August 21-31, 2008 questions you asked Aqualand

We don't ship critters or live fish.
When writing us, include your location.
LA_Aqualand@msn.com

Web	aqualandpetsplus.com

David Hibbard, Palm Bay, FL, August 21, 2008
Can you recommend a snail that will eat uneaten food but not plants and won't reproduce like rabbits?

A: Mystery snails. LA

Mike Ryalls, UK, August 21, 2008
Dear Sir / Madam, I have been looking at various sites about the Crossocheilus siamensis and came across the site below. The first picture at the top of the page looks very much like a false Siamese algae eater to me as the black stripe is smooth, does not go through the tail and there is a light coloured stripe above the black stripe.
http://aqualandpetsplus.com/Shark,%20Siamese%20Algae-Eaters.htm
Yours faithfully

A: Who you calling "Madam?" Seriously though, you could be right. Back when I was writing that page (2003), we were getting different species every time we ordered SAEs. And now that you've brought up the topic, I can't remember seeing any of the SAEs (spurious or correct) for sale lately. The closest I've seen lately were under the Catfish rubric and were called "small flying fox." Thanks for the heads up. I'll try to find some real SAEs for comparison. LA

Mike Ryalls, UK, August 22, 2008
Sorry Larry, I just bought some from Maidenhead Aquatics, Guildford, Surrey England. Which is why I was looking them up. Kind regards

Chris Demadura, Kansas, August 22, 2008
Hello. I've had aquariums for a while now, but it has mostly been smaller livebearing fish. I somehow got interested in catfish a few months ago, and now I have a tank full of catfish. I have 3 plecos, a redtail catfish, a shovelnose catfish, a pictus catfish, 2 pangassius catfish, a spotted raphael, and an albino channel cat. I also have four bichirs. Right now they are all small and living in a 55 gallon aquarium. But after I leave this apartment, I will get one that will allow me to set up my two bigger aquariums and split them between the two. (I have a 200 gallon and a 150 gallon that are currently in storage.) Anyways, one small problem I have is with feeding live food. My fish LOVE live food. The problem is, that they love it too much. I will drop in a group of 70-80 rosy reds in the evening, and all of them are gone by morning -- ghost shrimp do the same thing. I also feed these guys shrimp pellets and algae tabs. I put veggies in there a few times a week for the plecos and the pangassius catfish. Is there any way to get live food really cheap? Or to convince my fish not to eat till their stomachs are so fat they look like they are going to burst?
Also, I may be going on a trip to Iowa this weekend. Do you guys have a large supply of feeder fish or shrimp? I have a holding tank to keep them in.

A: Five of the catfishes you list have the potential to grow to three feet. They will eventually eat your pictus and raphael. Even your 200 gallon will cramp one full-grown catfish of your choice You will need a second job if you insist on feeding them live foods. Go to your local feed store and order a 50# bag of Purina Catfish Chow. And change most of your water often. LA

Alicia McDaniel, August 22, 2008
Hello -- I recently caught a small catfish (2-3 inches) in a minnow trap. My husband and I are fish lovers and we have a 125 gallon tank so I decided to set up a 10 gallon tank for our newly found friend. I put some pea gravel and some larger rounded rocks in the bottom. I am using a filter and I did put a heater in it because we are paranoid when it comes to ich. The catfish seems to enjoy its time in the tank as long as I do not turn on the light. My concern is feeding it. I have put a few shrimp pellets in there and an algae disc. Am I feeding it ok? I really do not plan on eating the fish myself, I just have always wanted to have one as a pet. I read your page on Channel cats and I'm pretty sure that is what type it is. I caught it in a slough off the Meramec River in Missouri. I hope it doesn't grow too fast because our 125 gallon tank has African Cichlids in it. We also have a 20 gallon tank in storage. Please help me out in any way that you can. I searched the internet and the best site I found for my situation was yours. Thank you so much for having such a wonderful site. I hope you can help.
Thanks,

A: If I were fishing for channel cats, I wouldn't use an algae disk for bait. They're not much of a plant eater. Although some of the algae disk brands have fish meal in them, so your channel kitty may like them. Channel cats are not picky eaters. Take a sniff of any of the commercial catfish baits and you'll get my drift. Channel catfish will eat any fish foods you can find -- flakes, pellets, sticks, wafers, blocks, frozen, freeze-dried, or live. LA
PS Be wary of most ich medications.
PPS In 2005, the U.S. catfish industry produced 600 million pounds of catfish. Some aquaculturists feed them soybean meal. Others feed cottonseed meal.

Alyssa, August 23, 2008
Well, about a week ago I bought three mystery snails. One I gave to a friend, one goes in my 10 gallon aquarium, and the other goes in a 1 gallon with my female betta. The one given to my friend is also in a 10 gallon. Now, my two have done fine. Active, eating breathing, and since day 1 my friend's, Chucky, has had some ... problems. He was always getting caught in odd places ... and was floating a lot. Both our 10 gallons are in the cycling stage since they are only a few weeks old, but we are both frequently changing out small amounts of water to keep bad chemicals from building up.
Now ... two days ago all three started to go down hill together. We are not sure if Chuckie is alive or not. He is in a bowl to recover if he is still alive. My two don't seem to move a lot...they will spend all day not moving, but they have been fine until recently. Any idea what might be wrong or what we can do to help? They have all had this white discharge type of stuff coming from them Is that normal? Good? Bad?
We are both still new at owning fish, and your site has been SUCH a big help! My larger snail will just stick to the walls all day, and the other one will lay there a lot ... sometimes coming up to breathe but I haven't seen either of them eat, and they are far less active than they were before. If anything you know might help, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

A: I'm not sure what the white discharge might be. If it's fecal matter, it's good. If it's putrefying flesh, that's bad. Your nose can detect dead snails better than your eyes. Pick up the snail and give it the "sniff test." Live snails smell like aquarium water. Dead mystery snails don't just smell, they REEK. Once you smell a dead mystery snail, you will never be able to eat escargots again. LA

Alyssa, August 24, 2008
Alright, thank you. My friend's smelled horrid, and we deduced that he was dead and we buried him a little while ago. Mine have a lot of the white stuff. But I don't know what snail waste looks like, so I am not sure what is is. There is white stuff, with little green looking stuff sort of mixed together. And with one of my snails there is like an aura of white stuff around him. The other one is just coming off the side. But neither of them smell, and they move, just not a lot.

