June 1-15, 2005 questions you asked Aqualand

A: Coo, coo, coo, choo, yes, Mrs. Robinson. However, I’d prefer you credit the web site rather than my email address. LA

Monica, Houston, Texas, June 3, 2005
Hi, I have a small (like 10 or 15) tank. It’s set up with honeycomb rock and white sand. I started seeing spots of algae on the rock and it’s now becoming a problem. I bought two ghost shrimp as lunch for my red claw but they’ve now become part of our little family. I was going to buy drops but you can’t use most brands of cleaner with crustaceans in your tank. What should I do?

A: Reduce the light source. You can clean the rock by putting it in a bucket of water with a cup of bleach. Soak it for an hour. Rinse thoroughly and dry it for 24 hours. You will need to wipe the glass manually. LA

Lynne Fuller, June 3, 2005
Hi – I had a good time at your web site. I am building a home on 5 acres that already has a big koi pond established on it. I would like to add some water turtles. Can you please tell me where I can purchase some? Also, I have a big problem with Western Red Harvester Ants in a field. I would like to buy some Horned Lizards to help control these ants. Would you know where to purchase those? Thank-you, Lynne Fuller

A1: Are you sure you want to add turtles to your koi pond? Turtles love fish. I feed mine goldfish about 90% of the time. If you still want them, you should be able to find red-eared sliders at nearly any local fish store.
A2: Horned lizards are harder to find. You don’t say where you’re from, but some states make it extremely difficult to buy them or collect them from the wild. They are declining in numbers due to loss of habitat. They do not like grassy areas. However, it sounds like you will have an excellent habitat plus their natural food. Check with your local Department of Natural Resources to ascertain any legal problems. County extension offices can often provide names of local sources plus care information. LA

Hameed, Abu Dahbi, United Arab Emirate, June 3, 2005
I Am Nice Dealer of Fish, Birds and Animal. So I Need Price List & Picture Your Side Please Forword To Me. You Have Any Address & Order List Send To Me. Dear ,How Many Days You Need Order Shipment Let Me Now. Thanks…..

A: Thank you for your courteous enquiry, Hameed. It was nice to hear from you. However, we do not export fish, birds, or animals. LA

Amanda Bass, June 4, 2005
Hi- I have a question, and I hope maybe you can help. I recently bought two little crabs, one being slightly larger than the other. Well, the bigger of the two has removed both claws from the smaller one. I was just wondering if my little crab will die without his claws or will he be okay until his claws grow back? Thank You

A: The big one will continue dis-arming the little guy (probably a female) and finally eat him unless you separate them. The little one may recover unless it is too badly damaged.. Legs continue to grow back with each molt. But you will need to separate them. LA

Alicia Talbert, June 4, 2005
Cichlasoma facetum -- I’m finding this fish a bit elusive to gather information on or even obtain for that matter, I first found him in this dinosaur of a book that still listed them as unbreedable in captivity and said they were no longer kept as aquarium fish period. Needless to say that made me want one, lol. I’ve since learned only enough more to say they are breedable and a few people keep them, but little else, I don’t think I even know how large they get. Last I heard was 30cm.
I was directed towards your site by the people on waterwolves.com and have since been impressed with not only the amount of pictures and variety, but also the personality you put into them. I know you’re busy, and probably more so because of your issues with the less polite of internet society, so I promise I won’t bug and bother you too much while I wait ever so patiently to see what info or pictures you may be able to reference me to. I’ll also state that it may be awhile before I can purchase said beastie so as to not waste your time too much with the promise of a sale, I can say that once I am ready to buy I try and do my best to remember those who helped me.
Best wishes and I hope those who cause you trouble find their own eventually.

Pic from aqvaterra.com an exporter of Uruguayan cichlids. You’ll find more pix plus enough info about C. facetum to fill your brain to the brim at this site.

