September 16-30, 2005 questions you asked Aqualand

All righty, then.

Eddie Alonzo, Hesperia Ca, September 20, 2005
I would like to know if you carry the red and white Santa Klaus albino swordtails. And if you do, how much per each plus shipping to 92345 zip code? Thanks

A: We carry them about half the time. Their price has dropped a lot since they first came out. However, we do not ship fish. LA

Claire S. Cruz, Guam, September 23, 2005
I live on the Island of Guam and we have different types of fishes here. Your site is the only place I can go on to get questions of the fishes I have in my tanks.
Anyway, there is one fish that I have here ... but can’t seem to find on your listings. We call this fish TALAPIA. I wanted to find out more on it, like to find out the gender, type of food is good to give, etc. Can you help me out? Thank you

A: Spell it Tilapia (with an I) and you’ll find lots of info on these guys. Most are raised as food. The one seen here is a male Mossambic mouthbrooder. Look under Miscellaneous Cichlids IV for more pictures. For a while they were called Seratheradon. Now they call them Oreochromis. If I had to guess, I’d bet they originally came from the Republic of Mozambique. Fish farmers raise these guys all over the world. They grow very rapidly if you keep the sexes separate. If you order red snapper or Mojarra on the menu in Des Moines, expect a tilapia. Tilapia will eat anything other cichlids will eat plus a lot of things other cichlids won’t touch. LA

Andrew Lamoureux, September 23, 2005
What a fantastic site! Full of real good information, written very
well with humor, and no advertisement or graphical fluff. DON’T
CHANGE A THING! and thank you!

A: Heck. I change things all the time. I have people from all over the world (and Des Moines) straighten me out. LA

Dan, September 23, 2005
I have recently purchased a male and female convict. They are living happily in a 55 gallon tank, along with my needle nose gar. Even though my fish appear to be doing well, I have noticed that they aren’t eating any of the food that I put in the tank. I tried several different types of food, flakes, goldfish crumbles and pellets, and freeze dried shrimp. I figured at first it was the moving stress, but after six days I figured something was up. I tried to feed them twice a day, but the food sits on the bottom. I know cichlids are well known to eat anything but they just watch the food go right by them. Why aren’t my convicts eating? Should I try other foods like live worms? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

A: Have patience. They will eat. They will spawn. They will beat up your other fish. LA

Brian Malinconico, September 24, 2005
First thanks for the great information on your web page, but I have a
question about Breeding Ghost Shrimp. What / how do you feed the babies? I have read that they are almost impossible to breed because they are so small they can’t be fed. I would like to start breeding them and plan to do it in a small tank with only Java moss in it. Do you have any suggestions?

A: You bet. Feed them any of the commercial micro-foods. Or, grind your regular fish food into powder. Feed lightly. Add snails to eat up the excess food. LA

Sharon Woosley, September 26, 2005
Do you ship fish? I live about 2 hours from Des Moines and was looking for 4 German Blue Rams. Thank you,

A: Sorry. We do not ship fish. And, if you decide to buzz over to pick them up, call ahead first. Make sure we have them in stock before you stop in. LA

Marcus Leong, September 26, 2005
Hi, umm...I was wondering if you could add some info about Flowerhorns, like how to sex them and other stuff?

A: No. Just sex them like red devils. If you want to eyeball some outstanding flowerhorns, search for Raja Cichlid. Put quote marks around your search. One of my customers brought back one of their posters from his travels. Their pictures make mine look like chalk drawings. LA

Allied Hobo, September 26, 2005
I cannot keep earthworms alive for more than 2 days -- even when they are in the refrigerator.So I now have fresh but dead worms ... any chance my dumpy might eat them? He knows when it’s feeding time and knows that food is there when he sees the Kritterz bamboo
feeding tongs go in the cage. He immediately jumps at them. He even bit them once, but has never attacked my fingers when they went in there.
Anyway the earthworms are still fresh. Can I give them to the dumpy? I also bought this nice moonlight lamp with a special blue bulb that
makes the tank look like night time so I put that one on before I go
to bed. My convicts started breeding in my tank too. I’m so happy! (it’s what I wanted) and my oscar is looking great?

