4Free]

Hi All,

To give you some idea of my fish, here are some photos of them taken just now. Hope you enjoy them

DSC_7979.jpgDSC_7973.jpgDSC_7960.jpgDSC_7912.jpgDSC_7904.jpg

[Moon4Free]

BTW, the 2nd and 3rd photos are the heckel cross that I referred to.

[Discus Origins]

Your Heckel cross is between a domestic and wild fish, not a natural wild cross. As such it's really a question of mixing domestic fish with wild fish which is normally discouraged unless both have been properly quarantined and the wilds treated for internal parasites. As long as proper procedures have been followed you can attempt to mix them.

[Moon4Free]

Thank you for your suggestion, both Second Hand Pat and Discus Origin. I actually forgot the point about the domestic cross

[wannafish]

If you are asking the question to mix based on aesthetics.
I think the Heckels should stay alone in their mix.
The crosses' coloring I think is more pronounced as
of domestics than as a couple of Heckels. They may
be too pronounced when mixed with your other Heckels.

[Moon4Free]

Thanks for sharing your thought, wannafish. Actually the whole idea of putting my Heckel Cross with the original Heckel is due to the fact that these 4 Heckels are waiting for their new friends which will come in the next few months. Meanwhile, they seem to feel a little bit lonely and shy

So, at the end of the day, I decided to move my 2 Wild Brown and 1 Heckel who had been living with another 20 domestics for the past few years to the new tank and that works out pretty well. Now 7 of them are wandering around and eating like pigs. They look pretty ready to meet up with new friends over the next few months