March, 2005 questions you asked Aqualand

Our web site gets several questions, which we answer. We are, of course, limited by our own experience and knowledge base. Happily, people from around the world feel free to expand our knowledge base. If you have a question, include your location. That makes it more interesting. LA

Xeev Xwm Vaj, Wisconsin, March 1, 2005
Hi there. I was just curious if you have any large adult sized convicts for sale. I saw your convict pictures on your website and I was really impressed of the fully grown adult white and black variants of convicts. If so, can you give me more info on size, color and price. Also, do you ship? I reside in WI and the weather is limiting right now. Do you ship during the warmer seasons? Thank you.

A: Sorry. No adult convicts of any color at this time. Live stock never stays static. And the females never get that big -- just the males. Also, at this point in time, we are a retail pet store. We rarely send out stuff via mail. Shipping live fish these days usually costs way more than the price of the fish. LA

Richard Sneider, March 2, 2005
Where do I find your stock list on the web? Prices?

A: At the present time we do not sell anything on the web. If you guys keep twisting my arm, we might have to. LA

Rich Collister, Curator of Life Sciences, Wonders of Wildlife Zooquarium, Springfield, MO, March 3, 2005
Interested if you have the nutritional analysis of blackworms? Let me know, thanks.

A: I called the president of California Blackworm Company. He said, “No one’s done that analysis yet.” I also asked him why the shortage of blackworms the last two week? He said the rains in California have really messed them up. They lost one of their ponds and half their production. They’re in the process of restocking their re-built pond right now. LA

Mark Estep, March 3, 2005
I have a natural history museum and we are looking at an aquarium setting for two water dogs. Can I get more info?

A: Water dogs are the larvae of tiger salamanders. Sometimes they metamorphose within weeks -- quicker than a tadpole -- unless you keep them cool (even cold). Your exhibit may be quite short term. If you need more info, you can find it at water dogs and salamanders on our web site. LA

Jim Cossette, March 5, 2005
Hey, I’m Jim, I always ask questions about my wolffish and my gar. Well, my 13” long wolffish hasn’t been eating and he’s got this white gunk on him. What is it and what should I do? Right now I cleaned the 90g tank and the wolffish is in a diff. tank with warm water and that’s about it because I don’t know what to do. So please help me. I love this F***** fish!!

A: Your wolffish probably has a bacterial infection if the white gunk is smooth or fungus if it’s hairy. I’d start by adding one teaspoon of salt per gallon, then add one of the Furan drugs. Wolffish are strong and will probably recover. However, no guarantees. LA

Linda Smithers, March 5, 2005
Hi Larry, Thank you! Will you be shipping when the weather warms? I am in Pennsylvania and would gladly prepay in advance if needed. I’ll go look at them (climbing perch on the web site) now. Thank you for remembering me.

A: I may have additional pix of combtail paradise and spiketail paradise in a week or so. They refuse to pose right now. However, I need to remind you that we don’t ship fish. The freight would cost at least for times the cost of the fish. LA

Jim Cossette, March 7, 2005
Hey it’s me Jim again. My wolffish is doing fine. How big would a red-tail catfish grow in a 90g tank?

Tina Durham, March 7, 2005
Hi, I am a 7th grade science teacher in Oak Grove, Missouri. I am trying to find some large Helix snails for use in my classroom. I had some several years ago and my students loved the labs that we did with them. Would you have any information on purchasing these snails. Thanks.

A: Land snails never show up on the wholesale lists we get. We buy ours from a truck driver who finds them in California and brings them back from time to time. Sometimes we see a few after a rain migrating across the bike trails along our Des Moines River. I think your best source would be Carolina Biological Supply. LA

David Kleynberg, Florida, March 7, 2005
You probably don’t remember my discus issue, but yes they healed up and are doing fine (so figured you were right). lol
I went to a local plant farm and checked out some of their stock. It was a blast and I got a few plants including Lilaeopsis species as well as Madagascar lace. I also got this plant a picture of which is attached, however the guy did not put it on my invoice (in effect I guess I got it free) and I am not sure how to ID it. I looked through the site but was unable to find it on there. He had green plants and some with red leaves (which he said the plant will do with less light). The picture is attached and they have not rooted yet, just kinda sittin there and having a real hard time staying in the gravel since there are no roots. If you can ID it, awesome, if not, what would be a good way to go about doing so? (other then driving back out to the plant farm :)? Thank you so much for taking your time with me and it’s a shame you are not located closer.

A: Temple plant, Hygrophila corymbosa, emersed form. LA

Jared Randles, Ankeny, March 7, 2005
I recently purchased a “hairy clawed shrimp” from Aqualand. I have since been trying to find out exactly what it is. A small amount of research convinced me that it was, obviously, a Macrobrachium shrimp. I am still not sure exactly which species it is though. I am leaning towards Macrobrachium lar. I have found that it is extremely difficult to find any books pertaining to Shrimp in the aquarium, so I was wondering if you could refer me to any good sources of information.

A: I tried to research that same shrimp myself last week. I found nothing helpful. I decided that even though I did not know its name, it acts the same as all the other small Macrobrachium. AquaLog in Germany puts out some excellent reference books. They just put out a new 48-pager on Shrimps, Crayfish and Crabs by Uwe Werner. You would probably find it there but at a heckuva price to ID a shrimp. Sprechen sie Deutsche? LA

Christine, Muskegon, Michigan, March 7, 2005
I was looking at your web site that you have on African lungfish. I have one that I've had for about 7 years, he was 1 foot long when i got him now he’s 2 foot long now. I was wondering if you have more information on them and if you could please tell me what other kind of food they eat. I was told that they only eat fish. I’m from Muskegon and there ain’t a lot known about this kind of fish. Thank You

A: About the only extra info I can add is these guys will bite you. Rick was feeding ours and it nailed him pretty good. Our lungfish prefers nightcrawlers (and fingers) way more than goldfish. How far is Muskegon from Detroit? Last time I was in Detroit, it was a real hotbed of fish fanatics as were those crazies just across the border. Of course, there’s always the danger of many of them having caught that ACAitis. LA

Julien, Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, March 9, 2005
Hi, We are looking for a competitive quality supplier of fishes, corals, clams and live rocks. We are a growing sea aquarium company selling through internet and two shops. Do you deliver to Europe ? Have you already delivered to Switzerland ? Please send us a price list with sales conditions. Bests Regards

A: Hi Julien. I wish my Suiss were as excellent as your English. However, we are not a wholesaler, just a humble retail store in the middle of Iowa. LA

Holly Reinders, March 9, 2005
Hi, I was wondering if you knew when Tiger Salamanders start to appear in the spring? I thought that they bred quite early in the year when it’s still fairly cold, correct? Thanks,