A: Do not refrigerate earthworms (except) nightcrawlers. I would not feed out any worms dead longer than 24 hours. Congratulations on your convicts spawning. However, they will now most likely beat up your other fish. LA

Kelly Sersland, September 27, 2005
I am interested in volunteering and was wondering are there any volunteer opportunities available? Please let me know!

A: Because of our workers compensation insurance, the only way we can accept volunteers on the job is thru a school program. Basically, it involves working at Aqualand as part of a job training class. You need to check with your school advisor. LA

Derek Truman, September 29, 2005
I was wondering how you made a “wet box” for leopard geckos. I have peat moss, and coconut fiber since I breed different types of fish. I have a bunch of unused coconut fiber. Do I just soak it in water then place it in a plastic container, or maybe a bigger water rock (a plastic dish that looks like a rock)?

A: Choose a cave or box with a small entrance, so there’s very little air circulation. This will hold in the humidity. Then put your moist coconut fiber or peat moss in there. Your gecko will find the opening and snoop inside for privacy. The extra humidity will help him shed correctly -- especially his toes. LA

Daniel Higgins, September 29, 2005
Do you know what this fish is? It was sold as either a red Texas or a red terror. Appreciate any help! Love your profile pages. Good read!

DH Pic

A: I’d guess red terror, but it could be a cross.

Looks like what I’m getting out of Chicago as a red terror. LA

Emily Dancer, September 30, 2005
I just found your website today and it is VERY nice and I find it very informative but one part of the iguana section I wasn’t happy with:

No Water Dragons. Water dragons look like iguanas but don’t mix well. They will tear the legs off iguanas and eat them. Water dragons are much tougher (and smarter) than iguanas -- but then who isn’t?

I have both an iguana and a Chinese water dragon and they are housed together and have been for a long time. They are both the same size now. They get along great. I understand many people say they shouldn’t be kept together but I don’t agree with you saying that a water dragon will tear their legs off and eat them. My water dragon isn’t tough at all, she is very sweet. I have also known many other people to house them both together. When the iguana gets older and much bigger, obviously they might have to be separated BUT I don’t believe the statement you have on your web site is a very good one. Saying they might not mix well is one thing but the tearing off the legs and eating them is another. I think it’s going a bit too far. My iguana and CWD even sleep together and are always together. Basically, they are best friends. I understand everyone has their own opinions BUT come on... water dragons aren't even that strong in the first place, and you make them sound so mean, but on the page about them you say they are good pets.
I love my lizards and would NEVER do anything to harm them and having them in the same enclosure right now I don’t believe is a bad thing if they get along and I watch them.
I have attached 2 photos of my CWD and my iguana, one is of the iguana sleeping on the CWD and the other is just of them in their enclosure.

A: Nice photos. Probably I should have said -- my water dragon ate the legs off my iguanas. I probably should have kept the dragon better fed. I have some CWDs in with some basilisks (green and brown) and they get along fine. The CWDs were a bit intimidated at first, but everyone’s happy right now. LA

Steve Shillingford, September 30, 2005
Do you have any rubber eels (caecilian worms)? If so how much are they and do you ship?

A: Caecilian worms are evidently on the protected list again. Our last ones cost $40. We do not ship, although amphibians would probably survive the ordeal. Sorry, for the late reply. My computer was down for seven days. LA

Guppies.com, September 30, 2005
Hello Larry Arnold, We at Guppies.com would like to wish you a happy birthday today!

A: Thanks for the Froeliche Geburtstag, but you’re one month and one day early. LA

Aqualand Q&As
Q&As Jan 05
Q&As Feb 05
Q&As Mar 05
Q&As Apr 05
Q&As May 05
Q&As May II 05
Q&As Jun 05
Q&As Jun II 05
Q&As Jul 05
Q&As Jul II 05
Q&As Aug 05
Q&As Aug II 05