A: When I searched (msn) for Cichlasoma facetum, I came up with 1,581 hits. Plenty of pix. Lotsa info. One place even showed a convict as C. facetum. You probably ran across these guys in the old Axelrod loose-leaf Atlas. Just treat them like a standard C.A. or S.A. cichlid. Provide caves, round rocks, and flat rocks to spawn on. Some prefer to dig pits. They will all spawn at a size much smaller than their maximum. I haven’t seen these for years -- probably because so many other cichlids from the same area look more attractive.
Impolite people don’t bother me. I like them -- especially the ones who want to straighten me out. The ones that bug me are the children (of all ages) that ask the same questions over and over again. LA

Dan, June 5, 2005
Hi, I’ve got a 55 gallon aquarium with a 4 inch pleco, also I have a needle nose gar that’s about 9 inches. I have a hang on the back filter and have had the tank set up for about a month and a half. I want to know what I can add to the tank without having to worry about it being eaten. I was thinking another gar, but the pet store by me will give me a six inch one. Is this a suitable size? And if I get another gar will I need a bigger tank? Thanks, this is a great site.

A: The two gar should mix with little problem. Just make sure you get food into the little guy. Don’t let the big one hog all the food. You could also add many kinds of catfish, kribs, various loaches -- basically, any medium size fish that won’t beat the tar out of them, intimidate them, or eat all the food. LA

Weird Kid, June 6, 2005
I want to breed bettas. If I put the anti-fungus medicine into the breeding tank, will it harm the fry?

A: You don’t need to add anti-fungus medicine to betta eggs. They hatch in 24 to 48 hours -- too fast for fungus to bother them. You have used up your questions for this month. LA

Mike Wharton, June 6, 2005
I just got a couple of lyretail swords and found on your site that it says the gonopodium grows too long to function. So is it possible to breed these fish with the long gonopodium?? Yours sincerely
(cheers 4 running a great website)

A: You need to breed a regular (non-lyretail) male swordtail with your lyretail female. LA

Sean Kelly, June 8, 2005
I have a couple of questions, but for starters your site really helped me out a lot. It’s really informative and with great photos and facts. OK, on with my questions. I have a 120 gal. tank, the quarter circle one? With a wet/dry system. I have a 12-inch managuense that came with the tank. His name is Charlie (Manson). You know why. Anyhow, I would like some suggestions about what other kind of fish I can keep with him? I have this beautiful huge tank and can only keep one fish from what I see at other pet stores -- two managuenses keeping six 2x bigger oscars in a corner of a tank.
I also have a gar (chopper) in there with him for now. When I first got the gar, he was being pestered so I put my managuense in a 40 gal but he was pissed and wouldn’t eat for a couple of weeks. I gave in and put him back in the 120 and they seem to be ok for now. It’s only been a couple of days so hopefully he’ll be good. At least he’s eating. He picks on my 8-inch pleco which is probably normal and no worries with that. But I would like to get some other fish to keep in there. I was thinking of a wolffish, Jack Dempsey or an Arowana but don’t know how they will all get along especially with my pleco who I like a lot? Would you have any suggestions on how to make it work or if there are other fish you might suggest? Thank you for any help, cause the aquarium stores around here aren’t that helpful. Also my managuense has a memory. When he beats up on my pleco I use the end of a plastic stick to bop him on the head. After a couple of times and weeks/months later all I have to do is show him the stick from outside the tank and he goes into the corner for a while. I’ve attached a pic if you want to see him in his 40 gal. He rams the side of the tank and I tell my girls he’s giving them kisses. He tried to nip me and will jump out of the tank about 4/5-inches if you put your finger up there. Thanks again,

Sean

A: Cool pix. The above is my favorite. And jaguars are one of my favorite fishes. Putting troublemakers in a different tank (like you did) enables the smaller guys to establish defendable territories in the original tank. Two jaguars -- especially a bonded pair -- will always back six oscars into the corner (and take their lunch money). So will convicts. Pair-bonded cichlids get very territorial -- occasionally killing all their slow-moving tank mates.
You should have plenty of room in your 120 to add more fish -- especially if you only keep one of each cichlid species.
I consider the wolffish too bitey to mix and the arowana too sissy to mix with a jaguar. Add other Central and South American cichlids about the same size (like your Dempsey). The more you add, the more you disperse any aggression. And add larger tinfoil barbs, silver dollars, catfish, and polypterids. Your pleco will grow at least twice as big as he is and become an underwater tank impervious to attack. Be prepared to move any big guys that get too rough. LA
PS Never let your daughter kiss a jaguar on their first date.