A: Back in the old days (before the Iowa Department of Natural Resources made it illegal to pick up nearly anything that moved), tiger salamanders bred in the spring. I’d never see the adults, but the larvae would pop up in daphnia nets and minnow seines. They breed about a month earlier than the frogs sing at night -- in leg-numbing water if you’re going in after them. Your best bet to “see” the critters is around farm pond with brush around them. There are few “waters of interest” left in the Des Moines area except at Waterworks Park. You need a fishing license if you want to seine for them. It is illegal to capture tiger salamanders in Iowa, so it’s probably illegal to collect the larvae also. Start looking now. Bon chance. LA

Shane Smith, Kansas, March 10, 2005
I am very interested in the climbing perch. I have been looking for them for years. Is there any help you can provide me with acquiring some? Any help would be very appreciated. Thanks

A: I would think you could find them at Waldo Pets. I had some last week but am out right now. I decided to have comb-tail gouramis this week instead -- just as mean but prettier. However, I should have more on the 18th. You are so lucky. I’ll be at the Great Wolf Lodge in KC over Easter for a meeting with other members of the U.S. Arnold tribe. How many do you want me to bring you? LA

I am Barrister. Michael Hodge (LLB),principal partner at Hodge & Hodge Associates, London, United Kingdom and an attorney to my late client Engr. Jonathan an expatriate who was killed in an unknown circumstances and before his death, he deposited some consignments containing a huge amount of funds with a Security Company in Europe. I decided to search for any of my late client’s relatives which has been very difficult for me before those consignments get confiscated or declared unclaimed by the vault company as they have
given me a mandate to present any of the family’s relatives to my late client for the consignments.
As the decease is from your country and also bearing the same surname with you, this is why I am writing to you so that I will assist you claim this consignment. I will prepare every documentation/proof that will assist you claim these consignments in question. The consignments will be released to you within 10 working days after you have filed in for claims. I will like you to acknowledge the receipt of this e-mail. I look forward to your quick reply.

A: I only counted seven grammatical errors in this drivel. You’d think a London lawyer could do a little better. If they split the pot with all my relatives, we’ll each get $2.43. This scam is apparently coming out of Germany. And the idiots sent me the same thing the next day. LA

Christian Olson, California, March 11, 2005
I would really appreciate any info you could give me on this species, especially a scientific name. Also, if you know of any websites featuring them please give me a link. Thanks, cro.

A: I bought some watermelon crabs because I cannot resist critters I’ve never had before. I put a picture of them on our web site under mini-crabs. They are cute and small. That’s it for my so-called scientific info. I do not know their scientific name or any other information. I just cared for them like any other mini-crab. Probably the AquaLog book Shrimps, Crayfish and Crabs by Uwe Werner would be your best bet. LA

Holly Reinders, March 14, 2005
Hello again (referring to March 9). The reason I am asking is because I have two female tiger salamanders that were rescues from a bait shop last fall. I’ve kept them all winter and fattened them up a little off of fish, worms, and crickets (the person at the bait shop did not feed them once all summer). They are definitely not “tame” and lunge at every movement in their tank. I believe that they would do fine in the wild and they would be much happier in a pond than their 20- gallon tank. I know releasing animals is a big no-no, but since these were caught in the wild, I think it might be alright. Please let me know what you think. Thank you.

A: If tiger salamanders grow wild in your area, I see no harm in freeing them. However, your local Department of Natural Resources may not agree with my point of view. Give them a quick phone call to see what your DNR says. LA

Brandon Davis, Midland, Michigan, March 15, 2005
Last night my fiancé bought a baby veil eyed chameleon. It seemed that the guy at the shop was trying to sell us other “unnecessary things.” He was trying to get us to buy a fluorescent UV light. One that he claimed put out UVA and UVB light. He also told us that the chameleon would die if we didn’t get the lamp. We already had a Day glow bulb and a nighttime bulb from my iguana that I previously owned. I’m just wondering what is absolutely necessary for this little guy? We have him in a four foot long aquarium with the desert sand substrate, fake plants, a small rock formation and a dripper with a rock bowl. Is there anything else that I should check into for the chameleon?

A: I’ve never heard of a veil-eyed chameleon, so I’m assuming you’re referring to a veil chameleon. Yes, they need UVB light which seldom comes from incandescent bulbs -- even the so-called full spectrum bulbs. Chameleons (and most other lizards) need the UVB to create vitamin D₃ so they can assimilate calcium into their bones. If your Day glow bulb (which I’m not sure what that brand is) is a screw-in bulb, you need the fluorescent light. You didn’t mention crickets, but I’m assuming you have them plus some gut-loading food for them. And veil chameleons also like a bit of vegetation to munch on every so often. LA

Sheri Walker, March 16, 2005
Hello. I am a student teacher and I am preparing a presentation on hissing roaches for a third grade class. Your web page is awesome. May I please use some of your roach photos as a visual aid for my presentation? Thank you, and hats off to your creative and informative web site.

A: Yes. LA

Albert Wehrheim, March 18, 2005
Your articles on infusoria and rams are excellent. I am hatching ram eggs in 2 1/2 gal with 2 drops methylene blue per gal. Will the methylene blue be harmful to infusoria? The newly hatched rams are starting to wiggle so would really appreciate your thoughts. Thanks

A: I doubt the methylene blue will bother the infusoria -- partly because you needed to use much more. However, it will keep your rams from finding anything to eat. They’ll be unable to see thru the blue. Remove the blue with activated carbon (now). LA

David Summa, New York, March 18, 2005
How long do Florida gars live on average? I have one that is like five months old and I bought him at a small size.

A: The record Florida gar caught on a hook and line in the state of Florida weighed 9.44 pounds. This would indicate they live 20 to 30 years. LA

Chris, March 18, 2005
I was wondering if African cichlid substrates would be safe for my oscar, firemouth, severum, and other cichlid family members?

A: Most of those African cichlid substrates harden the water and increase your pH levels. Both of those water factors would increase the stress levels on American cichlids. So, why pay extra for an unhealthy substrate?

