OMG!

[Eddie]

Just making a guess but the heckel might be the female which is pretty interesting. You should try to successfully raise the fry if they go free swimming.

Eddie

[lemondiscus]

Just making a guess but the heckel might be the female which is pretty interesting. You should try to successfully raise the fry if they go free swimming.

Eddie

I would too!

[Eddie]

There are not too many folks that can say they bred a heckel. The funny thing is this fish has been in your tanks for maybe 3 months, most heckels don't get comfortable that fast....well comfortable enough to spawn anyways. You got yourself a pretty healthy and vigorous fish.

Best of luck with them,

Eddie

[Daniella]

Not even 3 months since I bought it on June 21. Funny thing is that fish at the pet store was apathetic..not moving and I first thought it was sick. It was trying to hide in the far corner of the aquarium, not moving from there. They said they had it for 4 months but I doubt it.

It's now the boss of my aquarium It is a very tough little one. Recently I did pp treatments (one per week for 2 weeks and last one on agust 21) so that heckel went trough the treatment like the rest. Amazing I think that it spawned despite the treatments, despite the bad water quality.

I have also notice a major increase in appetite for the last few days so that might be explained by the laying of eggs, not sure.

I still need to see if the eggs are fertile.

Very bad timing though since I am leaving for vacation sunday for 7 days and they spawned in the community tank (good thing I got rid of the tetras)

There are not too many folks that can say they bred a heckel. The funny thing is this fish has been in your tanks for maybe 3 months, most heckels don't get comfortable that fast....well comfortable enough to spawn anyways. You got yourself a pretty healthy and vigorous fish.

Best of luck with them,

Eddie

[Chad Hughes]

Spawning discus typically eat less. Just thought I'd put that out there.

[Daniella]

hmm I will see if the eggs are fertile and if they are I will have certitude I have a pair there..

Spawning discus typically eat less. Just thought I'd put that out there.

[April]

well..hopefully by tomorrow you see little wigglers. you can clearly see the breeding tube on the heckel in your third pic. thats what you shouldve been looking for..the males..pointy...the girls..wide and flat on the end.
hopefully they dont eat them before they hatch so you can see if fertile.

[Daniella]

In this photo I think I see the breeding tube of the heckel:

http://www.pbase.com/zylen/image/116603628/original

they have not eated the eggs and the eruption is extremely protective. He only come to eat for a very short time and rush back to the eggs. The heckel is less interested in the eggs..it come from time to time to vent them but it's mostly the eruption doing all the work.

So the heckel is the female?

well..hopefully by tomorrow you see little wigglers. you can clearly see the breeding tube on the heckel in your third pic. thats what you shouldve been looking for..the males..pointy...the girls..wide and flat on the end.
hopefully they dont eat them before they hatch so you can see if fertile.

[April]

possibly..looks like it may be..which is great..you mustve stimulated her with your water spikes or something..or low ph. who knows.

[Daniella]

Ph is 7.1 to 7.2 and temperature is pretty constant to 28C. TDS vary a little from 100 to 150 depending how much emergency water change I had to do and I much osmosis water I had available (mix of tap and osmose). I had salt in the tank like about 2 days before spawning (1 teaspoon per 10 gallon).

Nothing special really, plus bad water quality for 11 days (ammonia and at the end nitrites)

possibly..looks like it may be..which is great..you mustve stimulated her with your water spikes or something..or low ph. who knows.

[Chad Hughes]

Sounds like a complete accident to me!

[ifixoldhouses]

dang, did you take all those pix of eagles and such?

[lemondiscus]

dang, did you take all those pix of eagles and such?

I know I was admiring her photography skills if those are all her photos (I think they are!)

[wgtaylor]

Hi Daniella,

Looks like a very nice female heckle and a very rare event.
I see why you titled this thread "OMG", congratulations, well done.
Wish you the best is saving some of the fry if it is meant to be.
Take care,
Bill

[Daniella]

Yes those are my photographs. I take wildlife and landscape but mostly wildlife.

Wish I had such skill for photographying fish, lol.

I know I was admiring her photography skills if those are all her photos (I think they are!)