Q&As Sep I 05

Q&As Sep II 05

Q&As Oct 05

Q&As Oct II 05
Q&As Nov 05

Q&As Nov II 05
Q&As Dec I 05

Q&As Dec II 05

Q&As Jan I 06

Q&As Jan II 06

	Q&As -- Your Questions Sept 16-30, 2005 Aqualand's Answers

Amphibians Axolotls Caecilian Worm Chaco Toad Mud Puppies Newts General Newts Eastern Newts Golden Newts Mandarin Salamanders Suriname Toad Tadpoles Terrarium I Terrarium II USA Toads Water Dogs Misc. Toads Frogs Bull Clawed Dumpy Dwarf Fire-Belly Floating Green Tree Leopard Pac Man Pipa pipa Pyxie Red-Eyed Tree Tomato Misc Frogs Misc Frogs II Misc Frogs III Misc Frogs IV Animals Bunnies Bunnies II Chinchillas Degus Ferrets Gerbils Guinea Pig Hamsters I Hamsters II Hamsters III Hamsters IV Hamsters V Hedgehogs Kittens Kids & Kittens Mice Mice Pets II Parasites Rats I Rats II Rats, Hairless S-T Opossums Sugar Gliders Water Bottles Bugs Crabby 500 Crab 04 Results Centipedes Cray/Lobsters Crayfish II Crayfish III Cray, Yucatan Fiddler Crabs Shrimp, Algae Shrimp, Aqua Shrimp, Red Shrimp, Flower Shrimp, Ghost Shrimp, Rudolph Hermit Crabs Hermit Crabs II Madagas Roach Mantids Mini-Clams Mini-Crabs Giant Millipedes Red Claw Crabs Reiman Butterfly Snail, Apple Snail, Colombian Snail, Land Snail, Malaysian Snail, Mystery Snail, Trapdoor Scorpions Tarantulas Tarantula Night 2006 TarantulaWeen VII Misc. Bugs Misc Bugs II Birds Breeding Tips Canaries Cockatiels Dove, Diamond Dove, Ringneck Finches Love Birds Parakeets Pelleted Foods Quaker Parrots Parrot Pictures Parrot Pix II Dave's Parrots Lizards Alligators Anoles Bearded Dragon Calotes Chamel, Jackson Chamel, Panther Chamel, Veiled Crested Geckos Gecko, Golden Gecko, House Gecko, Leopard Gecko, Tokay Horned "Toads" Iguana New Iguana Dragons Iguana Q&A I Iguana Q&A II Iguana Training Iguana Update Knight Anoles Monitors, Nile Monitors, Savana Monitors, Water Salmonella Skinks Skinks Blue-Tongue Tegus Uromastyx maliensis Water Dragon Misc Lizards Misc Lizards 2 Misc Lizards 3 Misc Lizards 4 Misc Lizards 5 Snakes Anacondas Boa, Rosy Boa, Red-Tail Corn Snake Garter Snake Green Snake Kids/Corn Snakes Kids/Red-Tail Boas Kids at Pet Expo 1 Kids at Pet Expo 2 Kids at Pet Expo 3 Kids at Pet Expo 4 Kids at Pet Expo 5 King & Milk Python, Ball Python, Burmese Snakesgiving Snakesgiving II Misc. Snake Pix Turtles Box, Asian Box, USA Races Snapping Sulcata Water Live Foods Blackworms Blood Worms Br Shrimp I Br Shrimp II Crayfish 1 Crayfish 2 Crayfish 3 Crickets Daphnia Earthworms Feeder Goldfish Fruit Flies Ghost Shrimp Glass Worms Grindal Worms Infusoria Mealworms Microworms Rosy Reds Super Worms Wax Worms White Clouds Decorating Bubbles Driftwood Gravel Plastic Plants Rocks Slow Growing Plants Miscellaneous How to Start How to Add New Fish How to Keep Healthy Which Fish Get Along? 10 Questions to Ask What is Ich? Under Gravel Filters Cloudy Water Cool Water Tanks Gravel Vacuums Preventing Disease Feeding to the Max Frozen Foods Green Water Nasty Chemicals Overfeeding Power Filters Rift Lake Salts Quarantine Tank Mini-Tank 2nd Av Bait Aquatic Plants Amazon Swords More Swords Sword Plants III Anubias Aponogetons A. boivinianus A. fenestralis A. ulvaceous Aquarium/Bog Banana Plant Bolbitis Bunch Bunch Plants II Cryptocorynes Crystalwort Dwarf Lily Grassy Grassy II Hornwort Hygrophila Lace Java Lance Fern Java Moss Moss Balls Onion Vermiculite Watersprite	All righty, then. Eddie Alonzo, Hesperia Ca, September 20, 2005 I would like to know if you carry the red and white Santa Klaus albino swordtails. And if you do, how much per each plus shipping to 92345 zip code? Thanks A: We carry them about half the time. Their price has dropped a lot since they first came out. However, we do not ship fish. LA Claire S. Cruz, Guam, September 23, 2005 I live on the Island of Guam and we have different types of fishes here. Your site is the only place I can go on to get questions of the fishes I have in my tanks. Anyway, there is one fish that I have here ... but can’t seem to find on