LA
Four blocks down the hill from Aqualand.  The telephoto lens shows about five blocks of water.

A:  Fortunately, Aqualand sits atop a Des Moines high point (Highland Park).  Unfortunately, we were surrounded on three sides by the Des Moines River.  Beneath the water in the picture above is a bridge normally some 20 feet above the Des Moines River.  This bridge is not open yet (June 17).  But water and electricity were never cut off as in 1993.  So, other than closing early Friday and Saturday due to lack of customer traffic, Aqualand weathered the flood.  LA
PS  Everyone is keeping their sandbags just in case.

A:  Some bull sharks get big by eating goldfish.  I would not mix them if I were you.  LA
PS  I haven't seen a hi-fin bull shark.  Do you mean a hi-fin Chinese shark? They get big, also.

A:  There's no way that one store could have all the fish we have on our web site.  The last copyright on that page was 2006, so the pix were at least two years old.  Royal clown knife fish run in cycles.  We haven't seen them for at least six months.  Have you checked Beldt's?  LA

A:  We have three (regular and albinos) right now.  I think the prices are not reasonable.  Call 283-0300 to find out their prices.  LA

A:  Perfectly normal.  Dempseys are currently known as Archocentrus octofasciatus and formerly Cichlasoma octofasciatus.  "Octo" means eight.  "Fasciatus" refers to bars or bands.  You see these bars most often when your dempsey gets stressed.  LA

LA

A:  We have two four-month old chinchillas @ $120 each.  I have not seen a white one for probably six years minimum.  LA

A:  We do not ship.  LA

A:  You should have thought of that before you decided not to live in Des Moines.  Seriously, tho, sometimes your phone communicates better than emails.  LA

A:  Sorry.  None available at this time.  LA

A:  Your experience is certainly better than mine.  I find they live longer out of the water than in the water.  Still, I'm adding your report to my page. LA

A:  Sorry, Ben.  I don't even know what a litter vacuum is.  LA

LA
LA in the middle with Miles (buzz) and Elizabeth (lizard breath) enjoying a group hug.

A:  We used to carry quite a few Burmese pythons.  However, we now carry fewer of them (like usually none) due to our new Iowa law that says Iowans are too stupid to own any snake larger than six feet long.  Last year it was only Des Moines citizens that were too stupid to own large snakes.  Anyway, start thinking of Aqualand as a source for snakes under six feet long.  Burmese pythons -- not so much.  LA
PS  Perhaps our state legislators saw that "Snakes on a Plane" movie?
PPS  It is true that some people are too stupid to own large snakes.

A:  Most cichlid keepers would wince when they see you're housing your red parrot cichlid in less than three gallons of water.  You will be stunting him a lot.  Feed him lightly as much as he'll eat in about five minutes -- twice a day.  Change his water often.  Save your money and get him a 29.  He'll be happier.  LA

A:  It's been so long (nearly three decades) since I've been to Virginia and DC that my data would be dated.  But I do remember that Williamsburg had nada for amphibians.  LA

LA
He's a bit blasé about this dumpy.

A:  Very few frogs get out front and display to the world.  They know that's a good way to wind up on someone's menu.  Most of their singing takes place at night.  In cages, our dumpy frogs always climb to the top -- as close to invisible as possible or behind the shrubbery.  When ours get out of their cages, we always find them tucked into the one-inch drain pipes we use for water changes.
White bulbs give them full-spectrum light, which most amphibians don't need.  They can't see the red light but you can.  So you can observe them without bugging them too much.  I find that most dumpy frogs don't mind you observing them as long as you pay them with crickets.  Dust their crickets once a week with a powdered calcium/vitamin supplement.  LA
PS  Be sure to vary their diet.  Not a problem during the summer.