Fortunately, the frequent water changes American cichlids need would decrease those stress factors. But why not use plain old American gravel, save money, and lower your cichlids’ stress levels? Why pay extra to aggravate your fish? LA

Rachel Miller, North Central Arkansas, March 20, 2005
Hi, I have attempted to keep aquariums off and on since I was a child but had no success. I recently found out about the Bio Filters and how the whole process works and creates its own little eco-system!! I am THRILLED to finally have an aquarium that I can keep and enjoy without the discouragement of losing my fish. I recently purchased my first fish for this tank after removing my tetras which I used to set my tank. I purchased 2 pairs of fancy guppies, 6 ghost shrimp and 1 betta. I purchased the fish last Saturday and some time during the wee hours of the morning I guess my Betta decided that he didn’t like one of the male guppies! I didn’t see him hit the guppy but there is a bite-size piece gone out of the guppy’s tail bitten off right up next to his body. I have a hard time believing that the shrimp would do such a thing and have decided that it was probably the betta. I confined him in his plastic cup hung in the tank until I can get a regular Betta Vision type cage for him. I LOVE my betta and was horrified to find that he made a snack of my guppy. I saw on your web site that you deal a lot with the bettas and was wondering if you could tell me why he did this? Is it normal for a male betta to chew on other fish? I had one or two in the past and NEVER had a problem with them picking at my other fish! Is there anything I can do to discourage this behavior? He is a gorgeous fish and I do plan to keep him but he looks sooo much better free swimming in the tank.
Also, I read about the ghost shrimp and on their breeding but couldn’t find anything on time of hatching on eggs. Three of the shrimp I bought had a tail full of eggs and I was just wondering how long it would be before they would hatch and begin to swim around.
I don’t know if you take questions like these, and I understand completely if you do not wish to answer them. But I really appreciate your taking the time to read it and if you can give me any help I would be sooo grateful !!!!! Thanks a million.

A1: Bettas like to munch on slow-moving fancy guppy tails. They ignore the females. Bettas also like shrimp legs. I doubt you can keep your betta and male guppies in the same tank.
A2: I’ve never timed the ghost shrimp egg hatching time. I suspect they hatch within two weeks. But it’s impossible to tell when they laid their eggs -- just when you noticed them. Also, your betta AND your male and female guppies will make sure you never see any baby shrimp. LA

Albert Wehrheim, March 18, 2005
Activated charcoal removes the blue from meth blue in a hatching tank, but with very small fry is there a way to do it without using an internal air box filter which could trap the fry? Thanks for previous assistance.

A: Take one tablespoon of activated carbon and sprinkle it on the surface of your water. The good activated carbons fizz on the way to the bottom as they adsorb the color. LA

Cody B. Edmondson, Gadsden, Alabama, March 23, 2005
I have just started a tank, so I am a first timer. I’ve helped my friend with his two albino channel cats for years. While doing research on what kind of fish to get and how to take care of them, I ran across your web site. GRADE A+++ This is the most helpful web site I’ve found. While reading about the plecos it was saying what will eat them and that they fend off others. I found one that was missed. My friend got a nine-inch pleco to go with his two channel cats. We figured “If it won’t fit in in its mouth, then it won’t eat it.” We were quite surprised to wake up after a month and find the pleco’s skeleton drifting around the tank. They stripped him to the bone. Something I found interesting. Great web site and please do keep it up. I find it very fascinating.

A: Thanks for the compliments. I suspect the channel cats ate the pleco after he died. Piranhas -- with their razor sharp teeth -- learn to flip plecos over and gut them. I don’t think channel cats have the necessary dentition to get the job done. But ... you never know for sure. I’d feel safe dropping another big pleco in there. LA

Serious Sam, March 24, 2005
Hi LA, You really got a good web site! I myself am a Gourami fan! Can you please tell me how to determine their sex?

● Male gourami top fins are much longer than female top fins.

● Females are plumper viewed from the top.

● Male gouramis are more colorful. LA

Scott, Minnesota. March 24, 2005
I would like to know if there are any short-tail opossum breeders in Minnesota? Or pet shops that would carry them? I don’t think that buying them over the net and having them shipped is a good idea. I like to look at what I buy. If you could help me, it would be wonderful. Thanks

A: Scott, I do not have a clue. Sorry. LA

Beth Mayfield, March 25, 2005
Hi, This will probably end up kind of long, and I’ll apologize for that up front. First I’d like to tell you that I love your web site. You guys did a really good job putting information on it that we consumers can really use. Thank You!!
Now on to my aquarium questions:
We’ve tried aquariums several times over the years and killed many fish in the process. Just recently we’ve learned about the nitrogen cycle in a fish tank, and figured out that everything we’ve ever done in the past has been wrong. We’ve gotten a lot of internet information, and yes, I know you can only believe part of what you read on the internet. So I thought maybe I knew enough to give it another go. Our daughter upgraded from a 10 gal. tank to a 29 gal. tank and asked us if we wanted her old tank, so I said sure. So we have a 10 gal. tank (that was used, but everything else we bought new) -- power filter with bio wheel (Penguin, I think) -- bubble wand, fluorescent light that is on 10-14 hours per day total, some fake plants and a decorative rock in the tank (all made for aquariums, of course). And I’ve been keeping the water around 78 to 80 degrees.
We set the tank up, filled it with treated water, let the filter run for almost a week before we added any fish. We started with two mollies, one male and one female, and one cory cat. It looked like the female was quite pregnant, but we got up the next morning and she was considerably thinner, so we figured the stress of the move made her lose them. They were in the tank for about a week and we added 4 guppies, one male and three females (from what I’ve read, I got about the right male/female combo on the guppies anyway). Someone told me that fancy guppies (which is my preferred fish) like a bit of salt in their water, but cory cats don’t necessarily; however, if you only put a tablespoon per 10 gal. in the guppies will be happier and the cat can live with that amount of salt. So we put 1 tablespoon of aquarium salt in when we added the guppies. Then later in the day, after we added the guppies, we see these little things moving around in the water. Upon closer examination we found that the molly did not lose her babies and we had about 8 or 10 fry in the tank. Almost from the time we added the guppies, the mollies were chasing them around and really pestering them. It seemed like they never got any quite time because they were always swimming for safety, trying to keep away from the mollies. After about a week, we noticed what looked like a bite had been taken out of one of the female guppies and the fin on her back was about half gone. We put some stress coat in the water. After a couple days she started looking quite bad, so we checked with an aquatic shop (not yours unfortunately), but they said that it sounded like a wound, and maybe as a secondary problem some fin and tail rot (I know it’s hard to diagnose a fish disease without seeing the fish, but I had to ask). They sold me some MelaFix and we used it for seven days. Gave all of the mollies to my sister, so we were down to the 4 guppies and one cory cat. A couple days after starting the treatment (we treated for 7 days and did about a 50% water change before we started the treatment), the sick fish died. A few days later the male guppy started acting weird, hovering at the top of the tank, his tail fin started looking bad (kind of choppy at the back end), and loafing around without a whole lot of movement. After a couple days he died.
Oh, by the way, we’ve been checking the chemicals and stuff in the water, and we’ve had some ammonia, no nitrites, no nitrates, pH around 7.2 - 7.4 for the most part. Thought maybe ammonia was killing them, so we added some AmmoCarb to the tank.
By this time my water has foam on top of it, which I was told could be from the medication, (white foam, and it does not all go away when I reduce the amount of air going to the bubble wand and the AmmoCarb filter, there was less there, but not gone). I was told to do a partial water change. I did, then did a partial water change again the next day too, and I still have a layer of foam on top of the water (I don’t know how this can be good for the fish either??). I lost another fish yesterday, so we’re down to one guppy and the cat, but the one remaining guppy is hovering at the top and not moving around a whole lot today, so I don’t know if she’s going to make it or not either. I’ve been reading about BioSpira. From what I’ve read it’s supposed to work really well and quite fast in helping to get the nitrogen cycle going in the right direction. So my plan is to do another partial water change (and try to get rid of that foam -- or maybe I should put the remaining fish in a bucket with some of the current water and just give them mostly all new water) and add some BioSpira to the water. Any thoughts on why I’m killing fish and what I can do about it? Or is it just “new tank syndrome” and I’ll have to wait it out? Do I need to add just a few more fish for the tank to cycle properly? I’ve got to be honest with you, I’m getting really frustrated here.
Thanks so very much for your help!!

