A:  You get the very best poisons from the phyllobates by slow roasting them over a campfire while telling ghost stories.  However, if you're in a hurry, you could probably use a microwave oven.  I always wet my hands before (and after) handling amphibians --  frogs, newts, and toads.  Many of their skins are sensitive to handling but not to toxins from me.  I especially wash my hands afterwards because their toxins can make your eyes, nose, and lips sting -- plus most of them taste nasty.  But the dumpy frogs don't have any toxins that I've ever noticed.  LA

A:  Thanks for your input, Jon.  I'll add it to my dumpy page.  LA

A:  Your symptoms are more often seen on larger goldfish.  When placed in tanks with insufficient oxygen (due to overcrowding, poor aeration/filtration, or over feeding), their bodies send extra blood into their fins and other body surfaces to enable them to absorb more oxygen.  I can't be sure this is the same condition because I (my computer) couldn't open your three pictures.  I hope this helps.  LA

A:  You talked to me.  The place I got them from (APET) has a $250 minimum.  They do not sell to individuals.  Your local fish store would have to order them for you.  When I talked to you, we had four.  At the end of the day, there were two left.  The weather is perfect for shipping today.  You might be able to coax Mike into shipping them (if they're still there) in one of those USPS multi-purpose air mail boxes.  Cal him after 2 pm.  This is my day off.  LA

A1:  Handle turtle eggs as little as possible.  If you can just cover them as is with a sturdy, well anchored, chicken-wire cage, they'll do best outside.
A2:  Lots of those sailfin mollies get used as bait.  They're sturdy fish that do well in uncrowded tanks.  Most like some added salt in their tank.  The mollies that come from drainage ditches have excellent colors and fins.  They prefer about 80 degrees.  LA

A:  Your oscars and dempseys will increase in aggression as they increase in size.  Unless you actually saw your dempsey rip on your oscar, I would suspect one of the larger oscars.  Their diet sounds good.  On larger oscars, I change 50% of the water each week.  On your little guys, 25% would be better.  Water changes are very important to fish that eat as much as oscars.  LA

A:  We feed the 3.5 inchers mostly pellets and an occasional goldfish.  LA

A:  You probably can't.  I haven't seen them listed on wholesale lists lately.  They were being sold as black reef eels a few months ago.  But I haven't seen them lately or we'd be selling them.  LA
PS  Since you didn't include your location, I wouldn't know where to send you anyway.

A:  Good Monday, anyway.  Went bass fishing and landed three nice ones (which I released).  Both these colors as well as other colors are within their normal range.  When full-grown, many will turn an almost maroon color.  LA

A:  Banana plants are really a dwarf lily.  Banana plants grow and show their "bananas" best if you don't shove them into the gravel.  They then drift, float.  Under low light, their leaves rarely grow to the surface.  Under bright illumination, their leaves grow to the top and the plant grows white flowers with five petals.  LA

A:  Solomon had the same trouble there toward the end and he didn't even have access to new world cichlids.  I like jaguars a lot, but that doesn't mean you will too.  You might even try some of the barbs.  Just try whatever appeals to you.  And if you like cichlids, join one of the cichlid groups or organize one in your area.  LA

A:  Your polypterus won't eat veggies.  The other guys will -- lots.  The gravel vacuum cleaner is your best bet.  You need to make water changes anyway.  The gravel cleaner changes your water AND removes poop at the same time.  Read Gravel Vacuums for instructions on how to use one correctly.  LA

A:  When you combine warm water, nutrients, and sunshine, you can grow an amazing crop of algae.  Your best bet is to move your pond into the shade.  Since that may not be practical, add water lilies and water hyacinths that shade your pond and absorb the nutrients that are feeding your algae.  Some people report good success with the barley straw method.  Others not so much.  The product known as AlgaeFix works best for most people.  Remember to remove any algae that you kill.  Dead algae is more destructive than live algae.  LA

A:  We do.  Plecostomids love algae -- the sessile kind but not the green water kind.  It will take beau coup plecostomids to eat all the algae in a pond.  LA                   

A:  Siamese algae eating sharks eat algae, but no fish can eat all the algae a pond can produce.  LA

A:  Thanks for the thanks.  LA

A:  Your oscar and salvini will probably eventually get along, but they'll never be friends.  Remember at the end of AvsP, they had to drop the A-bomb.  Still, I suspect we'll hear more from both of them later.  Some problems are really hard to eliminate.
Crayfish can be fun.  But little ones taste good to cichlids and large ones think cichlids taste good.  Your best bet is to get large crawdads and pop off their pincers.  LA

A:  No way we could house all the animals listed on our web site.  Only Noah could squeeze in that many critters.  We have zero degus today.  We ordered two for tomorrow.  They cost $32 each.  Call first (about noon) to make sure they arrive.  LA

A:  Carolina Biological Supply.  LA