A: The biggest water contaminants for snails are salt and copper. If you think they're in your water, buy a gallon of distilled water and put your snails in the jug with a bit of flake food. LA

John W. Apsley, MD(E), DC, Fall City, WA, August 24, 2008
Greetings, Can you direct me to purchasing albino koi swords and HiFin/Lyretail swords? Also, any suggestions as to where purebred Moscow guppies might be found at reasonable prices? Many thanks.

A: Seems to me an albino koi sword would look like a plain vanilla albino sword. Anyway, as for locating unusual swords, google the "American Livebearer Association." For unusual guppies, google the "International Association of Fancy Guppies." As for "reasonable prices," reasonable is in the pocketbook of the buyer. LA

John W. Apsley, MD(E), DC, Fall City, WA, August 24, 2008
Many thanks Larry. I guess you haven't seen an albino koi sword. Not like an albino sword at all. They both, do in fact, have no coloration to their eyes, which is cool. I am a member of ALA, and there is a paucity of breeders for this. I like Goliad Farms, but they appear to be on hiatus with the HiFin/Lyretails right now. As to reasonable prices, I can share what I know so far.
The highest end breeders charge up to $80 per trio, depending upon the strain, and generally as low as $25 for a pair. Many are not both HiFin + Lyretail though, but some are.
At the low end, you can catch good quality (but not great quality) averaging around $40 per trio, like from some of the mass market distributors which ain't bad.
But to find an enthusiast, like a member of a local association, who just loves to breed and has extras, now, that is what I am looking for.
So, maybe I can hook into several different local associations across the nation and see what I can learn.
Take care and thanks once again for your response.

A: Good luck. LA

George Sobhy, Egypt, August 24, 2008
Hi Mr. Larry. Plz plz plz tell me what is the easiest frog to breed in aquariums. Awaiting your reply. Thanks.

A: African clawed frog. LA

Doug, Fort Dodge, IA, August 24, 2008
My 6 year old son is interested in buying a baby bearded dragon. I was wondering how much yours went for. We live in Fort Dodge, IA, so we wanted an idea before we drove all the way there. Please respond when possible. Thank you very much.

A: I'm not at Aqualand when I answer these questions, so it's hard to remember prices and sizes. Your best bet is to call us at 515 283-0300 on your cell phone (no long distance charges). Then we can give you a price, description, and the history of specific critters. LA

Jamie Dorn, Lincoln, NE, August 24, 2008
I was told your store carries African Soft-Furred Rats. I haven't found any around here yet. How much do you charge and what is your typical inventory? I wasn't planning on a trip to Des Moines, but if I were to make plans myself or find a friend, would you be able to hold some back for pick-up if I were to request that? Thanks,

A: I'm not at Aqualand when I answer these questions, so it's hard to remember prices and quantities. Your best bet is to call us at 515 283-0300 on your cell phone (no long distance charges). Then we can give you a price, description, and the history of specific critters. We do have soft-furred rats in stock and can hold them for you. LA

Gabe Benoit, Cedar Falls, IA, August 24, 2008
I absolutely love your site and mainly your store! Sounds and looks like you guys are really into you're animals, have everything and anything exotic and everything else which is amazing!!!! I spent a good couple hours digging through your images. Your websites awesome! I would almost pay to see your inventory!!!!
I live in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and 1 question to ask you guys ... Do you guys ship fish orders from your store or would it be best to come visit!?

A: Do not confuse our website with our store. There is no way one location could hold all the fish, reptiles, and animals you'll find on our website. Some of the fish are no longer even available in the U.S. And most of the snakes I show in our new Snakes Alive 2008 are now illegal in Iowa. The images are from several locations and taken over a long period of time. LA
PS Cedar Falls is not that much of a drive, and you can peruse our inventory for free.

Gabe Benoit, Cedar Falls, IA, August 27, 2008
Q: So do you guys take fish orders and ship them out by mail???

A: No. LA

Amy Kelly, Poconos, PA, August 25, 2008
Good Morning! First of all, I want to let you know how wonderful I think your website is! I find it is a great source of detailed information and practical advice. And, as a "beginner", I appreciate your simple -- and often humorous -- explanations!

Now, for my dilemma.... We have a pond, about 400 gallons. The water is pea-soup green, despite weekly water changes, and cleaning the filter every two days. I understand that algae is healthy for the pond and fish, however, it would also be nice to be able to SEE the fish! I have 5 goldfish, 3 koi, some assorted sunfish and minnows, and several crayfish. In addition, a friend brought me from the lake some huge snails and a pair of freshwater mussels, to attempt to clean my pond. I also have 3 potted water plants, and a bunch of water hyacinth. And yes, the pond is located in a mostly sunny spot. I have rigged up an "external filter," but it's not quite effective. Neither are those "barley balls."

Without using chemicals, is there a way to get the water clearer? If I added a pleco, would that help? Will a pleco last through the winter. We live in the Poconos, PA (zone 5). Or, if I added black food coloring to the water, would it block the sun from the algae? But would that hurt the critters?

Any advice will be appreciated! I'm not expecting crystal-clear water, just to have the algae at a manageable level. Thank you for your time, and I look forward to your reply!

LA
John McDonald's pond in Newton, Iowa (zone 5).

A: Most algae non-fans use AlgaeFix these days. The best non-chemical algae zapper is a UV filter like John McDonald uses. Algae grows best in moving water, full sun, and well fertilized water -- just like your fish pond.. It also likes water changes. If you add black food coloring (do you make your own licorice?), you will have black water instead of green water. Ditto with adding methylene blue, except that you get blue water that shades and thus kills the algae but makes it impossible to see your fish anyway. Water hyacinths, water lettuce, and water lilies make great sun screens and also suck up the nutrients that feed the algae. Arbors that arch over the pond will also help. Grapes and morning glories will cover the arbor pretty fast but not as fast as black plastic or a tarp. The plants will add to your fall pond debris. Check into a UV filter. LA
PS The reason most ponders like goldfish and koi is so they can see them even in green water.

Serena Smith, August 26, 2008
Hello, I'm not very computer friendly, but I'll try to explain this odd behavior in my rainbow fish. Maybe not so well in fishkeeping either ;) LOL!