your listings. We call this fish TALAPIA. I wanted to find out more on it, like to find out the gender, type of food is good to give, etc. Can you help me out? Thank you A: Spell it Tilapia (with an I) and you’ll find lots of info on these guys. Most are raised as food. The one seen here is a male Mossambic mouthbrooder. Look under Miscellaneous Cichlids IV for more pictures. For a while they were called Seratheradon. Now they call them Oreochromis. If I had to guess, I’d bet they originally came from the Republic of Mozambique. Fish farmers raise these guys all over the world. They grow very rapidly if you keep the sexes separate. If you order red snapper or Mojarra on the menu in Des Moines, expect a tilapia. Tilapia will eat anything other cichlids will eat plus a lot of things other cichlids won’t touch. LA Andrew Lamoureux, September 23, 2005 What a fantastic site! Full of real good information, written very well with humor, and no advertisement or graphical fluff. DON’T CHANGE A THING! and thank you! A: Heck. I change things all the time. I have people from all over the world (and Des Moines) straighten me out. LA Dan, September 23, 2005 I have recently purchased a male and female convict. They are living happily in a 55 gallon tank, along with my needle nose gar. Even though my fish appear to be doing well, I have noticed that they aren’t eating any of the food that I put in the tank. I tried several different types of food, flakes, goldfish crumbles and pellets, and freeze dried shrimp. I figured at first it was the moving stress, but after six days I figured something was up. I tried to feed them twice a day, but the food sits on the bottom. I know cichlids are well known to eat anything but they just watch the food go right by them. Why aren’t my convicts eating? Should I try other foods like live worms? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks A: Have patience. They will eat. They will spawn. They will beat up your other fish. LA Brian Malinconico, September 24, 2005 First thanks for the great information on your web page, but I have a question about Breeding Ghost Shrimp. What / how do you feed the babies? I have read that they are almost impossible to breed because they are so small they can’t be fed. I would like to start breeding them and plan to do it in a small tank with only Java moss in it. Do you have any suggestions? A: You bet. Feed them any of the commercial micro-foods. Or, grind your regular fish food into powder. Feed lightly. Add snails to eat up the excess food. LA Sharon Woosley, September 26, 2005 Do you ship fish? I live about 2 hours from Des Moines and was looking for 4 German Blue Rams. Thank you, A: Sorry. We do not ship fish. And, if you decide to buzz over to pick them up, call ahead first. Make sure we have them in stock before you stop in. LA Marcus Leong, September 26, 2005 Hi, umm...I was wondering if you could add some info about Flowerhorns, like how to sex them and other stuff? A: No. Just sex them like red devils. If you want to eyeball some outstanding flowerhorns, search for Raja Cichlid. Put quote marks around your search. One of my customers brought back one of their posters from his travels. Their pictures make mine look like chalk drawings. LA Allied Hobo, September 26, 2005 I cannot keep earthworms alive for more than 2 days -- even when they are in the refrigerator.So I now have fresh but dead worms ... any chance my dumpy might eat them? He knows when it’s feeding time and knows that food is there when he sees the Kritterz bamboo feeding tongs go in the cage. He immediately jumps at them. He even bit them once, but has never attacked my fingers when they went in there. Anyway the earthworms are still fresh. Can I give them to the dumpy? I also bought this nice moonlight lamp with a special blue bulb that makes the tank look like night time so I put that one on before I go to bed. My convicts started breeding in my tank too. I’m so