LA
Non-biting ball python.

A:  I added your input to my ball python page.  Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.  I'll probably leave my page on the internet, even if your boyfriend's snake does not fit exactly into the parameters I've enumerated.  LA

LA

A:  Lungfish are easy to keep.  You don't need an island.  Fill your tank to the top but make sure you cover it well.  They don't come out on land but will bail from an uncovered tank.  If you want to give him his favorite food, drop a nightcrawler near him.  The main problem with lungfish -- they live next to forever.  And be careful.  They will bite.  LA

A:  Every crab I've seen will hide in a cave or crevice if he can find one.  Do not provide PVC pipe or a rock to hide under.  LA

A:  I have to say yes.  However, if you want to see your crab, eliminate the hiding places.  LA

A:  I have never heard of these two species spawning, but I let my subscription to Cichlid Crossers Journal expire a few years ago.  Just because I've never heard of it macht's nichts.  In other words, sometimes I'm the last to know.  LA
PS  Nice pics.  They were so huge I didn't think I'd be able to shrink them to fit.

A:  I really can't tell anything from the photos.  Could be you got something going.  Mules are usually sterile, but ¿quién sabe?  LA

LA
Another new window, October 3.

A:  Renovations still in progress.  I have no idea why your blue dolphin went bonkers.  Sometimes fish just get spooked (paranormal activity?).  Your discus will eventually mellow out and eat from your fingers.  LA

A:  I like all the Hikari foods because my fish love them.  I agree with your LFS.  Sorry to hear your blue dolphin expired.  I doubt that red chilis were a factor, because I see that red rooster chili sauce at half the restaurants I enjoy.  Hikari probably adds the red chilis to increase the carotenoid contents of their foods.  Carotenoids bring out the reds (in fish, not so much in people).   LA

A:  White sand bleaches out many cichlids.  They try to "pale out" to help them blend into the substrate.  Many fish do the same thing but especially cichlids.  LA

LA
2.5-inch jewel cichlid over white gravel.

LA
Same fish over black gravel.

LA
And some always color up better than others.

A:  Actually, one of the brownish "natural" gravels bring out their optimum colors.  That's the natural gravels from the Mississippi River basin.  Your natural gravels are probably different.  I don't like any of the sands I've encountered.  The dark clay-colored gravels probably would work well also.  I don't like the "blue-sea colored" backgrounds.  The plastic foliage backs look better to me.  Also, live plants and/or plastic plants give the fish a more comfortable feeling.  Diet, temperature, and age also affect their colors.  LA

A:  You can add another filter, reduce their rations, change their water more often or all of the above.  Most cichlids act hungry most of the time.  They don't need to eat their fill at every meal.  Two or three small feeding per day are better than one belly buster.  You can tell they've had plenty when food starts hitting the bottom.
PS  I forgot to mention the importance of the right light bulbs and even the angle at which the light hits your fish.  Front lighting usually works best.  LA

A:  African cichlids aren't too tough on sponge filters.  Large American cichlids are.  The ones above are very sturdy.  LA

A:  Hey.  I appreciate your efforts.  Those were cool redtails, but I can't print them because I'd probably be violating common law copyright laws.  Thanks anyway.  LA
PS  Those do not look like hillbilly fishermen.

A:  They usually start out by cannibalizing their siblings.  If you can find fruit fly cultures locally, problem solved.  Or start by putting a piece of banana in a small container in your backyard.  You should be quickly visited by hungry fruit flies.  When you see a few in the container, add him and add a lid.  Otherwise you could try to feed him by hand.  Go to Mantids, Newly Hatched for more info.  LA

A:  I couldn't agree with you more, but our enclosures are only temporary homes.  We usually keep about ten species of turtles and tortoises, so we provide smaller quarters than they need over the long haul.  Bigger is always better but not always possible.  A turtle pen in the backyard is always preferred but this is another temporary housing process.  I like to turn them loose in the grass occasionally also.  They like the exercise, the additional vitamin D exposure, and the occasional change of diet.  LA
PS  Do not leave them outside unattended.

A:  Hmm.  I thought I IDed it on my Datnioide Page, but I might have left it off one of the Miscellaneous Oddball pages, so I'm adding your info.  After all, a report from OZ is more official than a report from Des Moines.  LA

A:  Since your Osphronmus is eating and acting normally, I would not worry about his health.  Sometimes red lines in finnage appear when oxygen levels get low.  You see this often in goldfish.  But since Osphronemus breathe atmospheric air, I doubt they'd display this symptom.  LA
PS  Shukriya for the invite to join gmail.  I'll pass, but it did remind me to delete two or three hundred of the unread emails I intended to get around to reading sooner or later (it is now later).

LA
And they like goldfish.
 

A:  Spotted salamanders are pretty much like the tiger salamanders in our neck of the woods.  A 10 gallon tank meets their minimum needs. A 20L or larger works even better.  Salamanders will also eat mealworms, waxworms, California blackworms, and goldfish.  You can train them to eat one of those jellied reptile foods by waggling it in front of them on a toothpick.  Has Walmart invaded Canada yet?  Both Walmart and Kmart sell earthworms and Canadian nightcrawlers in their sporting goods departments.  Or you can find them in your local bait shops or dig them up in your backyard.  Any outdoor hunting or fishing magazine will also sell red wigglers in their classified ads section.  LA

A:  Ten minutes.  LA

LA

A:  Catfish lose their whiskers from three different conditions that I know of:  They wear them off on a rough substrate, lose them in the course of a bacterial infection, or have them dissolved in unsatisfactory water conditions.  I have not seen any grow back.  LA

A:  Yes.  However, if they lost them due to a bacterial infection, the infection could continue and eventually kill them.  LA

A:  Good to hear you're happy with your moray eel.  Looks like he's eating well.  I'll have to try the HBH Super Sinkers.  I'm not familiar with diatomaceous earth killing parasites.  Supposedly it kill roaches (and similar pests) by getting into their joints and evntually causing them to die. This has not been my experience.  LA