Sue Thap, June 8, 2005
I am a big fan of the alligator gar since the first day I saw one, but I did not purchase it because I had an arowana. I was wondering how fast would an alligator gar grow in a year? Is a 90 gallon tank good enough for an alligator gar?

A: Since alligator gars grow to nine feet long, I’d expect one to grow about a foot the first year. Growth depends upon quantity of food, frequency of feeding, temperature, and water changes. In your 90 he’ll probably stunt out at about 2 to 2.5 feet. Your current dragon sounds like a better choice. LA
PS Was your father a Johnny Cash fan?

Frank Boier, Italy, June 9, 2005
hello you ship Italy Ambystoma tigrinum?? thanks frank

A: Sorry, Frank. We do not ship tiger salamanders to Italy. Ciao LA

Karen Helms, June 9, 2005
Can I buy some Java moss from you? Thanks in advance.

A: Sure. Java moss costs $3. I hope you’re local. LA

Jordan Frerichs, June 9, 2005
This summer I plan to set up a 125g slightly brackish oddball tank. The main fish will be a fire eel (possibly 2). I own several extra large fish I plan to place in the tank. These include: a 7'' weather loach, two 5'' silver dollars, a 4.5'' synodontis, several tetras (blood fins, black skirts, and x-rays), a 4.5'' Raphael catfish, and several varieties of danios (leopards, long fins, zebras, and giants). I also plan to buy 3 dragon fish, 2 smaller dojos, a smaller Raphael, and maybe an African butterfly. I have a couple of questions since I have never kept a brackish tank.
1. What color of sand would best show off the fire eel’s colors?
2. How can I successfully have a sand substrate with an under gravel filter with a power head?
3. Do all spiny eels have similar water requirements? I plan to get a cheaper variety ($10) as a test eel.
4. Will any of the fish on the lists not be able to stand brackish water (I REALLY don’t want to kill the 7'' dojo)?
5. Is there any compatibility mistakes in my tank mates list -- aggression and water wise (I’ll take out anything that won’t be compatible with the fire eel)?
6. I will have a hydrometer. What level of salinity would be the best for all the fish?
7. What measurement of salt per gallon should I add to reach that point if I were to use Instant Ocean.
8. How slowly should I add the salt? I will add all the freshwater varieties first, then the eel(s), then I’ll add the salt. After the salinity is right, I’ll add the violet gobies.
9. What live plants can stand that amount of salt?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

A: Let’s not make your 125 brackish. The only definite brackish fish in your list is the African butterfly. The other almost brackish is the synodontis catfish. If it were me, I’d just add a teaspoon of salt per gallon and forget making a brackish tank for all your non-brackish fish.
A1: I like natural gravels and blacks best. But fire eels show well over blue and other dark colors.
A2: Sand will not work with an under gravel filter -- especially one with a power head. Sand falls right thru the slots.
A3: Most spiny eels have similar but not identical requirements. The zigzags seem the least needy of special foods.
A4: You have zero reason to make your 125 a brackish tank.
A5: Your list looks fine to me. You might want to leave out the butterfly (the only brackish fish on your list).
A6: I wouldn’t bother with the hydrometer.
A7: Just add a teaspoon of salt per gallon.
A8: Add one teaspoon at a time.
A9: Your two 5-inch silver dollars pose a bigger threat than your salt level. Select ~~economical~~ cheap plants. LA

William Countryman, June 9, 2005
First of all, thank you for having such an informative web site. It has helped me a great deal. My question has to do with arowanas. I was wondering if they tolerate aquarium salt in their water? I have been offered one for free from a friend of a friend and am thinking about keeping it in my 75 gallon cichlid tank for now. The arowana is only about 4 inches long, at least that is what they say, so this tank should take care of him for a while. Take your time answering, as they are also giving me a tank I can use for it until I hear from you. Thank you again for the great website.