happy! (it’s what I wanted) and my oscar is looking great? A: Do not refrigerate earthworms (except) nightcrawlers. I would not feed out any worms dead longer than 24 hours. Congratulations on your convicts spawning. However, they will now most likely beat up your other fish. LA Kelly Sersland, September 27, 2005 I am interested in volunteering and was wondering are there any volunteer opportunities available? Please let me know! A: Because of our workers compensation insurance, the only way we can accept volunteers on the job is thru a school program. Basically, it involves working at Aqualand as part of a job training class. You need to check with your school advisor. LA Derek Truman, September 29, 2005 I was wondering how you made a “wet box” for leopard geckos. I have peat moss, and coconut fiber since I breed different types of fish. I have a bunch of unused coconut fiber. Do I just soak it in water then place it in a plastic container, or maybe a bigger water rock (a plastic dish that looks like a rock)? A: Choose a cave or box with a small entrance, so there’s very little air circulation. This will hold in the humidity. Then put your moist coconut fiber or peat moss in there. Your gecko will find the opening and snoop inside for privacy. The extra humidity will help him shed correctly -- especially his toes. LA Daniel Higgins, September 29, 2005 Do you know what this fish is? It was sold as either a red Texas or a red terror. Appreciate any help! Love your profile pages. Good read! DH Pic A: I’d guess red terror, but it could be a cross. Looks like what I’m getting out of Chicago as a red terror. LA Emily Dancer, September 30, 2005 I just found your website today and it is VERY nice and I find it very informative but one part of the iguana section I wasn’t happy with: No Water Dragons. Water dragons look like iguanas but don’t mix well. They will tear the legs off iguanas and eat them. Water dragons are much tougher (and smarter) than iguanas -- but then who isn’t? I have both an iguana and a Chinese water dragon and they are housed together and have been for a long time. They are both the same size now. They get along great. I understand many people say they shouldn’t be kept together but I don’t agree with you saying that a water dragon will tear their legs off and eat them. My water dragon isn’t tough at all, she is very sweet. I have also known many other people to house them both together. When the iguana gets older and much bigger, obviously they might have to be separated BUT I don’t believe the statement you have on your web site is a very good one. Saying they might not mix well is one thing but the tearing off the legs and eating them is another. I think it’s going a bit too far. My iguana and CWD even sleep together and are always together. Basically, they are best friends. I understand everyone has their own opinions BUT come on... water dragons aren't even that strong in the first place, and you make them sound so mean, but on the page about them you say they are good pets. I love my lizards and would NEVER do anything to harm them and having them in the same enclosure right now I don’t believe is a bad thing if they get along and I watch them. I have attached 2 photos of my CWD and my iguana, one is of the iguana sleeping on the CWD and the other is just of them in their enclosure. A: Nice photos. Probably I should have said -- my water dragon ate the legs off my iguanas. I probably should have kept the dragon better fed. I have some CWDs in with some basilisks (green and brown) and they get along fine. The CWDs were a bit intimidated at first, but everyone’s happy right now. LA Steve Shillingford, September 30, 2005 Do you have any rubber eels (caecilian worms)? If so how much are they and do you ship? A: Caecilian worms are evidently on the protected list again. Our last ones cost $40. We do not ship, although amphibians would probably survive the ordeal. Sorry, for the late reply. My