September 21-30, 2009 questions you asked Aqualand

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

Rodney Beckwith, Ohio, September 21, 2009
I recently bought what was called a “jelly bean musk” turtle at a street fair. It’s about an inch across. I realize from reading your article that it was a big no-no, but the government is not paying as much attention to baby turtles as they used to, I suppose.

My question is, do you have any information on this type of water turtle? I've been looking all over, and have determined that there is probably nothing out there with that name. I have found a picture of a musk turtle that looks like what I bought, but nothing with the name "jelly bean" in front of it.

I was told that it is full-aquatic, can live without going out of the water and is generally able to be kept witih fish. I don't truly believe that, but my wife has a small (10 gallon) aquarium for her kindergarten class and we both thought that they would love to see the turtle.

I'd like to create a better turtle environment, but I want to know its specific needs before I do. Can you tell me anything about it, or what it needs? Thanks!

A: "Jelly bean" refers to its diminuitive size. It's a baby musk turtle. They're also called stink pot turtles because they exude a smelly yellow liquid that stinks. Turtles under 4 inches were made illegal by the FDA (and you thought only Congress could pass laws) because they often carry salmonella. And small children often put them in their mouths. Read this report on Salmonella and your wife will likely decide not to take the turtle to her kindergartn class. LA
PS Just treat it like any other Water Turtle and it will do fine -- except for the smell.

Rodney Beckwith, Ohio, September 21, 2009
Ah, so they don't need land?

A: I like to give them a bit of land to crawl out upon. LA

Malik Blasingame, September 21, 2009
Hi. I have a baby bullfrog that is about an inch long, and I don't know what to feed it. Can you give me some things or a list of things I can feed it?

A: Crickets, waxworms, small earthworms, small fish. Go to Bullfrogs on our website for more bullfrog details. LA

Mike Moffett, San Diego, CA, September 22, 2009
Is a critter a horny toad? Do you know where they can be purchased?

A: Yup, certified critters under the Aqualand Constitution validated in 1973 (possibly before you were born). We don't ship them. We also don't sell them. Horned lizards are becoming harder to find these days. They are illegal to keep in some states. I would suspect California is probably at the top of that list. LA

Jamie Huff, Florida, September 22, 2009
Hi, I was wondering if you had any land snail that i could order? I live in Florida and can't find anything other than water snails and the kind for fish tanks, but I would like a few land snails. Please let me know if you can help, thanks.

A: We don't have any land snail these days. Google Carolina Biological Supply. I do not know if they will ship them into Florida. Florida has had problems with exotic snails. LA

Duan Hill, Virginia, September 22, 2009
I have a question about certain tank mates. I was wondering if an Iridescent shark would be a good tank mate for a tea cup stingray? I'm cycling my tank so I can get a tea cup stingray. If you can e-mail me your best thoughts on the info provided I would really be grateful. Thanks

A: Iridescent sharks get pretty good size and live a long time. They're not harmful or aggressive towards other fish but do take up all the room and most of the food. Most stingray keepers house them without tank mates of other species. I wouldn't mix them myself. LA

Jenny Parks, Boone, IA, September 22, 2009
I'm interested in ferrets. I was wondering if you had any on display and how much they were each?

A: We have them. Call 283-0300 for prices. LA

Aftab Lokhandwala, Pune City, India, September 24, 2009
Hello.We have recently bought a discus tank and five discus. However, one of them died. What are the major threats to Discus and how to cure them is my first query. The fish seemed subdued and did not come up to eat for a few days before it died.

The discus also trouble the sucker fish by going and butting it. I don't know if discus can bite. Do discus often harass other fish? Should I remove the sucker?

Sometimes they also chase each other. Do they fight or are they just playing?

My discus are not full grown and are about 1 inch to 1.5 inch in length from mouth to tail.

Thanking you in anticipation,

A: All the secrets of success with discus won't fit in the space alloted to my website. I always recommend reading at least one discus book before falling in love with discus. Some of the seminars I've attended on discus seem like the discus go beyond the hobby and become a way of life. Don't worry about your discus harming your sucker fish. Keep your discus warm at a low pH with minimum dissolved solids. Frequent water changes also help. LA

Marvin West, Florida, September 24, 2009
Thank you for one of the best web sites that I have ever come across.