A: If you can get a free arowana, take it in a shot. Arowanas adapt to a teaspoon of salt per gallon. However, do not mix your arowana with cichlids. Most cichlids will beat the crap out of your arowana. I’m keeping a 12 incher with a couple juruparis, but they’re an exception to the “All cichlids are nasty” rule. Before the ACA sues me for picking on cichlids, let’s just say, not all cichlids are nasty all the time. LA

Ingrid Gander, June 11, 2005
I have just bought myself a beautiful little vampire pleco. I was told to feed him blood worms and sinking shrimp pellets. I have had him for 5 hrs. He seems fine. :D
Here’s the problem: I have been looking on the net and everywhere I can think of to find info on these little guys but no luck. Every pet store I go in to has never heard of these guys (except where I got him). I just want to know a little about him. Like how big do they get, and do they eat algae? (I was told no by one guy, yes by another.) How long do they live? And so on. Do you guys have any good site info or can you e-mail me the basics? Thank you so much!!

A: I’m not going to holler at you about learning first and buying second. This is America, and we are a “ready, fire, aim” country.
Your first secret to web research is using the quote marks. Put “vampire pleco” in quotes or you will get 1,000,000 hits on vampires (give or take a dozen) because they have such a strong lobby plus an equal number on plecos.
With the quote marks I got 386 hits on msn. I did not read them all. You’ll get more if you google, yahoo, etc. Collect the whole set.

plecofanatics.com and planetcatfish.com may have all the info you need. But you cannot rely on a single info source. On the other hand, you can’t believe everyone. Happy researching to you. LA

Alexander Wu, Southern CA, June 11, 2005
I have seen your site, and it’s very helpful and informative. It’s a great way to look into fishes and community tanks without having disasters occur already. But, I have a few questions. Recently, I dug a 650-700 gallon pond. It’s originally used as a turtle pond for my three turtles (red ear sliders). But, I’ve been having some mosquito problems recently.
Is there any mosquito larvae eaters that you would recommend for an
outdoor pond? I have been hearing guppies, but something with a not so
fast reproduction rate. I live in Southern California, and it’s almost summer here. The temperature outdoors ranges up to 75-90 degrees.
I would greatly appreciate any feedback.

A: You can’t go wrong with goldfish. Add $10 or $20 worth of feeder goldfish and they’ll clean out your mosquito larvae. The goldfish will appeal to your eyes and your turtles’ palates. If you don’t want to go the goldfish route, you can use Mosquito Dunks -- round disks that kill mosquito larvae for 30 days courtesy of Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies israaelenses for about the same price. LA