computer was down for seven days. LA Guppies.com, September 30, 2005 Hello Larry Arnold, We at Guppies.com would like to wish you a happy birthday today! A: Thanks for the Froeliche Geburtstag, but you’re one month and one day early. LA Aqualand Q&As Q&As Jan 05 Q&As Feb 05 Q&As Mar 05 Q&As Apr 05 Q&As May 05 Q&As May II 05 Q&As Jun 05 Q&As Jun II 05 Q&As Jul 05 Q&As Jul II 05 Q&As Aug 05 Q&As Aug II 05 Q&As Sep I 05 Q&As Sep II 05 Q&As Oct 05 Q&As Oct II 05 Q&As Nov 05 Q&As Nov II 05 Q&As Dec I 05 Q&As Dec II 05 Q&As Jan I 06 Q&As Jan II 06 © 2005 LA Productions 3600 Sixth Avenue Corner of Sixth & Euclid Avenues Des Moines, IA 50313 515 283-0300 Home Fish Other Stuff	Anabantids Betta Leaf Betta Breed 1 Betta Breed II Betta Info Betta Housing Betta Pla Kat Choc Gourami Climbing Perch Gourami Pix Kiss. Gourami Osphronemus Pearl Gourami More Pearls Paradise Fish Snakehead Spawn Gourami T. trichopterus Catfish Banjo Bullheads Bull Sharks Channel Corydoras Cory Pics Electric Glass Hoplos Otocinclus Pangassius Pictus Plecostomus Pleco Bristle Pleco Costly I Pleco Costly II Pleco Costly III Pleco Costly IV Pleco Costly VI Raphael Red-Tail Shovelnose Sun Synodontis Synodontis petricola Upside-down Misc. Catfish Misc. Catfish II Misc. Catfish III Cichlids African I African II African III African IV Amer. Small Amer. Med Amer. Large Angelfish I Angelfish II Angelfish III Angelfish IV More Angels Buttikoferi Cichlid Decor Cichlid Food Convicts Convicts 2 Convicts 3 Convicts 4 Dempseys More Dempseys Discus Dither Fish Flower Horn Green Terror Jaguar More Jaguars Jaguar Spawning Jewel Fish Kribensis Oscars 1 Oscars 2 Oscars 3 Oscars 4 Oscars 5 More Oscar More Oscar II More Oscars III Peacock Bass Red Devils More Red Devil Red Parrots Pikes Pink Tilapia Rams Red Bay Snooks Roger Stephen's Cichlids Severums More Severums Severums III Tanganyikans Texas Cichlid Texas Spawning Uarus Misc Cichlids I Misc Cichlids II Misc Cichlids III Misc Cichlids IV Misc Cichlids V Misc Cichlids VI Livebearer Guppies Half-Beak Mollies Moons/Platys Swordtails Minnows/Tetra Barbs Barbs, Black Barbs, Gold Barbs, Rosy Barbs, Tiger Barbs, Tinfoil Danios Distochodus Fathead Minnows Headstanders Killies, Econ. Killies, Golden Killies, Peat Killies, Plant Misc Mini-Fish Pacús Piranha, Black Piranha, Red Rainbowfish (Austral & Irian) Silver Dollar Tetras, Larger Tetras, Smaller Tetras, Spawn Tetra, Vampire White Clouds Pond Fish Carp Channel Cat Gold. Comets Gold. Fantails More Fantails Gold. Oriental Gold Oriental II Gold. Spawn Koi Koi II Plecostomus Shubunkins Oddballs Af. Butterfly Af. Lungfish Af. Mudskippr American Eel Archer Fish Arowana Bichirs Borneo Suckers Brackish I Brackish II Brackish III Brackish IV Brackish V Michael Troung's Pix Butterfly/Wasp Chameleon Fish Chromides Chin Alg Eater Crazy Fish Crocodile Fish Datnioides Dojo Electric Cat Electric Eels Elephant Nose Exodon paradoxus Flounder Gars Glassfish Goby Bumble Goby Butterfly Goby Dragon Goby Misc. Half-Beak Knife African Knife Clown Knife Ghost Loach Botias Loach Clown Loach Kuhli Loach Weather Moray Eel Peacock Gudgeons Polypterids Puffers Ropefish Scats Siam Algae Eater Spiny Eels Snakehead Stingray Stonefish Wasp Fish Wolffish Wrest Half-Beak Misc. Mini-Fishes Misc. Odd Misc. Odd II Misc. Odd III Misc. Odd IV Sharks Bala Black Bull Chinese Hi-Fin Banded Iridescent Red-Tail Siam Algae Eater Pond Info Blank Park Zoo Bob Humphrey's Ponds Cattails Maffett Reservoir DMACC's Pond D.M. Botanical Center D.M. Water Works Dr. Ervanian's Garden Duckweed Dwarf Lily Ewing Park "Pond" Jan & Chris's Water Garden John McDonald's Pond Hall's Four Acres Klines' Water Garden Landscaper Effects Mini-Pond Pics Pioneer Corn's Pond Pond Fish Predators Pond on 38th Street Pond Pics Pond Plants More Pond Plants Pond Plants III Reiman Ponds River Scenes Riverview Island Selin's Water Gardens Selin's Japanese Garden Tom's Used Cars Pond Urbandale Duck Pond Water Hyacinth Water Lettuce Wild Ponds