Although I've recently set up a freshwater tank, I'm HOOKED!!! I love my fish. However, I added a Jewel Cichlid with beautiful bright blue dots but, he killed my sucker fish, angel fish, pearl fish and another one I forgot the name of which was neon blue with red vertical stripes, simply beautiful. After the Cichlid killed nearly all, I brought him back to keep at the fish store until I can set up an aggressive tank. Meanwhile, I'm in the process now of setting up a saltwater tank. All the while the cichlid was in the freshwater tank, my rainbow, catfish (white looking) and my African clawed frog, which I hand feed earthworms, hid and I thought to myself, "What odd behavior." But it took me a few days to actually look up info on the net (your site) about my fish.

That was when I decided to bring my Jewel fish back, only to keep while I can set up an aggressive tank!

Now my problem is the rainbow which has been so serene but as soon as I put the semi-aggressive tinfoil barb in, the rainbow's colors became quite deeper and rich in color and he acted out like I've never seen before. But in watching these two very closely, I've noticed since the adding of the barb the HUGE difference in my rainbow and his colors are still very deep.

Since taking out the jewel, my catfish, frog and the others which were in hiding, have come out to play, much to my amusement in seeing them again :). However my concern is whether the rainbow chasing and rubbing against the barb is now being a bully? I've spoken with the lady (at the pet store) whom I've gotten all my fish from and she said, "I've never heard of the rainbow being an aggressive fish." So here I am, after long hours of reading everything I can, I am as confused as ever about my fish, which I surely want to care for in the best way possible. I also added two red tailed sharks with black bodies and they're doing well..

I also have a crowntail betta which I put with a female and he is blowing bubbles at the top of the tank. I've also noticed the female has a white egg shaped thing in between her two front fins and the male chases her quite often. I just love it since they've gotten to know me and come quite often to the tank front when I peek in at them (they are in their own tank).

As you can see, I'm now a fish addict ;), but like I've said, "I want to do the best for all my fish." And I'm not quite sure why my rainbow is acting this way. IF at all you can help, it would greatly be appreciated.

Thank you for your time my friend! Sincerely,

A1: Add some plants for your female betta to hide in. Overly amorous males frequently kill their females.
A2: You might want to slow down your jump into saltwater.
A3: Then, I'm not sure what your "rainbow" is. I'm assuming you mean one of the Australian-type rainbowfishes.

LA
Do they resemble these?

Rainbowfish cannot hurt a tinfoil barb. Your tinfoil barb will grow to about a foot long and mostly ignore all your other fish.
A4: Your clawed frog will likely grow large enough to eat many of your fish. LA
PS I suspected you may have computer queasiness when you sent me six copies of your email.

Serena Smith, August 29, 2008
Thank you for your response;) I appreciate the time you've spent in answering my many questions! Although, I must say I had NO idea the frog would grow that big but for now he seems to do well with the others, except for the cory catfish, he likes chasing him. Strange? My Rainbow is the kind you sent in the picture. Although, I wished I knew how to work my video on my canon camera just to send you a shot of these two and the way they interact! They seem to swim in sync now, going round n round and chasing each other all over the tank. But what really has me surprised about the rainbow was his colors and how much deeper they became once I added the Tinfoil barb..
Thanks again my friend! And I think you're right about the salt water tank. I'm just now learning the freshwater! Sincerely,

A: Sounds like he's got a best buddy. LA

James Burt, Des Moines, IA, August 27, 2008
I was just wondering if adding prices or price ranges to your pet listings could be an improvement to your site?

LA
Some of the 50 keets on sale today.

A: If I added prices, I'd have to change them constantly. For instance, right now we have parakeets for sale at $12 (2 for $20). When we run out of these 50 keets, the price will likely go up. We'd have to comb thru the site daily to pick up the price changes of everything. LA

Hong Kong, August 27, 2008
Hello! I come from HK. I have 5 BGK. They are about 1 to 1.5 yrs old and 8-9 inches. My old fish pool (tank? LA) was not big enough (size:18"x11"x12"). Last week I just changed to a bigger fish pool (size:36"x18"x18"), then one of them produced some eggs at night. Why I don't know? I always monitor them. They didn't eat their red worms after the change to bigger pool. So I turned on the light to collect the rest of the red worms from the pool to keep it clean. Then I discovered some eggs. I found that they prefer to eat eggs rather than eat red worms. In order to prevent them from eating the eggs, I put some small stones into the pool to cover those eggs. And I collected some of them into a small container. After 3 days, the baby fishes can swim.

A: You didn't include your name on your email. If send it, I'll add your comments to my black ghost knifefish web page. LA
PS Can you give me more details on your picture?

Robert Cuevas, August 28, 2008
I have a bluebelly lizard that my son caught at the park. Today he found a praying mantis (believe it or not at a McDonald's parking lot). The lizard is a baby while the Mantis looks like a grown female. Is it possible to keep them in the same 5 gallon tank? Thanks

A: His praying mantis just might decide to snack on the small lizard. I'd add a different container to make sure he can have two critters. By the way, they both will eat crickets. LA

Joe Kleifges, Tempe, AZ, August 28, 2008
I've recently had responsibility for two 10 x 12 x 18' indoor ponds become my responsibility. There are a few stray goldfish living in them now, but I have no desire to have goldfish. I'd like to know if you have some ideas for a sociable mix of smaller colorful schooling fish that can tolerate fair water quality and will be self sustaining at 62-72 degrees. The ponds do not see any direct sun, but I would like some plants to provide cover for hatchlings, oxygen etc. Any recommendations?? I saw your response to Raymond from Indonesia on 8/20, and I think something similar might be in order, but I require a bit less maintenance. I'm hoping to visit y'all in September. And if we are lucky, I can get some of the goods as I pass through Des Moines, especially if you have a kitten that is OK with lots of travel!!