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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 Feedr Goldfish Fruit Flies Ghost Shrimp 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 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 Q&As Jun 05 Q&As Jun II Q&As Jul 05 Q&As Jul II Q&As Aug 05	Add your location. It makes your questions more interesting. Sometimes it also helps answer the question. Thx. LA Anne B. Brantley, June 1, 2005 I wonder if you could answer a few questions for me? We had 2 oscars, one 5 inch albino and a 4 inch tiger. Yesterday the albino was found on the floor. The top of our tank is completely covered except the back by the filter and the heater. Is it possible he jumped out through this space? Next question: we then went out and bought another albino. This one was about 3 inches. When we put him in, the black tiger immediately lost his color. Was he scared? Then I thought I was going crazy when I saw what he did later in the evening. I had put about 6 pellets (ran out of feeders) in when the black tiger ate them all then immediately went to the bottom by the new albino and proceeded to push particles of the pellets out of his gills. Then in one big puff blew the rest of the pellets, now broken up, out of his mouth. After the albino ate a few of the broken pieces, the black tiger swam in circles which stirred up the particles. Was the black tiger looking out for the albino by helping him break up the pellets? When we first saw what was happening, we didn’t believe it. So we put a few more pellets in and he did the same thing. Thanks ahead of time for your help. A1: Yes, he jumped out of that space. Cover it with Saran Wrap to keep the others from seeking their own Northwest Passage. A2: Oscars often react to changes in their tank and/or tank mates. Color changes are not quite as common as their rolling onto their side and peering at you with one very distrustful eyeball. A3: Many oscars will crush food and let it run out their gill covers and/or blow it out their mouths. As to whether he did this for the benefit of his new little buddy, I personally doubt it. However, you never know with an oscar. And many cichlid parents will perform this same service for their fry -- sort of like cutting up chicken for your kids. LA Ron Jacobsen, Iowa State University, June 1, 2005 Can gold fish make it through the winter in a pond? How deep does it need to be? A: Goldfish survive very well thru the winter, unless the pond freezes to the bottom. The ice rarely gets more than two-feet thick in our neck of the woods. The spring thaw and subsequent warming of the water triggers their spawning urge. LA Robert Epps, Clarksville, TN, June 1, 2005 First of all, tree boas are not that mean. Any snake will bite you, even ball pythons. (Trust me, I’ve been bitten many times). Until you take the time out to tame one, any snake can be “wild” and bite you. Second, it isn’t necessary to say that homes with small children should not have constricting snakes. Having cages with secure locking mechanisms and keeping the herp fed and well cared for is the best way to prevent the tragedy you are most likely thinking of. Tanks should be well sealed with no cracks and lids should be tight to the tank with fastening brackets on each side or secured by hinges with a front clasp with a lock to prevent escape. Third, it isn’t necessary (especially with ball pythons) to give a snake a large tank. There are few snakes that like having “tons of room.” Ball pythons, blood pythons, carpet pythons, Dumeril’s boas, etc like having enough room to kind of stretch out in but to (for example) put a small snake into a tank designed for housing a grown Burmese, retic, or afrock is asinine. Herps are basically nervous and easily frightened creatures and to put a snake into a huge well spaced tank does nothing but cause fright to the animal. (Put a snake into a large tank and put a hide box in it. See if the snake ever comes out of the hide). And finally, it isn’t advisable to “whack” a rat or mouse before feeding to a snake. The majority of snakes will turn their noses up at any prey covered or even partially covered in blood. The best way is to get a pair of hemostats and squeeze them together at the base of the rat or mouse’s neck, thereby choking it. How long you choke the animal will depend on when death occurs. Sometimes I will use the hemostats on a rat until it starts convulsing, then offer the feeder to one of my snakes. This way the prey is warm, moving, and totally unable to cause any harm to the snake being fed. Plus, I’d advise that you use another word than “whack.” Lots of extreme animal lovers out there would have a field day with that if they ever saw it. Best to just say “prekill” and keep PETA off your back. The correct terminology of a group of recently born snakes isn’t a “hatch.” It is called a “clutch.” No snake should be “wrapped around the neck” not even for a photo op, and definitely not a Burmese! A: I’ve always found wrapping a Burmese around necks one of the best ways to meet cute girls. A: to come Mrs. Margaret Robinson, June 2, 2005 I’m a moderater on a fish forum and would like to know if I could have permission to use your pic of fish for profiles etc in return I will add courtesy of LA_Aqualand.com. thank you A: Coo, coo, coo, choo, yes, Mrs. Robinson. However, I’d prefer you credit the web site rather than my email address. LA Monica, Houston, Texas, June 3, 2005 Hi, I have a small (like 10 or 