Heckel X / Giant Blue Turquoise Line Development

[TURQ64]

Winter's got me inside, so under the general heading of 'tricks' ( I'm a little short of questions on how), I'm starting a thread on line development from the pairing of the Heckel X nine bar and the Giant Blue Turquoise. From the angle of large, old fashioned, straight line Turquoise, this was my choice quite a while back from tanks of other wild fish varieties available from my fishroom...The pair is on their second spawn, so hence the reason for their own thread.

Fry from their first spawn, now just under dime sized on average

http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/vv319/Royaliste/Fish/DSC_0791.jpg
http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/vv319/Royaliste/Fish/DSC_0789.jpg

Parents with yesterday's clutch

Female

http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/vv319/Royaliste/Fish/DSC_0795.jpg

Male

http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/vv319/Royaliste/Fish/DSC_0799.jpg

Background on the Heckel X's..Here's the largest male, in with other X's and Heckel's..I'm not big on unecessary netting or tape measures, just trying to show comparative size

http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/vv319/Royaliste/Fish/DSC_0796.jpg
http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/vv319/Royaliste/Fish/DSC_0797.jpg

An average sized Heckel X pictured with some recently purchased 'XL size' Heckel's..Cross on the left..hopefully, a lotta love going on in there..(excuse the water stains; between me and the fish, water's always slashing in this tank!)

http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/vv319/Royaliste/Fish/DSC_0798.jpg

More news as these new eggs develop...

[Northwoods Discus]

Very nice Turk. Could be interested in some of those.

[Eddie]

Very nice Gary! Any full shots of the giant blue turq?

[TURQ64]

..Since these guys seem like they're trying to out-do my Stendker's, I'll likely let go of some of these fry..(great for making big fish!)...
Eddie; They're both being somewhat allergic to paparazzi this time around, but here's two from today..The Giant Blue Turq is from a group of Forrest's from this time last year @ 2"...turq's and Snakes...

http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/vv319/Royaliste/Fish/DSC_0801-1.jpg

http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/vv319/Royaliste/Fish/DSC_0800-1.jpg

There are more rom the last spawning...Gary

[Eddie]

Very nice Gary! I look forward to seeing how the pups develop if you hold onto some.

[TURQ64]

..I'll be keeping at least a tankful!...Thanks..

[Cosgrovb]

Gary any hope that the fry will display the Heckel bar?

[TURQ64]

Gary any hope that the fry will display the Heckel bar?

Well, of course I'm putting a little hope in that direction, but my motive here was to create large, round, plate sized fish. Along with a 'center bar' trait, it alwys seemed to me that Heckels use their bars for mood, not so much because of stress, and that 'flashing' is something I'm hoping will carrry over. My choice on the Giant Blue was for size, base color, and red eye retention..we'll see in a matter of months, I guess...

[JamesP]

Well, of course I'm putting a little hope in that direction, but my motive here was to create large, round, plate sized fish. Along with a 'center bar' trait, it alwys seemed to me that Heckels use their bars for mood, not so much because of stress, and that 'flashing' is something I'm hoping will carrry over. My choice on the Giant Blue was for size, base color, and red eye retention..we'll see in a matter of months, I guess...
Gary they are looking very nice. It is amazing how similar all of the nine bar have turned out with the occasional exception of the center bar. I hope you get a plate size one out their fry.The genes are in their favor. I know mine are stilling growing quite a bit. Not up to Dad's size yet but still quite nice. I will have to do some horse trading with you in the near future:D

[TURQ64]

You're spot on regarding their common, somewhat fixed similarities...I'm still trying to get the bulk on the remainder of mine...The fry are considerably larger than a group of Stendker's that are 2-3 weeks older....your horses are always welcome here...I think you and I get to cherry pick these fry..(although I only see 2 culls in the first group)..Knowing how long it took the cross parents to color up and out, it'll be a while before their true identities are shown...just speculation until then..

[DiscusLoverJeff]

Would be nice to see some nice "round" discus with the giant turq bloodline in them. I wish you luck on that Gary!