I'm in Fl. and have 3 tanks.

1. 46 gal. community with mostly gouramis, heavily planted

2. 75 gal discus with 13 fish some tetras and clown loaches, heavily planted.

3. 30 gal. just started African cichlids, 15 fish, 4 different kinds.

Your website is great or did I say that already. Thanks,

A: Sounds like you are officially hooked on aquatics. Keep up the good work. LA

Nicole Cruz, Houston, TX, September 24, 2009
Hi guys, I found your site a few weeks ago, and I must say, if there's anything at all I need to know I head straight to it. I love your site!!!

Anyways, I got a fish today from a friend because it was too big for his tank. But I have no idea what it is.

He told me it was a shark. I went over all your sharks, and it looks to be an iridescent shark. But I wasn't sure, so I looked at him and he has a catfish like face. So I searched all your catfish and all evidence points to him being an id shark.

You can't see him too good in my pics, but he has washout orange on his fins, and he has black at the top and a strike of green and the whole bottom is silver. He gets along well in my pond with my 3 giant goldfish and millions of mollies. [here he's in a 50gal tank so I could clean the pond] Pls help?

A: You are correct. It is an iridescent shark, which is really a catfish. They used to be called Pangassius sutchi, but sometimes the renamers change fish names without cc-ing me the memo. LA

Nicole Cruz, Houston, TX, September 24, 2009
Thank you so much. I was also wondering: can it survive in a pond?

A: During warm weather, yes. Once your temperature drops below 70 Fahrenheit, it probably will die. LA

Nicole Cruz, Houston, TX, September 25, 2009
Okay cool. lol Sorry so many questions, but because it's like 6-8 inches and I have a 55gal full of sharks. There are 3 of each [red tail, rainbow, and bala], but they are only like 3 inches. Is it okay to put him in there with them? How do I even know if he's a he or she?

A: It will be crowded, but he should be okay this year. Next year he'll probably be too big. No way that I know how to sex them. LA

Nicole Cruz, Houston, TX, September 26, 2009
Thank you so much!! You are the coolest :D

A: Don't go getting all gushy. LA

Emily Martin, Dubuque, IA, September 24, 2009
I stumbled upon the Aqualand website while in search of a hedgehog. I see that there is a page dedicated to their information, but I am wondering if that also means that you have them in stock?

A: Yes. LA

Shannon O'Neel, September 25, 2009
Do you currently have sugar gliders? If so how much?

A: Yes. You need to call 515 283-0300 for prices. LA

Eliud, Puerto Rico, September 25, 2009
Hi, love your site! Recently I converted a 10 gallon tank into a quarantine tank. I'm using the power filter that I was using with the 10 gallon since none of the stores here seem to sell sponge filters. I've noticed that something has started growing on the bottom of the tank. I don't know if it's some sort of algae or a bacterial colony. It's blue/green in color and looks like the stuff that is growing on the biological part of my filter. At first I kinda freaked and cleaned it out using a gravel vacuum, but after I replaced the water it formed again. My question is, should I be alarmed about this? Can this growth be harmful to my fish? Thank you,

A: Sounds like algae. Algae is beneficial. It eats fish wastes -- nitrates, phosphates, and carbon dioxide. Moving water and light encourages algae growth. If you don't want it, just leave your lights off. LA

Sam Musilli, Ohio, September 25, 2009
Hello Mr. Arnold. My Aunt Lucinda recently sent me some pictures of what I believe is a kingsnake devouring a rattlesnake. Here they are!

A: Cool pix, dude. Thank your aunt for us. LA

tegratee, Omaha, NE, September 26, 2009
I was curious....about how many different tree frog species you have for sale at a time? The reason I ask is I am from Omaha and will be in the area soon. Thank you.

A: Today, we only have the grey and the green tree frogs. Try to time your visit to coincide with the upcoming reptile sale. There should be more there. LA

BOB, Virginia Beach, VA, September 27, 2009
Hi Larry, Wow, Still no Q&As for September? This is a first that I know of. I hope that you are doing OK. It's good to take a break once in a while and get out of the routine of doing the same thing month after month, but I have to say that those Q&As are good stuff and I hope they continue soon. I've read some of the other stuff that you have posted recently and as always, it's very good!