A: Mollies -- especially marble mollies -- like to pick at other fishes. Their constant picking stresses some fish. If they pick long enough, they can make actual wounds. The MelaFix you used would treat the wound and fin rot you saw. MelaFix also makes a foam on the surface. I’m not sure what the MelaFix would do to the live BioSpira bacteria. Here’s what I would do:

Add two tablespoons of activated carbon to remove the MelaFix. (Your carbon in your filter cartridge and the AmmoCarb may have already done this.)
Add two more tablespoons of aquarium salt.
Add one-third of your BioSpira packet tomorrow and each Saturday till it’s gone. This should cycle your tank.

Or, gravel vacuum a couple quarts of water from a healthy under gravel filter and add it to your tank. I still like one teaspoon of salt per gallon. LA

Pete Lowe, March 25, 2005
Hello, My convict cichlids keep having babies. I had to buy another tank after I mixed ’em with my angelfish and mysteriously the angelfish died. Anyway, I was wondering if there was any type of fish that eats cichlid babies? I know that sounds cruel but I realize we must let nature takes its course (plus I’d rather not just flush ’em). So if you’ve heard of any fish that will eat the conflict cichlid babies approx 1/2 inch now, I’d be glad to buy it. Thanks

A: Your convicts killed your angels because they know angels eat baby convicts. Oscars will take care of your convict problem, but ... then you have an oscar problem. Sort of like the old lady who swallowed the fly. Feed them to someone else’s oscar. LA

Brian Holscher, March 27, 2005
I just found your site today doing a Google search for Aquarium Fish. I was looking for info about my new Oscar; and found more USEFUL info than even sites devoted to Them. Thank you for a great site.

A: Shucks. LA

TJ, Des Moines, March 28, 2005
I was reading your website information and hopefully I sent this to the correct person. I live in Des Moines and have gained a lot of information from your website. As of now I am trying to sell my 5 to 6-inch red devil cichlid. It’s a dominant male and is a light orangish color. If the Aqualand in Des Moines buys fish I could bring it by or send you a picture. If I have sent this to the wrong person, if you could, email me back the address for the Aqualand in Des Moines I would appreciate it.

A: You got hold of the right person. Thanks, TJ, for asking before you brought in your red devil. We currently have maybe a couple dozen red devils of various sizes and colors in stock -- probably enough already (to coin a phrase). We do not want to add another to our collection. However, if you cannot place it elsewhere, do not kill it. Bring it in. We won’t pay you for it but will house it. That’s why we have so many more devils, jaguars, oscars, and dempseys than any otherwise sane person would keep. LA

Shane Smith, Kansas, March 28, 2005
Hey Larry I was doing some research on some fish I’m interested in and I found out that the pikehead gourami (luciocephalus pulcher) is also called the crocodile fish . Didn’t I see a crocodile fish at your store? I go to so many different stores I can’t always remember what I see at what store . If you do have them how much were they? I’m going to hit a few new stores in the east parts of KC, MO, but if nothing comes up I thought I would save up some more money and come see you. If I gave you a small list do you think you could try to help me acquire some of the other fish I’ve been looking for? Thanks

A: The crocodile fish you saw at Aqualand was a Butis butis, which many people call the crazy fish. I’ve never seen the pikehead gourami or seen it listed by any of my suppliers. Email me a list of what you want and I’ll see what I can find. Do you belong to the Heart of America Aquarium Association? They can probably give you some tips on where to look. I’d bet that place in Mission, KS could order what you need.

LA
Tribe of Aqualand larvae from KS and NE, 03.26.05 headed for Great Wolf Lodge.

Couple more points, Shane: I was in KC, KS this morning and saw an excellent display of native fishes at Cabelas Outfitters. Don’t go there unless you have plenty of time. It’s about two blocks from the Great Wolf Lodge. Don’t go there (GWL) unless you plan to fork out nearly $300 a night. You might be warmer in KS but our grass is greener and the gas $0.10 cheaper a gallon up here (and you don’t have to pre-pay). LA

Chris, March 29, 2005
Hi again, I’ve recently discovered ich on my clown loaches and also on my buffalo head cichlids. These fish were in tanks at the pet store with other fish that have had it. I didn’t notice any on them at the time and kept them in a separate tank for about a week. I have medicated the community tank with Tank Buddies brand Ich Clear fizzing tablets. Now every fish in the tank has died. My questions are: If I just pull out the fish with noticeable ich, will my tank be alright or will the rest be susceptible? Should I just start my tank all over and clean it very well, killing the disease? Basically, what should I do if I notice ich on any one or more fish? Thanks for the help. CH

A: Clown loaches catch ich at the drop of a hat. All you have to say is, “Wow, these clown loaches look great” and they will catch ich the next day. The problem is, most ich remedies kill clown loaches faster than the ich germs. Next time, warm up your clown loaches to at least 80 degrees and use any ich cures at half-strength. You might try Jungle’s Ich Cure II.
Ich germs are always in your water. They infest your fish when stress weakens their defenses. Control your stress factors. This is, of course, much easier said than done. LA