15) tank. It’s set up with honeycomb rock and white sand. I started seeing spots of algae on the rock and it’s now becoming a problem. I bought two ghost shrimp as lunch for my red claw but they’ve now become part of our little family. I was going to buy drops but you can’t use most brands of cleaner with crustaceans in your tank. What should I do? A: Reduce the light source. You can clean the rock by putting it in a bucket of water with a cup of bleach. Soak it for an hour. Rinse thoroughly and dry it for 24 hours. You will need to wipe the glass manually. LA Lynne Fuller, June 3, 2005 Hi – I had a good time at your web site. I am building a home on 5 acres that already has a big koi pond established on it. I would like to add some water turtles. Can you please tell me where I can purchase some? Also, I have a big problem with Western Red Harvester Ants in a field. I would like to buy some Horned Lizards to help control these ants. Would you know where to purchase those? Thank-you, Lynne Fuller A1: Are you sure you want to add turtles to your koi pond? Turtles love fish. I feed mine goldfish about 90% of the time. If you still want them, you should be able to find red-eared sliders at nearly any local fish store. A2: Horned lizards are harder to find. You don’t say where you’re from, but some states make it extremely difficult to buy them or collect them from the wild. They are declining in numbers due to loss of habitat. They do not like grassy areas. However, it sounds like you will have an excellent habitat plus their natural food. Check with your local Department of Natural Resources to ascertain any legal problems. County extension offices can often provide names of local sources plus care information. LA Hameed, Abu Dahbi, United Arab Emirate, June 3, 2005 I Am Nice Dealer of Fish, Birds and Animal. So I Need Price List & Picture Your Side Please Forword To Me. You Have Any Address & Order List Send To Me. Dear ,How Many Days You Need Order Shipment Let Me Now. Thanks….. A: Thank you for your courteous enquiry, Hameed. It was nice to hear from you. However, we do not export fish, birds, or animals. LA Amanda Bass, June 4, 2005 Hi- I have a question, and I hope maybe you can help. I recently bought two little crabs, one being slightly larger than the other. Well, the bigger of the two has removed both claws from the smaller one. I was just wondering if my little crab will die without his claws or will he be okay until his claws grow back? Thank You A: The big one will continue dis-arming the little guy (probably a female) and finally eat him unless you separate them. The little one may recover unless it is too badly damaged.. Legs continue to grow back with each molt. But you will need to separate them. LA Alicia Talbert, June 4, 2005 Cichlasoma facetum -- I’m finding this fish a bit elusive to gather information on or even obtain for that matter, I first found him in this dinosaur of a book that still listed them as unbreedable in captivity and said they were no longer kept as aquarium fish period. Needless to say that made me want one, lol. I’ve since learned only enough more to say they are breedable and a few people keep them, but little else, I don’t think I even know how large they get. Last I heard was 30cm. I was directed towards your site by the people on waterwolves.com and have since been impressed with not only the amount of pictures and variety, but also the personality you put into them. I know you’re busy, and probably more so because of your issues with the less polite of internet society, so I promise I won’t bug and bother you too much while I wait ever so patiently to see what info or pictures you may be able to reference me to. I’ll also state that it may be awhile before I can purchase said beastie so as to not waste your time too much with the promise of a sale, I can say that once I am ready to buy I try and do my best to remember those who helped me. Best wishes and I hope those who cause you trouble find their own eventually. Pic from aqvaterra.com an exporter of Uruguayan cichlids. You’ll find more pix plus enough info about C. facetum to fill your brain to the brim at this site. A: When I searched (msn) for Cichlasoma facetum, I came up with 1,581 hits. Plenty of pix. Lotsa info. One place even showed a convict as C. facetum. You probably ran across these guys in the old Axelrod loose-leaf Atlas. Just treat them like a standard C.A. or S.A. cichlid. Provide caves, round rocks, and flat rocks to spawn on. Some prefer to dig pits. They will all spawn at a size much smaller than their maximum. I haven’t seen these for years -- probably because so many other cichlids from the same area look more attractive. Impolite people don’t bother me. I like them -- especially the ones who want to straighten me out. The ones that bug me are the children (of all ages) that ask the same questions over and over again. LA Dan, June 5, 2005 Hi, I’ve got a 55 gallon aquarium with a 4 inch pleco, also I have a needle nose gar that’s about 9 inches. I have a hang on the back filter and have had the tank set up for about a month and a half. I want to know what I can add to the tank without having to worry about it being eaten. I was thinking another gar, but the pet store by me will give me a six inch one. Is this a suitable size? And if I get another gar will I need a bigger tank? Thanks, this is a great site. A: The two gar should mix with little problem. Just make sure you get food into the little guy. Don’t