A: Sounds like you're in a mall. Your pond temperatures are perfect for goldfish and koi, thus the "few stray goldfish" in there already. Unlike the Indonesian pond, your ponds are on the cool side for most aquarium fishes. Goldfish grow to a foot plus fins and are quite visible in ponds. Most aquarium fish seem to disappear in ponds. If you have a good filter system and can make water changes easily, you might want to move up to koi. A school of multi-colored koi is always impressive -- espcially at feeding time.. You have the room and the right temperature for koi. LA

Sarah Burke, Logandale, NV, August 28, 2008
Hello, I have a few questions about rat whacking. I'm going to take my neighbor's ball python off her hands and the snake is just getting to the rat-eating stage. She's always fed him live mice, but I'm afraid that a rat bite will do more harm than a mouse bite. What is the best way to whack my rats? Do I just put them in a bag and hit them with something hard? I've never had to kill a rat before, so sorry if this is a no-brainer! I don't want to have to take my snake to the vet. Thanks so much,

A: Just what I need to get me back in the rat lovers' crosshairs. Probably the easiest way is to put the rat into a cloth bag and smack it sharply on a hard surface. I may forward some of their comments to you. LA

Sarah Burke, Logandale, NV, August 31, 2008
Jeez, if that's all it is . . . Thank you for the information. It was very helpful! I really enjoy your site and all the info it contains.

And the rat lovers shouldn't take offense about this kind of killing. The rat can either suffocate to death (slowly) by the snake or can have the whole process over within less than a second. Thanks again,

A: They will take offense no matter what. LA

Sherri, August 29, 2008
Sorry to bother you, but there has been an ongoing problem in my aquarium. My other filter quit on me so I bought a new one for my 30 gallon. It is a Penguin Bio-Wheel 350. About a week after I switched out my ammonia was way up. I knew it was the "new tank effect" and did a lot of water changes. After about 2 weeks I didn't see any change. It has been 2 and a half months now and it is just as bad as before. I don't know what to do. It has one 7 inch fish in it and I make sure to not let excess food build up. Any suggestions? Thanks

A: If you added one of the ammonia removers to your aquarium, most standard (Nessler's reagent) ammonia tests will read sky high afterwards. Let me know if you did not do this, and we'll re-examine the data. LA

Sherri, August 30, 2008
Yes I added ammonia remover at one month and a week ago. Thank you so much for your help.

A: Mystery solved. LA

Christine Lajoie, Ontario, Canada, August 29, 2008
Dear LA, I have referred to your website for a few years now, pretty much every time I buy new fish for my 4 freshwater tanks. I have a 20 gallon tank that is home to 1 full grown parrot fish, two rosy barbs (I think that is what I was told when I bought them), 1 albino cory cat, and one pleco. I have recently lost some other fish in that tank, and now I have added some more: 1 kissing gourami (that is what they told me, but it looks like a blue gourami yellow in colour) it seems to be full grown, 1 baby parrot fish, and three angel rams.
My Question is: I read somewhere that you are supposed to keep the angel rams in pairs. Will it be ok for me to have just three? And what will happen if there is only three instead of four? Will I have problems? I was originally only going to have the one pair (I had bought only one prior to finding out they had to be in pairs). But when I got to the pet store there were only two, so if I would have bought just the one then one would have been left all alone :(
I am just a little worried now, can you also let me know if what I have is an okay mix, the tank now has :
   ●   1 full grown parrot fish
   ●   1 small baby parrot fish
   ●   1 kissing or blue gourami (sorry for any spelling errors)
   ●   1 albino cory catfish
   ●   1 pleco
   ●   2 rosy barbs (so I am told)
   ●   3 angel rams
These are all in a 20 gallon tank. Also what kind of plants and such should I have in this wide range of a community tank? Thanks for your time and thank you in advance for your help. Most importantly thank you for all the information on fish species you have on your website!!!! I look forward to hearing from you.

A: Your mix looks pretty good. Are you sure your parrot fish is full grown? They get pretty good sized. Since they are 50% severum genetically, most like to shred live plants. So, you'll probably want plastic plants. Single kissing gouramis can get aggressive without someone to smooch with. They use those big lips to push their tank mates around. I wouldn't worry about your rams being only in pairs. Most fish can't count all that well, and most ram shipments we get are at least 90% males. All in all, your mix sounds fine. LA

Christine Lajoie, Ontario, Canada, August 30, 2008
Thank you so much for your quick response!!
I am familiar with parrots. I have 2 more that are about two years old in one of my other tanks. I love them they are so fun to watch!! The parrot I was talking about is named Rockstar and is about 4 1/2 inches mouth to tail, bright orange. The new one I just bought is still greyish green and only about an inch long (so cute and little!!). It likes to hang out by the heater.
The gourami has only one eye and is about 4 inches long. Right now it seems fine. It hangs out with Rockstar. They are pretty much the two biggest fish in the tank. I only use plastic plants.
Thanks again. So far my rams seem to be doing well. I bought all three at the same place. In fact, they were living in the same tank with a 4th one the whole time they were at the store. I am pretty sure they were from the same shipment. I just got nervous because the 4th one at the store died within a few days since I bought my first one, so I wasn't sure if it was a partner thing. Thanks again. I will write you back if I have anymore questions. Actually! When does a Goby Dragon reach its full length and will it grow out of its tank size? Thank You

A: Dragon gobies appear to be wild caught. I've stumbled across no spawning reports. Some arrive at Aqualand at four inches. Some come in close to a foot long. How long they take to attain 12 inches I'm not sure. I can't tell you when they attain full size. I'm not for sure if 12 inches is full grown. Like people, there's quite a bit of variation within the species. LA
PS I'm not always fast on the replies.

Julie Slack, August 29, 2008
I just recently got a dumpy frog and I love it. I am not sure if it is male or female. It is a good size, about 3.5 inches. Based on the size I thought I got a female then a few days ago the frog started barking after feeding and at dusk. Is it true that only male dumpys "talk?" Are there any other ways to sex my little dumpy? Thanks, Proud new dumpy parent!

A: Usually only the males bark. Look for dark pads on his front "fingers." Males use these to grasp females during the breeding process. Dumpies are probably my favorite frog. LA

Phillip Renfro, Knoxville, TN, August 29, 2008
I had wondered over the past few years exactly what sort of fish I had, mainly for the reason so I could tell all my guests when they asked. Thanks to your site, now I know -- a black ghost knife fish.

I adopted this fish about 5 years ago, when my brother was moving from state to state. He lived in Atlanta, me in Knoxville. He asked me one day if I wanted his aquaium. I said yes, then he told me the fish came with it. He drove it up from Atlanta to Knoxville in the back of his truck during mid summer. Everything has been healthy since, and my tank is by far the cleanest even if not the newest.

Just wanted to say thanks for identifing my fish, and wanted to let everyone know mine has been alive for almost 7 years ... great investment and great company.