	Qs & As -- Your Questions in March, 2005 Aqualand's Answers

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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	Our web site gets several questions, which we answer. We are, of course, limited by our own experience and knowledge base. Happily, people from around the world feel free to expand our knowledge base. If you have a question, include your location. That makes it more interesting. LA Xeev Xwm Vaj, Wisconsin, March 1, 2005 Hi there. I was just curious if you have any large adult sized convicts for sale. I saw your convict pictures on your website and I was really impressed of the fully grown adult white and black variants of convicts. If so, can you give me more info on size, color and price. Also, do you ship? I reside in WI and the weather is limiting right now. Do you ship during the warmer seasons? Thank you. A: Sorry. No adult convicts of any color at this time. Live stock never stays static. And the females never get that big -- just the males. Also, at this point in time, we are a retail pet store. We rarely send out stuff via mail. Shipping live fish these days usually costs way more than the price of the fish. LA Richard Sneider, March 2, 2005 Where do I find your stock list on the web? Prices? A: At the present time we do not sell anything on the web. If you guys keep twisting my arm, we might have to. LA Rich Collister, Curator of Life Sciences, Wonders of Wildlife Zooquarium, Springfield, MO, March 3, 2005 Interested if you have the nutritional analysis of blackworms? Let me know, thanks. A: I called the president of California Blackworm Company. He said, “No one’s done that analysis yet.” I also asked him why the shortage of blackworms the last two week? He said the rains in California have really messed them up. They lost one of their ponds and half their production. They’re in the process of restocking their re-built pond right now. LA Mark Estep, March 3, 2005 I have a natural history museum and we are looking at an aquarium setting for two water dogs. Can I get more info? A: Water dogs are the larvae of tiger salamanders. Sometimes they metamorphose within weeks -- quicker than a tadpole -- unless you keep them cool (even cold). Your exhibit may be quite short term. If you need more info, you can find it at water dogs and salamanders on our web site. LA Jim Cossette, March 5, 2005 Hey, I’m Jim, I always ask questions about my wolffish and my gar. Well, my 13” long wolffish hasn’t been eating and he’s got this white gunk on him. What is it and what should I do? Right now I cleaned the 90g tank and the wolffish is in a diff. tank with warm water and that’s about it because I don’t know what to do. So please help me. I love this F*** fish!! A: Your wolffish probably has a bacterial infection if the white gunk is smooth or fungus if it’s hairy. I’d start by adding one teaspoon of salt per gallon, then add one of the Furan drugs. Wolffish are strong and will probably recover. However, no guarantees. LA Arthur J. Bushey, Jr., March 5, 2005 Hi there, Here’s a pic of my mated pair. Is it normal for the females to have a blunt look to them? The names of these two are Mojo (Male) and Jojo (Female). My daughter named them…And yes, they’re quite huge… :P A: That blunt look is not “normal,” but it happens. We really can’t call it abnormal because a lot of oscars (males and females) develop that way. The callous on her bottom lip comes from smacking into the ends of the tank. Perhaps the “blunt” look comes from the same ramming. Put some plastic plants at the end of their tank to keep them from smacking into the glass. Go to More Oscars III for another look at a blunt oscar. LA Linda Smithers, March 5, 2005 Hi Larry, Thank you! Will you be shipping when the weather warms? I am in Pennsylvania and would gladly prepay in advance if needed. I’ll go look at them (climbing perch on the web site) now. Thank you for remembering me. A: I may have additional pix of combtail paradise and spiketail paradise in a week or so. They refuse to pose right now. However, I need to remind you that we don’t ship fish. The freight would cost at least for times the cost of the fish. LA Jim Cossette, March 7, 2005 Hey it’s me Jim again. My wolffish is doing fine. How big would a red-tail catfish grow in a 90g tank? A: Exactly 18.34 inches plus or minus 4 inches. LA Tina Durham, March 7, 2005 Hi, I am a 7th grade science teacher in Oak Grove, Missouri. I am trying to find some large Helix snails for use in my classroom. I had some several years ago and my students loved the labs that we did with them. Would you have any information on purchasing these snails. Thanks. A: Land snails never show up on the wholesale lists we get. We buy ours from a truck driver who finds them in California and brings them back from time to time. Sometimes we see a few after a rain migrating across the bike trails along our Des Moines River. I think your best source would be Carolina Biological Supply. LA David Kleynberg, Florida, March 7, 2005** You probably don’t remember my discus issue, but yes they healed up and are doing fine (so figured you were right). lol I went to a local plant farm and checked out some of their stock. It was a blast and I got a few plants including Lilaeopsis species as well as Madagascar lace. I also got this plant a picture of which is attached, however the guy did not put it on my invoice (in effect I guess I got it free) and I am not sure how to ID it. I looked through the site but was unable to find it on there. He had green plants and some with red leaves (which he said the plant will do with less light). The picture is attached and they have not rooted yet, just kinda sittin there and having a real hard time staying in the gravel since there are no roots. If you can ID it, awesome, if not, what would be a good way to go about doing so? (other then driving back out to the plant farm :)? Thank you so much for taking your time with me and it’s a shame you are not located closer. A: Temple plant, Hygrophila corymbosa, emersed form. LA Jared Randles, Ankeny, March 7, 2005 I recently purchased a “hairy clawed shrimp” from Aqualand. I have since been trying to find out exactly what it is. A small amount of research convinced me that it was, obviously, a Macrobrachium shrimp. I am still not sure exactly which species it is though. I am leaning towards Macrobrachium lar. I have found that it is extremely difficult to find any books pertaining to Shrimp in the aquarium, so I was wondering if you could refer me to any good sources of information. A: I tried to research that same shrimp myself last week. I found nothing helpful. I decided that even though I did not know its name, it acts the same as all the other small Macrobrachium. AquaLog in Germany puts out some excellent reference books. They just put out a new 48-pager on *Shrimps, Crayfish and Crabs* by Uwe Werner. You would probably find it there but at a heckuva price to ID a shrimp. Sprechen sie Deutsche? LA Christine, Muskegon, Michigan, March 7, 2005 I was looking at your web site that you have on African lungfish. I have one that I've had for about 7 years, he was 1 foot long when i got him now he’s 2 foot long now. I was wondering if you have more information on them and if you could please tell me what other kind of food they eat. I was told that they only eat fish. I’m from Muskegon and there ain’t a lot known about this kind of fish. Thank You A: About the only extra info I can add is these guys will bite you. Rick was feeding ours and it nailed him pretty good. Our lungfish prefers nightcrawlers (and fingers) way more than goldfish. How far is Muskegon from Detroit? Last time I was in Detroit, it was a real hotbed of fish fanatics as were those crazies just across the border. Of course, there’s always the danger of many of them having caught that ACAitis. LA