Captive Breed Heckels???

[NanDiscus]

Hi Pat!

Attila does care, just does not show it. He says that the fish do the miracles, the pro's do the 'marketing' but he's neither of these two.

The cold is in the room where I am - now it's actually better with the fire going.

Nandi

[Second Hand Pat]

Hi Nandi,

I didn't mean to imply Attila does care, only that sometimes people do not like to receive the attention such an event as heckels spawning can generate.

Glad you are warm now.


Pat

[NanDiscus]

Hi Nandi,

I didn't mean to imply Attila does care, only that sometimes people do not like to receive the attention such an event as heckels spawning can generate.

Pat

I leave him with no choice. And he does not mind it.

Nandi

[Second Hand Pat]

I leave him with no choice. And he does not mind it.

Nandi

I see, so you are a pest lol. Good going otherwise we would know nothing

[Aquanero]

I see a plant in the tank and sand substrate in the pics. What were the water perameters again? Congrats on a great accomplishment.

[NanDiscus]

And for all the world to see:

Heckel_F1_Luki_HUN_03.jpg

Here are the 'happy water parameters' as of yesterday evening:
pH: 4.7, EC: 60mS, NO3: somewhere between 0 and 10.
The pure RO-water used for the w/c's has an EC of about 10mS, the extra 50 comes from the life in the tank (food, etc.). The tap water I mentioned earlier is no longer present (or detectable) in the tank, it was only added before the long vacation to provide a bit of pH buffer while a not-so-very-competent person looked after the fish.
Otherwise there is nothing added to bring the pH down, time and the filtration takes care of this. Attila used to filter the prepp'ed water through peat, but he gave up on it as the fish didn't like it nearly as much as the pure RO. (I had the same observation re Xingús and peat.)
The parent fish arrived in early March 2009 as semi-adult fish, since then they have been in the same tank that's located in a corner of the kitchen, right next to a door, so there has always been relatively heavy traffic around the tank, which they seem to have gotten used to. They are fed primarily on a variety of frozen foods, discus granules and occasionally on fruits. What they accept and enjoy of the latter is very much mood (or season, flavour, etc.?) dependant. (Again, the same as with my Xingús.) Temp: 29C.

The water parameters are exactly the same as they were the last time, Attila keeps things under very tight control.

Nandi

[plecocicho]

What is Atillas water changing regime? How big is the tank, the filter? how many wilds and other fish are in there? congratulations, we are all holding our fingers for him to succeed

[NanDiscus]

A little update here, but first I'd like to answer plecochico's questions.:

The tank is 500 liters with two big air-driven sponge filters, an external filter of a nothing-fancy-type with a relatively low flow setting, roots of Philodendron and Clorophytum inside the tank, w/c's around 20% every other day. There is now an added Eheim filter with a sponge block, that does the circulation between the two sides of the foam.
To my best knowledge Attila sold two of his Heckels out of the 8 he had in the tank, so now there are six adult discus in the tank plus the fry.

It is now time to release the grip a little on those fingers, the fry are all swimming around happily with no losses so far, they are fed both by the parents and Attila, the latter gives them NHBS every two-three hours. They also venture longer expeditions away from the parents now and do the exact same thing as the Xingú babies were doing: grazing on every surface possible.

These pics are not most recent, I think they were shot six days ago, but Attila is still in slo-mo, so there will always be a lag with the reports.

Nandi

P1013262.jpgP1013277.jpgP1013279.jpgP1013280.jpg

[Second Hand Pat]

Heckels covered in fry...what a beautiful site.

[Luky]

Hi my friends,

Thanks for your interest and posts. Special thanks to Nandi.

My name is Attila Lukács.

These wild Heckels arrived direct from Manaus in 03.2009 (I imported). Then, the fishes are quarantined for six months. There was no problem in quarantine. Treatment was not necessary.

Now only 1-1 pair in tank. Second pair in out side. They have no eggs. To transfer another tank of the second pair in the near future.

Have a nice day,
Luky

[Crockett]

Amazing, I have not really been following this thread, as I thought they were F1 breeding or Heckel crosses, but now I see that is not the case. Don't know too much about Heckels breeding etc, but from what I have read this has never been done or better still has not ever been documented I think (correct me if I am wrong) , so BIG CONGRATS

[TURQ64]

you are wrong...
Nice batch of fry, matey!...

[NanDiscus]

Amazing, I have not really been following this thread, as I thought they were F1 breeding or Heckel crosses, but now I see that is not the case. Don't know too much about Heckels breeding etc, but from what I have read this has never been done or better still has not ever been documented I think (correct me if I am wrong) , so BIG CONGRATS

The evindence is pictured above. Those Rio Negro Heckels are as real as they can get.

Attila is the second guy I know of who managed to breed "the real thing" and provided unquestionnable evidence of it. The first person is Andrzej Nowicki from Poland. The latter became kind of world-famous for it...

Nandi

[NanDiscus]

Just to keep this thread going, here are a few pictures taken yesterday. The fry are eating like mad, Attila started to add new things to their diet too, so they are no longer sole BBS-eaters. There have been no detectable losses, so things seem to be on the right track.
The other pair are doing all but that...

Nandi

P1013336.jpgP1013337.jpgP1013368.jpg

[AngryBird]

awesome sight