Keep up the great information, I will be looking again someday for disease treatment or other symtoms that come with old age.

A: Glad to help. LA

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	Aqualand Q&As August 21-31, 2008

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Under Gravel Filters Sponge 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 Pet World Visit Dandelions 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	We don't ship critters or live fish. When writing us, include your location. LA_Aqualand@msn.com Enter your search terms Submit search form Web aqualandpetsplus.com David Hibbard, Palm Bay, FL, August 21, 2008 Can you recommend a snail that will eat uneaten food but not plants and won't reproduce like rabbits? A: Mystery snails. LA Mike Ryalls, UK, August 21, 2008 Dear Sir / Madam, I have been looking at various sites about the Crossocheilus siamensis and came across the site below. The first picture at the top of the page looks very much like a false Siamese algae eater to me as the black stripe is smooth, does not go through the tail and there is a light coloured stripe above the black stripe. http://aqualandpetsplus.com/Shark,%20Siamese%20Algae-Eaters.htm Yours faithfully A: Who you calling "Madam?" Seriously though, you could be right. Back when I was writing that page (2003), we were getting different species every time we ordered SAEs. And now that you've brought up the topic, I can't remember seeing any of the SAEs (spurious or correct) for sale lately. The closest I've seen lately were under the Catfish rubric and were called "small flying fox." Thanks for the heads up. I'll try to find some real SAEs for comparison. LA Mike Ryalls, UK, August 22, 2008 Sorry Larry, I just bought some from Maidenhead Aquatics, Guildford, Surrey England. Which is why I was looking them up. Kind regards Chris Demadura, Kansas, August 22, 2008 Hello. I've had aquariums for a while now, but it has mostly been smaller livebearing fish. I somehow got interested in catfish a few months ago, and now I have a tank full of catfish. I have 3 plecos, a redtail catfish, a shovelnose catfish, a pictus catfish, 2 pangassius catfish, a spotted raphael, and an albino channel cat. I also have four bichirs. Right now they are all small and living in a 55 gallon aquarium. But after I leave this apartment, I will get one that will allow me to set up my two bigger aquariums and split them between the two. (I have a 200 gallon and a 150 gallon that are currently in storage.) Anyways, one small problem I have is with feeding live food. My fish LOVE live food. The problem is, that they love it too much. I will drop in a group of 70-80 rosy reds in the evening, and all of them are gone by morning -- ghost shrimp do the same thing. I also feed these guys shrimp pellets and algae tabs. I put veggies in there a few times a week for the plecos and the pangassius catfish. Is there any way to get live food really cheap? Or to convince my fish not to eat till their stomachs are so fat they look like they are going to burst? Also, I may be going on a trip to Iowa this weekend. Do you guys have a large supply of feeder fish or shrimp? I have a holding tank to keep them in. A: Five of the catfishes you list have the potential to grow to three feet. They will eventually eat your pictus and raphael. Even your 200 gallon will cramp one full-grown catfish of your choice You will need a second job if you insist on feeding them live foods. Go to your local feed store and order a 50# bag of Purina Catfish Chow. And change most of your water often. LA Alicia McDaniel, August 22, 2008 Hello -- I recently caught a small catfish (2-3 inches) in a minnow trap. My husband and I are fish lovers and we have a 125 gallon tank so I decided to set up a 10 gallon tank for our newly found friend. I put some pea gravel and some larger rounded rocks in the bottom. I am using a filter and I did put a heater in it because we are paranoid when it comes to ich. The catfish seems to enjoy its time in the tank as long as I do not turn on the light. My concern is feeding it. I have put a few shrimp pellets in there and an algae disc. Am I feeding it ok? I really do not plan on eating the fish myself, I just have always wanted to have one as a pet. I read your page on Channel cats and I'm pretty sure that is what type it is. I caught it in a slough off the Meramec River in Missouri. I hope it doesn't grow too fast because our 125 gallon tank has African Cichlids in it. We also have a 20 gallon tank in storage. Please help me out in any way that you can. I searched the internet and the best site I found for my situation was yours. Thank you so much for having such a wonderful site. I hope you can help. Thanks, A: If I were fishing for channel cats, I wouldn't use an algae disk for bait. They're not much of a plant eater. Although some of the algae disk brands have fish meal in them, so your channel kitty may like them. Channel cats are not picky eaters. Take a sniff of any of the commercial catfish baits and you'll get my drift. Channel catfish will eat any fish foods you can find -- flakes, pellets, sticks, wafers, blocks, frozen, freeze-dried, or live. LA PS Be wary of most ich medications. PPS In 2005, the U.S. catfish industry produced 600 million pounds of catfish. Some aquaculturists feed them soybean meal. Others feed cottonseed meal. Alyssa, August 23, 2008 Well, about a week ago I bought three mystery snails. One I gave to a friend, one goes in my 10 gallon aquarium, and the other goes in a 1 gallon with my female betta. The one given to my friend is also in a 10 gallon. Now, my two have done fine. Active, eating breathing, and since day 1 my friend's, Chucky, has had some ... problems. He was always getting caught in odd places ... and was floating a lot. Both our 10 gallons are in the cycling stage since they are only a few weeks old, but we are both frequently changing out small amounts of water to keep bad chemicals from building up. Now ... two days ago all three started to go down hill together. We are not sure if Chuckie is alive or not. He is in a bowl to recover if he is still alive. My two don't seem to move a lot...they will spend all day not moving, but they have been fine until recently. Any idea what might be wrong or what we can do to help? They have all had this white discharge type of stuff coming from them Is that normal? Good? Bad? We are both still new at owning fish, and your site has been SUCH a big help! My larger snail will just stick to the walls all day, and the other one will lay there a lot ... sometimes coming up to breathe but I haven't seen either of them eat, and they are far less active than they were before. If anything you know might help, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. A: I'm not sure what the white discharge might be. If it's fecal matter, it's good. If it's putrefying flesh, that's bad. Your nose can detect dead snails better than your eyes. Pick up the snail and give it the "sniff test." Live snails smell like aquarium water. Dead mystery snails don't just smell, they REEK. Once you smell a dead mystery snail, you will never be able to eat escargots again. LA Alyssa, August 24, 2008 Alright, thank you. My friend's smelled horrid, and we deduced that he was dead and we buried him a little while ago. Mine have a lot of the white stuff. But I