Julien, Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, March 9, 2005 Hi, We are looking for a competitive quality supplier of fishes, corals, clams and live rocks. We are a growing sea aquarium company selling through internet and two shops. Do you deliver to Europe ? Have you already delivered to Switzerland ? Please send us a price list with sales conditions. Bests Regards A: Hi Julien. I wish my Suiss were as excellent as your English. However, we are not a wholesaler, just a humble retail store in the middle of Iowa. LA Holly Reinders, March 9, 2005 Hi, I was wondering if you knew when Tiger Salamanders start to appear in the spring? I thought that they bred quite early in the year when it’s still fairly cold, correct? Thanks, A: Back in the old days (before the Iowa Department of Natural Resources made it illegal to pick up nearly anything that moved), tiger salamanders bred in the spring. I’d never see the adults, but the larvae would pop up in daphnia nets and minnow seines. They breed about a month earlier than the frogs sing at night -- in leg-numbing water if you’re going in after them. Your best bet to “see” the critters is around farm pond with brush around them. There are few “waters of interest” left in the Des Moines area except at Waterworks Park. You need a fishing license if you want to seine for them. It is illegal to capture tiger salamanders in Iowa, so it’s probably illegal to collect the larvae also. Start looking now. Bon chance. LA Shane Smith, Kansas, March 10, 2005 I am very interested in the climbing perch. I have been looking for them for years. Is there any help you can provide me with acquiring some? Any help would be very appreciated. Thanks A: I would think you could find them at Waldo Pets. I had some last week but am out right now. I decided to have comb-tail gouramis this week instead -- just as mean but prettier. However, I should have more on the 18th. You are so lucky. I’ll be at the Great Wolf Lodge in KC over Easter for a meeting with other members of the U.S. Arnold tribe. How many do you want me to bring you? LA I am Barrister. Michael Hodge (LLB),principal partner at Hodge & Hodge Associates, London, United Kingdom and an attorney to my late client Engr. Jonathan an expatriate who was killed in an unknown circumstances and before his death, he deposited some consignments containing a huge amount of funds with a Security Company in Europe. I decided to search for any of my late client’s relatives which has been very difficult for me before those consignments get confiscated or declared unclaimed by the vault company as they have given me a mandate to present any of the family’s relatives to my late client for the consignments. As the decease is from your country and also bearing the same surname with you, this is why I am writing to you so that I will assist you claim this consignment. I will prepare every documentation/proof that will assist you claim these consignments in question. The consignments will be released to you within 10 working days after you have filed in for claims. I will like you to acknowledge the receipt of this e-mail. I look forward to your quick reply. A: I only counted seven grammatical errors in this drivel. You’d think a London lawyer could do a little better. If they split the pot with all my relatives, we’ll each get $2.43. This scam is apparently coming out of Germany. And the idiots sent me the same thing the next day. LA Christian Olson, California, March 11, 2005 I would really appreciate any info you could give me on this species, especially a scientific name. Also, if you know of any websites featuring them please give me a link. Thanks, cro. A: I bought some watermelon crabs because I cannot resist critters I’ve never had before. I put a picture of them on our web site under mini-crabs. They are cute and small. That’s it for my so-called scientific info. I do not know their scientific name or any other information. I just cared for them like any other mini-crab. Probably the AquaLog book *Shrimps, Crayfish and Crabs* by Uwe Werner would be your best bet. LA Holly Reinders, March 14, 2005 Hello again (referring to March 9). The reason I am asking is because I have two female tiger salamanders that were rescues from a bait shop last fall. I’ve kept them all winter and fattened them up a little off of fish, worms, and crickets (the person at the bait shop did not feed them once all summer). They are definitely not “tame” and lunge at every movement in their tank. I believe that they would do fine in the wild and they would be much happier in a pond than their 20- gallon tank. I know releasing animals is a big no-no, but since these were caught in the wild, I think it might be alright. Please let me know what you think. Thank you. A: If tiger salamanders grow wild in your area, I see no harm in freeing them. However, your local Department of Natural Resources may not agree with my point of view. Give them a quick phone call to see what your DNR says. LA Brandon Davis, Midland, Michigan, March 15, 2005 Last night my fiancé bought a baby veil eyed chameleon. It seemed that the guy at the shop was trying to sell us other “unnecessary things.” He was trying to get us to buy a fluorescent UV light. One that he claimed put out UVA and UVB light. He also told us that the chameleon would die if we didn’t get the lamp. We already had a Day glow bulb and a nighttime bulb from my iguana that I previously owned. I’m just wondering what is absolutely necessary for this little guy? We have him in a four foot long aquarium with the desert sand substrate, fake plants, a small rock formation and a dripper with a rock bowl. Is there anything else that I should check into for the chameleon? A: I’ve never heard of a veil-eyed chameleon, so I’m assuming you’re referring to a veil chameleon. Yes, they need UVB light which seldom comes from incandescent bulbs -- even the so-called full spectrum bulbs. Chameleons (and most other lizards) need the UVB to create vitamin D₃ so they can assimilate calcium into their bones. If your Day glow bulb (which I’m not sure what that brand is) is a screw-in bulb, you need the fluorescent light. You didn’t mention crickets, but I’m assuming you have them plus some gut-loading food for them. And veil chameleons also like a bit of vegetation to munch on every so often. LA Sheri Walker, March 16, 2005 Hello. I am a student teacher and I am preparing a presentation on hissing roaches for a third grade class. Your web page is awesome. May I please use some of your roach photos as a visual aid for my presentation? Thank you, and hats off to your creative and informative web site. A: Yes. LA Albert Wehrheim, March 18, 2005 Your articles on infusoria and rams are excellent. I am hatching ram eggs in 2 1/2 gal with 2 drops methylene blue per gal. Will the methylene blue be harmful to infusoria? The newly hatched rams are starting to wiggle so would really appreciate your thoughts. Thanks A: I doubt the methylene blue will bother the infusoria -- partly because you needed to use much more. However, it will keep your rams from finding anything to eat. They’ll be unable to see thru the blue. Remove the blue with activated carbon (now). LA David Summa, New York, March 18, 2005 How long do Florida gars live on average? I have one that is like five months old and I bought him at a small size. A: The record Florida gar caught on a hook and line in the state of Florida weighed 9.44 pounds. This would indicate they live 20 to 30 years. LA Chris, March 18, 2005 I was wondering if African cichlid substrates would be safe for my oscar, firemouth, severum, and other cichlid family members? A: Most of those African cichlid substrates harden the water and increase your pH levels. Both of those water factors would increase the stress levels on American cichlids. So, why pay extra for an unhealthy substrate? Fortunately, the