[TURQ64]

Actually Jeff, I'm pulling more towards the Heckel genes, as they are bigger and more round. The GB's are somewhat high finned, and a few downright 'bulldoggy', and I'm not looking for those types of traits..So, hopefully, the Heckel genes scrambled whatever combo made that...The first group of fry are still growiing like weeds and are now around dime sized....

http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/vv319/Royaliste/Fish/DSC_0815.jpg

The Heckel X / Giant Blue pair second spawn..sholud be freee swimming tonite or tomorrow..


http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/vv319/Royaliste/Fish/DSC_0819.jpg
http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/vv319/Royaliste/Fish/DSC_0818.jpg

I've found it interesting that this pair starts the eggs on a perfectly cleaned portion of the cone, but then after hatching, move them several times on the algae covered portion prior to free swimming....

[Second Hand Pat]

Nice looking pair, fry and spawn there Gray. Looks like you will have plenty of these.

[Brokenrack]

looking nice! Good luck with them Gary!
Scott

[dadecountyalan]

awsome. i really want a heckel cross

[Poco]

Nice pair Gary. It will be interesting to see the fry in few months.

[Eddie]

NICE!!! Lucky SOB!!! LOL

[TURQ64]

These guys went free swimming overnite..must have been the sound of sleigh runners!...here's more of 'lucky'.....as with the first spawn, these gnats attached instantly...

http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/vv319/Royaliste/Fish/DSC_0837-1.jpg
http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/vv319/Royaliste/Fish/DSC_0836-1.jpg

Fry are pretty evenly split between the male and female right now...Male Heckel X

http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/vv319/Royaliste/Fish/DSC_0838.jpg

..and for those of you lucky enough to be monkeying around with Heckel crosses, a merry 'X' Mas!..Gary

[Poco]

Nice x-mas present. Good to see you posting today.

[Eddie]

Best Christmas present EVER!

[TURQ64]

You guys are spot on, these are some great presents!...Today before cleaning chores...these little buggars are tearing their Heckel X father up, so I'll be starting them on bbs today, a few days early..

http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/vv319/Royaliste/Fish/DSC_0892.jpg
http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/vv319/Royaliste/Fish/DSC_0897.jpg

First group are nickel sized now, and started on one dry feeding a day..I'll be starting to advertise them before long!...

http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/vv319/Royaliste/Fish/DSC_0890.jpg

More news when it happens..Gary

[Eddie]

Super nice Gary!

[TURQ64]

I just started my evening chores in the fishroom, and had to snap this..The Heckel X / Giant Blue Turquoise fry are starting to get chunky with the addition of bbs..I can't imagine having this many anythings in my face. Patient fish, says I!....

http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/vv319/Royaliste/Fish/DSC_0910.jpg
http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/vv319/Royaliste/Fish/DSC_0909.jpg

Their first group are also growing quicly nowthat they are getting a varied diet......Gary

[Eddie]

Fantastic!

[Second Hand Pat]

Great picture Gary and fantastic fry. Should be a killer line.

[TURQ64]

Thanks guys...Here's a video clip uploaded while working....(slow)..Quite a bit better comparison of fry and parents..I really like the color of the male right now..

http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/vv319/Royaliste/Fish%20Videos/th_DSC_0915.jpg (http://s695.photobucket.com/albums/vv319/Royaliste/Fish%20Videos/?action=view&current=DSC_0915.mp4)

[TURQ64]

I forgot to mention clicking on the above pic when I posted it..some great updates today, so I'll cover these guys, and spin off somewhere. I moved the first group from the Heckel X / Giant Blue Turquoise to a 65g today, as it was to hard to keep up their water quality in a smaller tank...They are quarter sized now, and eating well away from bbs. In a moving mood, I moved group 2, numbering qround 150, to their own tank away from the parents...Now, rambling a bit, the Giant Blue SS's pawned another large clutch of eggs today, while still nursing the 7 they had prior. I'll likely move the seven, figuring they'll end up chow as the parents guard this batch of eggs....The Heckel 9 bar / Heckel 14 bar X's have a large group about to go free swimming, and best of all, the Heckel X/ Jatapu Heckel pair spawned in the community tank..half the eggs were eaten overnight, but I''ll get them a room for their next try......

[daffyfish]

Always fun, to have so much action going on, in the fish room. Congrats!

[Cosgrovb]

How are these guys coming along?