don't know what snail waste looks like, so I am not sure what is is. There is white stuff, with little green looking stuff sort of mixed together. And with one of my snails there is like an aura of white stuff around him. The other one is just coming off the side. But neither of them smell, and they move, just not a lot. A: The biggest water contaminants for snails are salt and copper. If you think they're in your water, buy a gallon of distilled water and put your snails in the jug with a bit of flake food. LA John W. Apsley, MD(E), DC, Fall City, WA, August 24, 2008 Greetings, Can you direct me to purchasing albino koi swords and HiFin/Lyretail swords? Also, any suggestions as to where purebred Moscow guppies might be found at reasonable prices? Many thanks. A: Seems to me an albino koi sword would look like a plain vanilla albino sword. Anyway, as for locating unusual swords, google the "American Livebearer Association." For unusual guppies, google the "International Association of Fancy Guppies." As for "reasonable prices," reasonable is in the pocketbook of the buyer. LA John W. Apsley, MD(E), DC, Fall City, WA, August 24, 2008 Many thanks Larry. I guess you haven't seen an albino koi sword. Not like an albino sword at all. They both, do in fact, have no coloration to their eyes, which is cool. I am a member of ALA, and there is a paucity of breeders for this. I like Goliad Farms, but they appear to be on hiatus with the HiFin/Lyretails right now. As to reasonable prices, I can share what I know so far. The highest end breeders charge up to $80 per trio, depending upon the strain, and generally as low as $25 for a pair. Many are not both HiFin + Lyretail though, but some are. At the low end, you can catch good quality (but not great quality) averaging around $40 per trio, like from some of the mass market distributors which ain't bad. But to find an enthusiast, like a member of a local association, who just loves to breed and has extras, now, that is what I am looking for. So, maybe I can hook into several different local associations across the nation and see what I can learn. Take care and thanks once again for your response. A: Good luck. LA George Sobhy, Egypt, August 24, 2008 Hi Mr. Larry. Plz plz plz tell me what is the easiest frog to breed in aquariums. Awaiting your reply. Thanks. A: African clawed frog. LA Doug, Fort Dodge, IA, August 24, 2008 My 6 year old son is interested in buying a baby bearded dragon. I was wondering how much yours went for. We live in Fort Dodge, IA, so we wanted an idea before we drove all the way there. Please respond when possible. Thank you very much. A: I'm not at Aqualand when I answer these questions, so it's hard to remember prices and sizes. Your best bet is to call us at 515 283-0300 on your cell phone (no long distance charges). Then we can give you a price, description, and the history of specific critters. LA Jamie Dorn, Lincoln, NE, August 24, 2008 I was told your store carries African Soft-Furred Rats. I haven't found any around here yet. How much do you charge and what is your typical inventory? I wasn't planning on a trip to Des Moines, but if I were to make plans myself or find a friend, would you be able to hold some back for pick-up if I were to request that? Thanks, A: I'm not at Aqualand when I answer these questions, so it's hard to remember prices and quantities. Your best bet is to call us at 515 283-0300 on your cell phone (no long distance charges). Then we can give you a price, description, and the history of specific critters. We do have soft-furred rats in stock and can hold them for you. LA Gabe Benoit, Cedar Falls, IA, August 24, 2008 I absolutely love your site and mainly your store! Sounds and looks like you guys are really into you're animals, have everything and anything exotic and everything else which is amazing!!!! I spent a good couple hours digging through your images. Your websites awesome! I would almost pay to see your inventory!!!! I live in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and 1 question to ask you guys ... Do you guys ship fish orders from your store or would it be best to come visit!? A: Do not confuse our website with our store. There is no way one location could hold all the fish, reptiles, and animals you'll find on our website. Some of the fish are no longer even available in the U.S. And most of the snakes I show in our new Snakes Alive 2008 are now illegal in Iowa. The images are from several locations and taken over a long period of time. LA PS Cedar Falls is not that much of a drive, and you can peruse our inventory for free. Gabe Benoit, Cedar Falls, IA, August 27, 2008 Q: So do you guys take fish orders and ship them out by mail??? A: No. LA Amy Kelly, Poconos, PA, August 25, 2008 Good Morning! First of all, I want to let you know how wonderful I think your website is! I find it is a great source of detailed information and practical advice. And, as a "beginner", I appreciate your simple -- and often humorous -- explanations! Now, for my dilemma.... We have a pond, about 400 gallons. The water is pea-soup green, despite weekly water changes, and cleaning the filter every two days. I understand that algae is healthy for the pond and fish, however, it would also be nice to be able to SEE the fish! I have 5 goldfish, 3 koi, some assorted sunfish and minnows, and several crayfish. In addition, a friend brought me from the lake some huge snails and a pair of freshwater mussels, to attempt to clean my pond. I also have 3 potted water plants, and a bunch of water hyacinth. And yes, the pond is located in a mostly sunny spot. I have rigged up an "external filter," but it's not quite effective. Neither are those "barley balls." Without using chemicals, is there a way to get the water clearer? If I added a pleco, would that help? Will a pleco last through the winter. We live in the Poconos, PA (zone 5). Or, if I added black food coloring to the water, would it block the sun from the algae? But would that hurt the critters? Any advice will be appreciated! I'm not expecting crystal-clear water, just to have the algae at a manageable level. Thank you for your time, and I look forward to your reply! LA John McDonald's pond in Newton, Iowa (zone 5). A: Most algae non-fans use AlgaeFix these days. The best non-chemical algae zapper is a UV filter like John McDonald uses. Algae grows best in moving water, full sun, and well fertilized water -- just like your fish pond.. It also likes water changes. If you add black food coloring (do you make your own licorice?), you will have black water instead of green water. Ditto with adding methylene blue, except that you get blue water that shades and thus kills the algae but makes it impossible to see your fish anyway. Water hyacinths, water lettuce, and water lilies make great sun screens and also suck up the nutrients that feed the algae. Arbors that arch over the pond will also help. Grapes and morning glories will cover the arbor pretty fast but not as fast as black plastic or a tarp. The plants will add to your fall pond debris. Check into a UV filter. LA PS The reason most ponders like goldfish and koi is so they can see them even in green water. Serena Smith, August 26, 2008 Hello, I'm not very computer friendly, but I'll try to explain this odd behavior in my rainbow fish. Maybe not so well in fishkeeping either ;) LOL! Although I've