A:  You have an interesting website, even better when I hit your English button.  However, I'm just a humble retailer in Des Moines.  We buy our hardgoods from wholesalers in the midwest.  LA

A:  I'll forward your email to them.  LA

LA

A:  Lots of plecos will belly up to their front glass.  I've never thought of plecos as gravel eaters, wood, yes, but not gravel.  No way could any fish digest gravel.  Frogs and catfish wil suck up gravel but usually spit it right out.  Non-spitters seem to pass it harmlessly.  I have no idea how to encourage bowel movements in any fish except goldfish (duckweed).  You could try adding some soft driftwood to increase his fiber intake.  LA

A:  I am getting many of these this month.  At first I just deleted them because I couldn't even recognize the language.  They seem to be the large street marches in Iran?  Evidently they're trying to get the word out.  Google on to that first word in the message to see more.  LA

LA

A:  Moss balls grow slowly.  However, other algae will grow on top of moss balls.  Sounds like your "long filaments" are volunteer algae trying to re-colonize your tank.  LA

I just stuck this here in case you're a snake lover.  Sounds like a grind.  LA

A:  There's not much that you can do.  Add a teaspoon of plain salt per gallon of water and a dose of your current water conditioner.  LA

A:  I think that yellow is the way you spell light brown in Canada.  I still think you have diatoms.  Follow the potassium permanganate directions carefully.  Do not overdose and don't get it on your clothes.  Better yet, use the AlgaeFix.  LA

A:  I wouldn't use any additive on a regular basis.  Add the AlgaeFix only when you need it.  LA

A:  Add one teaspoon of plain salt per gallon.  F-D bloodworms float like a cork.  Feed them frozen bloodworms which will sink.  LA

A:  Your zebras and neons wll be fine.  F-D bloodworms might sink.  All brands are different.  Your dragon gobies may learn to eat sinking shrimp pellets, but this particular food causes many pollution problems if not eaten.  Concentrate on something you know they'll eat.  LA

LA

A:  I haven't been able to get these guys since 2006.  LA

Holidays 10 am to 2 pm

(Critters gotta be fed and watered no matter what)

A:  No.  I'm working at my computer at home on my lunch hour (which is exactly 180 minutes long).  The snakes are at Aqualand.  I can't remember all their sizes and prices.  Just call 283-0300 and they'll walk on over to the snake displays and answer all your questions.  LA

A:  I'm not very familiar with California laws these days, but it sounds like it's easier to deliver a vanload of marijuana in CA than it is to cross their borders with live plants.  We rarely ship plants anyway -- even though it's above zero today.  Lowlight plants grow very slowly.  You'll need to check plants out at your local fish store.  LA

A:  Looks like you've got the basics:  food and clean water.  If you like sand, go for it.  I don't think the substrate makes much difference.  You'll find the colors will eventually mix together.  You might want to direct your filter's outflow against the back glass.  The constant splashing of those tiny water drops will eventually etch your front glass.  LA

A:  No prob.  Start with ten containers.  Fill them with aquarium water.  Boil a couple lettuce leaves and put them in two of the containers.  Put four drops of milk in two of the containers.  Put two rabbit pellets (raw or digested) in two of the containers.  Take some aquarium plants and crush their juice into two of the containers.  Put the crushed debris into the last two containers.  Line them up and observe.  You should see extremely tiny animacules in the water in about a week.  Pick the one or two that look the most populous.  Dump the others and use the most populous cultures to inoculate the eight new ones using the most successful food source.  There you go.  You are now a registered infusoriast.  Do not put all your infusoria eggs in one basket.  LA

A:  They also get darker when kept over dark gravel, when fed "color foods," and when kept in groups with a choice of hiding places.  LA

A:  Those two big holes above his mouth are nostrils, which I'm sure you already know.  Those half dozen smaller holes in the crop circle shape are likely hole in the head disease.  Their sensory pores are along their lateral lines.  LA

A:  Yes.  LA

A:  I consider tiger barbs "sight feeders" but they do have those little "barb" on the sides of their mouths.  Try putting a sheet of black plastic over the tank to exclude all lght from your tank.  I'm surprised they'd eat the shells, but I don't think I'd peel a shrimp destined for fish food. or even for my own consumption.  LA
PS  No auction.  They're building a new wing on the Aqualand Museum and Storm Door Company.  Plenty of room.

A:  No.  We don't ship critters.  Is it legal to own one in Seattle?  By the way, I almost missed my Grayline tour bus watching the salmon ladders in Seattle.  Great city to visit.  LA

A:  Hm, what's going on in Seattle?  I don't know if axoltls are legal in Seattle.  But, it's a moot point.  We don't ship critters.  I'm forwarding your name to someone who does.  LA

A:  The trace amounts of copper in plant fertilizer don't seem to faze snails.  If it were strong enough to zap snails, it would likely zap your plants also.  I don't think you will find golden apple snails.  They're illegal to ship across state lines.  I was getting some from another Ames resident last year but no more.  Ask Dave at The Ark if he can get them from the same guy.  No nerite snail babies yet.  No eggs in the brackish water tank yet.  I'm starting to think I gave them too much salt?  LA

A:  Nope.  I get fish and snails from APET every week.  They and everyone else cannot sell apple snails.  They're selling gold mystery snails -- which look very similar but do not grow as large.  They also do not devour the rice and taro crops.  LA

A:  Add one teaspoon of plain salt to meet his brackish needs.  This will not harm your other fish.  Your main problem will be getting food past your current crop of fish food hogs.  LA   

Did everybody take Saturday off?  LA

LA
4-foot red-tail catfish at our Des Moines Blank Park Zoo.

A:  Sorry.  We don't ship.  Note, you will need a huge tank for your red-tail catfish.  LA

A:  We had three before I went to lunch.  $100.  LA

LA

A:  Two weeks ago, I'd have said mix away.  But a week ago last Friday I put 10 inch-long dwarf gouramis in with 10 of these silver dollar-size albino pearlscale angels.  The gouramis continually picked at the angels and apparently annoyed two of them to death.  When I took out the dwarf gouramis, the deaths ceased.  Maybe it was just a coincidence, but I won't mix them again.  LA

A:  Sure we trade in used lizards all the time.  Call Mike @ 283-0300 any time Friday and see what we can do.  I can tell you right now, we have several leopard geckos on hand.  LA