frequent water changes American cichlids need would decrease those stress factors. But why not use plain old American gravel, save money, and lower your cichlids’ stress levels? Why pay extra to aggravate your fish? LA Rachel Miller, North Central Arkansas, March 20, 2005 Hi, I have attempted to keep aquariums off and on since I was a child but had no success. I recently found out about the Bio Filters and how the whole process works and creates its own little eco-system!! I am THRILLED to finally have an aquarium that I can keep and enjoy without the discouragement of losing my fish. I recently purchased my first fish for this tank after removing my tetras which I used to set my tank. I purchased 2 pairs of fancy guppies, 6 ghost shrimp and 1 betta. I purchased the fish last Saturday and some time during the wee hours of the morning I guess my Betta decided that he didn’t like one of the male guppies! I didn’t see him hit the guppy but there is a bite-size piece gone out of the guppy’s tail bitten off right up next to his body. I have a hard time believing that the shrimp would do such a thing and have decided that it was probably the betta. I confined him in his plastic cup hung in the tank until I can get a regular Betta Vision type cage for him. I LOVE my betta and was horrified to find that he made a snack of my guppy. I saw on your web site that you deal a lot with the bettas and was wondering if you could tell me why he did this? Is it normal for a male betta to chew on other fish? I had one or two in the past and NEVER had a problem with them picking at my other fish! Is there anything I can do to discourage this behavior? He is a gorgeous fish and I do plan to keep him but he looks sooo much better free swimming in the tank. Also, I read about the ghost shrimp and on their breeding but couldn’t find anything on time of hatching on eggs. Three of the shrimp I bought had a tail full of eggs and I was just wondering how long it would be before they would hatch and begin to swim around. I don’t know if you take questions like these, and I understand completely if you do not wish to answer them. But I really appreciate your taking the time to read it and if you can give me any help I would be sooo grateful !!!!! Thanks a million. A1: Bettas like to munch on slow-moving fancy guppy tails. They ignore the females. Bettas also like shrimp legs. I doubt you can keep your betta and male guppies in the same tank. A2: I’ve never timed the ghost shrimp egg hatching time. I suspect they hatch within two weeks. But it’s impossible to tell when they laid their eggs -- just when you noticed them. Also, your betta AND your male and female guppies will make sure you never see any baby shrimp. LA Albert Wehrheim, March 18, 2005 Activated charcoal removes the blue from meth blue in a hatching tank, but with very small fry is there a way to do it without using an internal air box filter which could trap the fry? Thanks for previous assistance. A: Take one tablespoon of activated carbon and sprinkle it on the surface of your water. The good activated carbons fizz on the way to the bottom as they adsorb the color. LA Cody B. Edmondson, Gadsden, Alabama, March 23, 2005 I have just started a tank, so I am a first timer. I’ve helped my friend with his two albino channel cats for years. While doing research on what kind of fish to get and how to take care of them, I ran across your web site. GRADE A+++ This is the most helpful web site I’ve found. While reading about the plecos it was saying what will eat them and that they fend off others. I found one that was missed. My friend got a nine-inch pleco to go with his two channel cats. We figured “If it won’t fit in in its mouth, then it won’t eat it.” We were quite surprised to wake up after a month and find the pleco’s skeleton drifting around the tank. They stripped him to the bone. Something I found interesting. Great web site and please do keep it up. I find it very fascinating. A: Thanks for the compliments. I suspect the channel cats ate the pleco after he died. Piranhas -- with their razor sharp teeth -- learn to flip plecos over and gut them. I don’t think channel cats have the necessary dentition to get the job done. But ... you never know for sure. I’d feel safe dropping another big pleco in there. LA Serious Sam, March 24, 2005 Hi LA, You really got a good web site! I myself am a Gourami fan! Can you please tell me how to determine their sex? ● Male gourami top fins are much longer than female top fins. ● Females are plumper viewed from the top. ● Male gouramis are more colorful. LA Scott, Minnesota. March 24, 2005 I would like to know if there are any short-tail opossum breeders in Minnesota? Or pet shops that would carry them? I don’t think that buying them over the net and having them shipped is a good idea. I like to look at what I buy. If you could help me, it would be wonderful. Thanks A: Scott, I do not have a clue. Sorry. LA Beth Mayfield, March 25, 2005 Hi, This will probably end up kind of long, and I’ll apologize for that up front. First I’d like to tell you that I love your web site. You guys did a really good job putting information on it that we consumers can really use. Thank You!! Now on to my aquarium questions: We’ve tried aquariums several times over the years and killed many fish in the process. Just recently we’ve learned about the nitrogen cycle in a fish tank, and figured out that everything we’ve ever done in the past has been wrong. We’ve gotten a lot of internet information, and yes, I know you can only believe part of what you read on the internet. So I thought maybe I knew enough to give it another go. Our daughter upgraded from a 10 gal. tank to a 29 gal. tank and asked us if we wanted her old tank, so I said sure. So we have a 10 gal. tank (that was used, but everything else we bought new) -- power filter with bio wheel (Penguin, I think) -- bubble wand, fluorescent light that is on 10-14 hours per day total, some fake plants and a decorative rock in the tank (all made for aquariums, of course). And I’ve been keeping the water around 78 to 80 degrees. We set the tank up, filled it with treated water, let the filter run for almost a week before we added any fish. We started with two mollies, one male and one female, and one cory cat. It looked like the female was quite pregnant, but we got up the next morning and she was considerably thinner, so we figured the stress of the move made her lose them. They were in the tank for about a week and we added 4 guppies, one male and three females (from what I’ve read, I got about the right male/female combo on the guppies anyway). Someone told me that fancy guppies (which is my preferred fish) like a bit of salt in their water, but cory cats don’t necessarily; however, if you only put a tablespoon per 10 gal. in the guppies will be happier and the cat can live with that amount of salt. So we put 1 tablespoon of aquarium salt in when we added the guppies. Then later in the day, after we added the guppies, we see these little things moving around in the water. Upon closer examination we found that the molly did not lose her babies and we had about 8 or 10 fry in the tank. Almost from the time we added the guppies, the mollies were chasing them around and really pestering them. It seemed like they never got any quite time because they were always swimming for safety, trying to keep away from the mollies. After about a week, we noticed what looked like a bite had been taken out of one of the female guppies and the fin on her back was about half gone. We put some stress coat in the water. After a couple days she started looking quite bad, so we checked with an aquatic shop (not yours unfortunately), but they said that it sounded like a wound, and maybe as a secondary problem some fin and tail rot (I know it’s hard to diagnose a fish disease without seeing the fish, but