recently set up a freshwater tank, I'm HOOKED!!! I love my fish. However, I added a Jewel Cichlid with beautiful bright blue dots but, he killed my sucker fish, angel fish, pearl fish and another one I forgot the name of which was neon blue with red vertical stripes, simply beautiful. After the Cichlid killed nearly all, I brought him back to keep at the fish store until I can set up an aggressive tank. Meanwhile, I'm in the process now of setting up a saltwater tank. All the while the cichlid was in the freshwater tank, my rainbow, catfish (white looking) and my African clawed frog, which I hand feed earthworms, hid and I thought to myself, "What odd behavior." But it took me a few days to actually look up info on the net (your site) about my fish. That was when I decided to bring my Jewel fish back, only to keep while I can set up an aggressive tank! Now my problem is the rainbow which has been so serene but as soon as I put the semi-aggressive tinfoil barb in, the rainbow's colors became quite deeper and rich in color and he acted out like I've never seen before. But in watching these two very closely, I've noticed since the adding of the barb the HUGE difference in my rainbow and his colors are still very deep. Since taking out the jewel, my catfish, frog and the others which were in hiding, have come out to play, much to my amusement in seeing them again :). However my concern is whether the rainbow chasing and rubbing against the barb is now being a bully? I've spoken with the lady (at the pet store) whom I've gotten all my fish from and she said, "I've never heard of the rainbow being an aggressive fish." So here I am, after long hours of reading everything I can, I am as confused as ever about my fish, which I surely want to care for in the best way possible. I also added two red tailed sharks with black bodies and they're doing well.. I also have a crowntail betta which I put with a female and he is blowing bubbles at the top of the tank. I've also noticed the female has a white egg shaped thing in between her two front fins and the male chases her quite often. I just love it since they've gotten to know me and come quite often to the tank front when I peek in at them (they are in their own tank). As you can see, I'm now a fish addict ;), but like I've said, "I want to do the best for all my fish." And I'm not quite sure why my rainbow is acting this way. IF at all you can help, it would greatly be appreciated. Thank you for your time my friend! Sincerely, A1: Add some plants for your female betta to hide in. Overly amorous males frequently kill their females. A2: You might want to slow down your jump into saltwater. A3: Then, I'm not sure what your "rainbow" is. I'm assuming you mean one of the Australian-type rainbowfishes. LA Do they resemble these? Rainbowfish cannot hurt a tinfoil barb. Your tinfoil barb will grow to about a foot long and mostly ignore all your other fish. A4: Your clawed frog will likely grow large enough to eat many of your fish. LA PS I suspected you may have computer queasiness when you sent me six copies of your email. Serena Smith, August 29, 2008 Thank you for your response;) I appreciate the time you've spent in answering my many questions! Although, I must say I had NO idea the frog would grow that big but for now he seems to do well with the others, except for the cory catfish, he likes chasing him. Strange? My Rainbow is the kind you sent in the picture. Although, I wished I knew how to work my video on my canon camera just to send you a shot of these two and the way they interact! They seem to swim in sync now, going round n round and chasing each other all over the tank. But what really has me surprised about the rainbow was his colors and how much deeper they became once I added the Tinfoil barb.. Thanks again my friend! And I think you're right about the salt water tank. I'm just now learning the freshwater! Sincerely, A: Sounds like he's got a best buddy. LA James Burt, Des Moines, IA, August 27, 2008 I was just wondering if adding prices or price ranges to your pet listings could be an improvement to your site? LA Some of the 50 keets on sale today. A: If I added prices, I'd have to change them constantly. For instance, right now we have parakeets for sale at $12 (2 for $20). When we run out of these 50 keets, the price will likely go up. We'd have to comb thru the site daily to pick up the price changes of everything. LA Hong Kong, August 27, 2008 Hello! I come from HK. I have 5 BGK. They are about 1 to 1.5 yrs old and 8-9 inches. My old fish pool (tank? LA) was not big enough (size:18"x11"x12"). Last week I just changed to a bigger fish pool (size:36"x18"x18"), then one of them produced some eggs at night. Why I don't know? I always monitor them. They didn't eat their red worms after the change to bigger pool. So I turned on the light to collect the rest of the red worms from the pool to keep it clean. Then I discovered some eggs. I found that they prefer to eat eggs rather than eat red worms. In order to prevent them from eating the eggs, I put some small stones into the pool to cover those eggs. And I collected some of them into a small container. After 3 days, the baby fishes can swim. A: You didn't include your name on your email. If send it, I'll add your comments to my black ghost knifefish web page. LA PS Can you give me more details on your picture? Robert Cuevas, August 28, 2008 I have a bluebelly lizard that my son caught at the park. Today he found a praying mantis (believe it or not at a McDonald's parking lot). The lizard is a baby while the Mantis looks like a grown female. Is it possible to keep them in the same 5 gallon tank? Thanks A: His praying mantis just might decide to snack on the small lizard. I'd add a different container to make sure he can have two critters. By the way, they both will eat crickets. LA Joe Kleifges, Tempe, AZ, August 28, 2008 I've recently had responsibility for two 10 x 12 x 18' indoor ponds become my responsibility. There are a few stray goldfish living in them now, but I have no desire to have goldfish. I'd like to know if you have some ideas for a sociable mix of smaller colorful schooling fish that can tolerate fair water quality and will be self sustaining at 62-72 degrees. The ponds do not see any direct sun, but I would like some plants to provide cover for hatchlings, oxygen etc. Any recommendations?? I saw your response to Raymond from Indonesia on 8/20, and I think something similar might be in order, but I require a bit less maintenance. I'm hoping to visit y'all in September. And if we are lucky, I can get some of the goods as I pass through Des Moines, especially if you have a kitten that is OK with lots of travel!! A: Sounds like you're in a mall. Your pond temperatures are perfect for goldfish and koi, thus the "few stray goldfish" in there already. Unlike the Indonesian pond, your ponds are on the cool side for most aquarium fishes. Goldfish grow to a foot plus fins and are quite visible in ponds. Most aquarium fish seem to disappear in ponds. If you have a good filter system and can make water changes easily, you might want to move up to koi. A school of multi-colored koi is always impressive -- espcially at feeding time.. You have the room and the right temperature for koi. LA Sarah Burke, Logandale, NV, August 28, 2008 Hello, I have a few questions about rat whacking. I'm