let the big one hog all the food. You could also add many kinds of catfish, kribs, various loaches -- basically, any medium size fish that won’t beat the tar out of them, intimidate them, or eat all the food. LA Weird Kid, June 6, 2005 I want to breed bettas. If I put the anti-fungus medicine into the breeding tank, will it harm the fry? A: You don’t need to add anti-fungus medicine to betta eggs. They hatch in 24 to 48 hours -- too fast for fungus to bother them. You have used up your questions for this month. LA Mike Wharton, June 6, 2005 I just got a couple of lyretail swords and found on your site that it says the gonopodium grows too long to function. So is it possible to breed these fish with the long gonopodium?? Yours sincerely (cheers 4 running a great website) A: You need to breed a regular (non-lyretail) male swordtail with your lyretail female. LA Sean Kelly, June 8, 2005 I have a couple of questions, but for starters your site really helped me out a lot. It’s really informative and with great photos and facts. OK, on with my questions. I have a 120 gal. tank, the quarter circle one? With a wet/dry system. I have a 12-inch managuense that came with the tank. His name is Charlie (Manson). You know why. Anyhow, I would like some suggestions about what other kind of fish I can keep with him? I have this beautiful huge tank and can only keep one fish from what I see at other pet stores -- two managuenses keeping six 2x bigger oscars in a corner of a tank. I also have a gar (chopper) in there with him for now. When I first got the gar, he was being pestered so I put my managuense in a 40 gal but he was pissed and wouldn’t eat for a couple of weeks. I gave in and put him back in the 120 and they seem to be ok for now. It’s only been a couple of days so hopefully he’ll be good. At least he’s eating. He picks on my 8-inch pleco which is probably normal and no worries with that. But I would like to get some other fish to keep in there. I was thinking of a wolffish, Jack Dempsey or an Arowana but don’t know how they will all get along especially with my pleco who I like a lot? Would you have any suggestions on how to make it work or if there are other fish you might suggest? Thank you for any help, cause the aquarium stores around here aren’t that helpful. Also my managuense has a memory. When he beats up on my pleco I use the end of a plastic stick to bop him on the head. After a couple of times and weeks/months later all I have to do is show him the stick from outside the tank and he goes into the corner for a while. I’ve attached a pic if you want to see him in his 40 gal. He rams the side of the tank and I tell my girls he’s giving them kisses. He tried to nip me and will jump out of the tank about 4/5-inches if you put your finger up there. Thanks again, Sean A: Cool pix. The above is my favorite. And jaguars are one of my favorite fishes. Putting troublemakers in a different tank (like you did) enables the smaller guys to establish defendable territories in the original tank. Two jaguars -- especially a bonded pair -- will always back six oscars into the corner (and take their lunch money). So will convicts. Pair-bonded cichlids get very territorial -- occasionally killing all their slow-moving tank mates. You should have plenty of room in your 120 to add more fish -- especially if you only keep one of each cichlid species. I consider the wolffish too bitey to mix and the arowana too sissy to mix with a jaguar. Add other Central and South American cichlids about the same size (like your Dempsey). The more you add, the more you disperse any aggression. And add larger tinfoil barbs, silver dollars, catfish, and polypterids. Your pleco will grow at least twice as big as he is and become an underwater tank impervious to attack. Be prepared to move any big guys that get too rough. LA PS Never let your daughter kiss a jaguar on their first date. Sue Thap, June 8, 2005 I am a big fan of the alligator gar since the first day I saw one, but I did not purchase it because I had an arowana. I was wondering how fast would an alligator gar grow in a year? Is a 90 gallon tank good enough for an alligator gar? A: Since alligator gars grow to nine feet long, I’d expect one to grow about a foot the first year. Growth depends upon quantity of food, frequency of feeding, temperature, and water changes. In your 90 he’ll probably stunt out at about 2 to 2.5 feet. Your current dragon sounds like a better choice. LA PS Was your father a Johnny Cash fan? Frank Boier, Italy, June 9, 2005 hello you ship Italy Ambystoma tigrinum?? thanks frank A: Sorry, Frank. We do not ship tiger salamanders to Italy. Ciao LA Karen Helms, June 9, 2005 Can I buy some Java moss from you? Thanks in advance. A: Sure. Java moss costs $3. I hope you’re local. LA Jordan Frerichs, June 9, 2005 This summer I plan to set up a 125g slightly brackish oddball tank. The main fish will be a fire eel (possibly 2). I own several extra large fish I plan to place in the tank. These include: a 7'' weather loach, two 5'' silver dollars, a 4.5'' synodontis, several tetras (blood fins, black skirts, and x-rays), a 4.5'' Raphael catfish, and several varieties of danios (leopards, long fins, zebras, and giants). I also plan to buy 3 dragon fish, 2 smaller dojos, a smaller Raphael, and maybe an African butterfly. I have a couple of questions since I have never kept a brackish tank. 1. What color of sand would best show off the fire eel’s colors? 