I had to ask). They sold me some MelaFix and we used it for seven days. Gave all of the mollies to my sister, so we were down to the 4 guppies and one cory cat. A couple days after starting the treatment (we treated for 7 days and did about a 50% water change before we started the treatment), the sick fish died. A few days later the male guppy started acting weird, hovering at the top of the tank, his tail fin started looking bad (kind of choppy at the back end), and loafing around without a whole lot of movement. After a couple days he died. Oh, by the way, we’ve been checking the chemicals and stuff in the water, and we’ve had some ammonia, no nitrites, no nitrates, pH around 7.2 - 7.4 for the most part. Thought maybe ammonia was killing them, so we added some AmmoCarb to the tank. By this time my water has foam on top of it, which I was told could be from the medication, (white foam, and it does not all go away when I reduce the amount of air going to the bubble wand and the AmmoCarb filter, there was less there, but not gone). I was told to do a partial water change. I did, then did a partial water change again the next day too, and I still have a layer of foam on top of the water (I don’t know how this can be good for the fish either??). I lost another fish yesterday, so we’re down to one guppy and the cat, but the one remaining guppy is hovering at the top and not moving around a whole lot today, so I don’t know if she’s going to make it or not either. I’ve been reading about BioSpira. From what I’ve read it’s supposed to work really well and quite fast in helping to get the nitrogen cycle going in the right direction. So my plan is to do another partial water change (and try to get rid of that foam -- or maybe I should put the remaining fish in a bucket with some of the current water and just give them mostly all new water) and add some BioSpira to the water. Any thoughts on why I’m killing fish and what I can do about it? Or is it just “new tank syndrome” and I’ll have to wait it out? Do I need to add just a few more fish for the tank to cycle properly? I’ve got to be honest with you, I’m getting really frustrated here. Thanks so very much for your help!! A: Mollies -- especially marble mollies -- like to pick at other fishes. Their constant picking stresses some fish. If they pick long enough, they can make actual wounds. The MelaFix you used would treat the wound and fin rot you saw. MelaFix also makes a foam on the surface. I’m not sure what the MelaFix would do to the live BioSpira bacteria. Here’s what I would do: Add two tablespoons of activated carbon to remove the MelaFix. (Your carbon in your filter cartridge and the AmmoCarb may have already done this.) Add two more tablespoons of aquarium salt. Add one-third of your BioSpira packet tomorrow and each Saturday till it’s gone. This should cycle your tank. Or, gravel vacuum a couple quarts of water from a healthy under gravel filter and add it to your tank. I still like one teaspoon of salt per gallon. LA Pete Lowe, March 25, 2005 Hello, My convict cichlids keep having babies. I had to buy another tank after I mixed ’em with my angelfish and mysteriously the angelfish died. Anyway, I was wondering if there was any type of fish that eats cichlid babies? I know that sounds cruel but I realize we must let nature takes its course (plus I’d rather not just flush ’em). So if you’ve heard of any fish that will eat the conflict cichlid babies approx 1/2 inch now, I’d be glad to buy it. Thanks A: Your convicts killed your angels because they know angels eat baby convicts. Oscars will take care of your convict problem, but ... then you have an oscar problem. Sort of like the old lady who swallowed the fly. Feed them to someone else’s oscar. LA Brian Holscher, March 27, 2005 I just found your site today doing a Google search for Aquarium Fish. I was looking for info about my new Oscar; and found more USEFUL info than even sites devoted to Them. Thank you for a great site. A: Shucks. LA TJ, Des Moines, March 28, 2005 I was reading your website information and hopefully I sent this to the correct person. I live in Des Moines and have gained a lot of information from your website. As of now I am trying to sell my 5 to 6-inch red devil cichlid. It’s a dominant male and is a light orangish color. If the Aqualand in Des Moines buys fish I could bring it by or send you a picture. If I have sent this to the wrong person, if you could, email me back the address for the Aqualand in Des Moines I would appreciate it. A: You got hold of the right person. Thanks, TJ, for asking before you brought in your red devil. We currently have maybe a couple dozen red devils of various sizes and colors in stock -- probably enough already (to coin a phrase). We do not want to add another to our collection. However, if you cannot place it elsewhere, do not kill it. Bring it in. We won’t pay you for it but will house it. That’s why we have so many more devils, jaguars, oscars, and dempseys than any otherwise sane person would keep. LA Shane Smith, Kansas, March 28, 2005 Hey Larry I was doing some research on some fish I’m interested in and I found out that the pikehead gourami (luciocephalus pulcher) is also called the crocodile fish . Didn’t I see a crocodile fish at your store? I go to so many different stores I can’t always remember what I see at what store . If you do have them how much were they? I’m going to hit a few new stores in the east parts of KC, MO, but if nothing comes up I thought I would save up some more money and come see you. If I gave you a small list do you think you could try to help me acquire some of the other fish I’ve been looking for? Thanks A: The crocodile fish you saw at Aqualand was a Butis butis, which many people call the crazy fish. I’ve never seen the pikehead gourami or seen it listed by any of my suppliers. Email me a list of what you want and I’ll see what I can find. Do you belong to the Heart of America Aquarium Association? They can probably give you some tips on where to look. I’d bet that place in Mission, KS could order what you need. LA Tribe of Aqualand larvae from KS and NE, 03.26.05 headed for Great Wolf Lodge. Couple more points, Shane: I was in KC, KS this morning and saw an excellent display of native fishes at Cabelas Outfitters. Don’t go there unless you have plenty of time. It’s about two blocks from the Great Wolf Lodge. Don’t go there (GWL) unless you plan to fork out nearly $300 a night. You might be warmer in KS but our grass is greener and the gas $0.10 cheaper a gallon up here (and you don’t have to pre-pay). LA Chris, March 29, 2005 Hi again, I’ve recently discovered ich on my clown loaches and also on my buffalo head cichlids. These fish were in tanks at the pet store with other fish that have had it. I didn’t notice any on them at the time and kept them in a separate tank for about a week. I have medicated the community tank with Tank Buddies brand Ich Clear fizzing tablets. Now every fish in the tank has died. My questions are: If I just pull out the fish with noticeable ich, will my tank be alright or will the rest be susceptible? Should I just start my tank all over and clean it very well, killing the disease? Basically, what should I do if I notice ich on any one or more fish? Thanks for the help. CH A: Clown loaches catch ich at the drop of a hat. All you have to say is, “Wow, these clown loaches look great” and they will catch ich the next day. The problem is, most ich remedies kill clown loaches faster than the ich germs. Next time, warm up your clown loaches to at least 80 degrees and use any ich cures at half-strength. You might try Jungle’s Ich Cure II. Ich germs are always in your water. They infest your fish when stress weakens their defenses. Control your stress factors. This is, of course, much easier said than done. 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