going to take my neighbor's ball python off her hands and the snake is just getting to the rat-eating stage. She's always fed him live mice, but I'm afraid that a rat bite will do more harm than a mouse bite. What is the best way to whack my rats? Do I just put them in a bag and hit them with something hard? I've never had to kill a rat before, so sorry if this is a no-brainer! I don't want to have to take my snake to the vet. Thanks so much, A: Just what I need to get me back in the rat lovers' crosshairs. Probably the easiest way is to put the rat into a cloth bag and smack it sharply on a hard surface. I may forward some of their comments to you. LA Sarah Burke, Logandale, NV, August 31, 2008 Jeez, if that's all it is . . . Thank you for the information. It was very helpful! I really enjoy your site and all the info it contains. And the rat lovers shouldn't take offense about this kind of killing. The rat can either suffocate to death (slowly) by the snake or can have the whole process over within less than a second. Thanks again, A: They will take offense no matter what. LA Sherri, August 29, 2008 Sorry to bother you, but there has been an ongoing problem in my aquarium. My other filter quit on me so I bought a new one for my 30 gallon. It is a Penguin Bio-Wheel 350. About a week after I switched out my ammonia was way up. I knew it was the "new tank effect" and did a lot of water changes. After about 2 weeks I didn't see any change. It has been 2 and a half months now and it is just as bad as before. I don't know what to do. It has one 7 inch fish in it and I make sure to not let excess food build up. Any suggestions? Thanks A: If you added one of the ammonia removers to your aquarium, most standard (Nessler's reagent) ammonia tests will read sky high afterwards. Let me know if you did not do this, and we'll re-examine the data. LA Sherri, August 30, 2008 Yes I added ammonia remover at one month and a week ago. Thank you so much for your help. A: Mystery solved. LA Christine Lajoie, Ontario, Canada, August 29, 2008 Dear LA, I have referred to your website for a few years now, pretty much every time I buy new fish for my 4 freshwater tanks. I have a 20 gallon tank that is home to 1 full grown parrot fish, two rosy barbs (I think that is what I was told when I bought them), 1 albino cory cat, and one pleco. I have recently lost some other fish in that tank, and now I have added some more: 1 kissing gourami (that is what they told me, but it looks like a blue gourami yellow in colour) it seems to be full grown, 1 baby parrot fish, and three angel rams. My Question is: I read somewhere that you are supposed to keep the angel rams in pairs. Will it be ok for me to have just three? And what will happen if there is only three instead of four? Will I have problems? I was originally only going to have the one pair (I had bought only one prior to finding out they had to be in pairs). But when I got to the pet store there were only two, so if I would have bought just the one then one would have been left all alone :( I am just a little worried now, can you also let me know if what I have is an okay mix, the tank now has : ● 1 full grown parrot fish ● 1 small baby parrot fish ● 1 kissing or blue gourami (sorry for any spelling errors) ● 1 albino cory catfish ● 1 pleco ● 2 rosy barbs (so I am told) ● 3 angel rams These are all in a 20 gallon tank. Also what kind of plants and such should I have in this wide range of a community tank? Thanks for your time and thank you in advance for your help. Most importantly thank you for all the information on fish species you have on your website!!!! I look forward to hearing from you. A: Your mix looks pretty good. Are you sure your parrot fish is full grown? They get pretty good sized. Since they are 50% severum genetically, most like to shred live plants. So, you'll probably want plastic plants. Single kissing gouramis can get aggressive without someone to smooch with. They use those big lips to push their tank mates around. I wouldn't worry about your rams being only in pairs. Most fish can't count all that well, and most ram shipments we get are at least 90% males. All in all, your mix sounds fine. LA Christine Lajoie, Ontario, Canada, August 30, 2008 Thank you so much for your quick response!! I am familiar with parrots. I have 2 more that are about two years old in one of my other tanks. I love them they are so fun to watch!! The parrot I was talking about is named Rockstar and is about 4 1/2 inches mouth to tail, bright orange. The new one I just bought is still greyish green and only about an inch long (so cute and little!!). It likes to hang out by the heater. The gourami has only one eye and is about 4 inches long. Right now it seems fine. It hangs out with Rockstar. They are pretty much the two biggest fish in the tank. I only use plastic plants. Thanks again. So far my rams seem to be doing well. I bought all three at the same place. In fact, they were living in the same tank with a 4th one the whole time they were at the store. I am pretty sure they were from the same shipment. I just got nervous because the 4th one at the store died within a few days since I bought my first one, so I wasn't sure if it was a partner thing. Thanks again. I will write you back if I have anymore questions. Actually! When does a Goby Dragon reach its full length and will it grow out of its tank size? Thank You A: Dragon gobies appear to be wild caught. I've stumbled across no spawning reports. Some arrive at Aqualand at four inches. Some come in close to a foot long. How long they take to attain 12 inches I'm not sure. I can't tell you when they attain full size. I'm not for sure if 12 inches is full grown. Like people, there's quite a bit of variation within the species. LA PS I'm not always fast on the replies. Julie Slack, August 29, 2008 I just recently got a dumpy frog and I love it. I am not sure if it is male or female. It is a good size, about 3.5 inches. Based on the size I thought I got a female then a few days ago the frog started barking after feeding and at dusk. Is it true that only male dumpys "talk?" Are there any other ways to sex my little dumpy? Thanks, Proud new dumpy parent! A: Usually only the males bark. Look for dark pads on his front "fingers." Males use these to grasp females during the breeding process. Dumpies are probably my favorite frog. LA Phillip Renfro, Knoxville, TN, August 29, 2008 I had wondered over the past few years exactly what sort of fish I had, mainly for the reason so I could tell all my guests when they asked. Thanks to your site, now I know -- a black ghost knife fish. I adopted this fish about 5 years ago, when my brother was moving from state to state. He lived in Atlanta, me in Knoxville. He asked me one day if I wanted his aquaium. I said yes, then he told me the fish came with it. He drove it up from Atlanta to Knoxville in the back of his truck during mid summer. Everything has been healthy since, and my tank is by far the cleanest even if not the newest. Just wanted to say thanks for identifing my fish, and wanted to let everyone know mine has been alive for almost 7 years ... great investment and great company. Keep up the great information, I will be looking again someday for disease treatment or other symtoms that come with old age. A: Glad to help. 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