2. How can I successfully have a sand substrate with an under gravel filter with a power head? 3. Do all spiny eels have similar water requirements? I plan to get a cheaper variety ($10) as a test eel. 4. Will any of the fish on the lists not be able to stand brackish water (I REALLY don’t want to kill the 7'' dojo)? 5. Is there any compatibility mistakes in my tank mates list -- aggression and water wise (I’ll take out anything that won’t be compatible with the fire eel)? 6. I will have a hydrometer. What level of salinity would be the best for all the fish? 7. What measurement of salt per gallon should I add to reach that point if I were to use Instant Ocean. 8. How slowly should I add the salt? I will add all the freshwater varieties first, then the eel(s), then I’ll add the salt. After the salinity is right, I’ll add the violet gobies. 9. What live plants can stand that amount of salt? Any help would be greatly appreciated. A: Let’s not make your 125 brackish. The only definite brackish fish in your list is the African butterfly. The other almost brackish is the synodontis catfish. If it were me, I’d just add a teaspoon of salt per gallon and forget making a brackish tank for all your non-brackish fish. A1: I like natural gravels and blacks best. But fire eels show well over blue and other dark colors. A2: Sand will not work with an under gravel filter -- especially one with a power head. Sand falls right thru the slots. A3: Most spiny eels have similar but not identical requirements. The zigzags seem the least needy of special foods. A4: You have zero reason to make your 125 a brackish tank. A5: Your list looks fine to me. You might want to leave out the butterfly (the only brackish fish on your list). A6: I wouldn’t bother with the hydrometer. A7: Just add a teaspoon of salt per gallon. A8: Add one teaspoon at a time. A9: Your two 5-inch silver dollars pose a bigger threat than your salt level. Select ~~economical~~ cheap plants. LA William Countryman, June 9, 2005 First of all, thank you for having such an informative web site. It has helped me a great deal. My question has to do with arowanas. I was wondering if they tolerate aquarium salt in their water? I have been offered one for free from a friend of a friend and am thinking about keeping it in my 75 gallon cichlid tank for now. The arowana is only about 4 inches long, at least that is what they say, so this tank should take care of him for a while. Take your time answering, as they are also giving me a tank I can use for it until I hear from you. Thank you again for the great website. A: If you can get a free arowana, take it in a shot. Arowanas adapt to a teaspoon of salt per gallon. However, do not mix your arowana with cichlids. Most cichlids will beat the crap out of your arowana. I’m keeping a 12 incher with a couple juruparis, but they’re an exception to the “All cichlids are nasty” rule. Before the ACA sues me for picking on cichlids, let’s just say, not all cichlids are nasty all the time. LA Ingrid Gander, June 11, 2005 I have just bought myself a beautiful little vampire pleco. I was told to feed him blood worms and sinking shrimp pellets. I have had him for 5 hrs. He seems fine. :D Here’s the problem: I have been looking on the net and everywhere I can think of to find info on these little guys but no luck. Every pet store I go in to has never heard of these guys (except where I got him). I just want to know a little about him. Like how big do they get, and do they eat algae? (I was told no by one guy, yes by another.) How long do they live? And so on. Do you guys have any good site info or can you e-mail me the basics? Thank you so much!! A: I’m not going to holler at you about learning first and buying second. This is America, and we are a “ready, fire, aim” country. Your first secret to web research is using the quote marks. Put “vampire pleco” in quotes or you will get 1,000,000 hits on vampires (give or take a dozen) because they have such a strong lobby plus an equal number on plecos. With the quote marks I got 386 hits on msn. I did not read them all. You’ll get more if you google, yahoo, etc. Collect the whole set. plecofanatics.com and planetcatfish.com may have all the info you need. But you cannot rely on a single info source. On the other hand, you can’t believe everyone. Happy researching to you. LA Alexander Wu, Southern CA, June 11, 2005 I have seen your site, and it’s very helpful and informative. It’s a great way to look into fishes and community tanks without having disasters occur already. But, I have a few questions. Recently, I dug a 650-700 gallon pond. It’s originally used as a turtle pond for my three turtles (red ear sliders). But, I’ve been having some mosquito problems recently. Is there any mosquito larvae eaters that you would recommend for an outdoor pond? I have been hearing guppies, but something with a not so fast reproduction rate. I live in Southern California, and it’s almost summer here. The temperature outdoors ranges up to 75-90 degrees. I would greatly appreciate any feedback. A: You can’t go wrong with goldfish. Add $10 or $20 worth of feeder goldfish and they’ll clean out your mosquito larvae. The goldfish will appeal to your eyes and your turtles’ palates. If you don’t want to go the goldfish route, you can use Mosquito Dunks -- round disks that kill mosquito larvae for 30 days courtesy of Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies israaelenses for about the same price. 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