I know that you have been busy covering other things (turtle races, writing new articles for your site, civic league etc.) and it amazes me that you have time to post as much as you do.

Thanks for maintaining a quality website and having a site that doesn't contain any of those annoying flashing ads and videos that you see on other web sites. Here is a little tip for disabling some of those distracting animated flash ads -- right click on the ad and choose rewind. These ads will stop moving/changing 95% of the time. In some cases the ad just goes blank! Have a good week!

A: Big Whoops I forgot to copy the links onto my home page. They were available on the Table of Contents page, but the other one slipped my notice. Actually, I only got behind four days. Thanks for theads up. LA

Sam Trost, September 27, 2009
Hey, when your store gets a shipment of red-eared slider hatchlings, how long does it take for them to start eating? I've had mine for about a week and a half in a proper tank, but the little guy's yet to have eaten. I've only tried turtle pellets though, what else do they eat? Thanks

A: We haven't had a shipment of red-ear hatcling turtles since 1973. Most turtle pellets are too big for the little guys. Try California blackworms, frozen bloodworms, or Reptomin mini-sticks. LA

Sam Trost, September 27, 2009
Alright, I'll try those. Thanks a lot!

P.S. My friend's pair had babies, so mine wasn't obtained illegally.

A: Good to hear. LA

BOB, Virginia Beach, VA, September 27, 2009
You might also want to tell Sam that he can try dried or freshly caught and killed flies as well. A few drops of cod liver oil should be added to the food and a full spectrum light provided or the turtles will most likely develop a soft shell ailment and die. The soft shell ailment seems to be caused by a vitamin deficiency and the cod liver oil does help with this ailment but it's better to prevent the problem than treat it later. The turtles do better with the water in the 75F range and of course the water needs to be changed often with a way for them to exit and dry off when needed.

Back in 1964 all we had to feed these guys were dried flies sold in a can. Turtle foods have come a long ways since then. Great advice on the other food options, but the use of cod liver oil and the proper lighting could keep those turtles alive longer. A light dusting on the food with calcium powder couldn't hurt either.

A: Way, way before '64, we had dried ant eggs (actually dried ant cocoons) that were much worse than dried flies. Baby turtles back then came with an American flag decal on their backs and cost a quarter. LA
PS I forwarded your info to Sam.

Robert Pierce, Sanger, TX, September 27, 2009
I am having heck getting the pH down on my guppy tanks. I keep a 10 gallon with adults, a 5 gallon with the pretty adults, and a 5 gallon fry tank. I have gotten some pH decrease stuff, is that stuff a good idea? The water around here is naturally about 8, and I think it's been the undoing of several guppies, because that is the only thing “off” in my tanks. The high pH isn’t hurting my Oscars and catfish either though. What do you think?

A: The active ingredient in most pH decreasers is sulfuric acid. Don't spill it on you or your clothes. I prefer to let the pH to stay at its local level. Guppies aren't very big, but they do much better in larger tanks. LA

Robert Pierce, Sanger, TX, September 28, 2009
I've heard that one way to bring down the pH is to use bottled/sparkling type water. That gets expensive though. What would rain water do?

A: Sparkling (carbonated) water contains carbon dioxide which would lower your pH but may suffocate your fish. It works best in plant only tanks. Rain water depends upon what's in your local air and on your roof. Ever heard of acid rain? Not too many people use rain water these days. Anyway, once you start fooling around with your pH levels, you can mess up your tank big time. If it's not strongly buffered, it will bounce right back again -- usually in 30 days. Our local water comes out of the faucet at 10+. It drops to 7.5 in 24 to 48 hours. Ageing your water for a few days may affect your pH level. But I don't think that pH is the problem with your guppies. LA

Calvin Kwok, New York, NY, September 28, 2009
I have a tank with flowerhorns and red parrots, and they are constantly getting velvet every few weeks or when I add a new fish. I have done complete water changes, washed the gravel, and cleaned the filter. I am tired of constantly having to treat the fish, and I'm sure my fish don't like it either. I would include a picture so you can check if it's velvet but right now I'm treating them again.

A: First, stop washing your gravel. Every time you break down your aquarium, you face that "new tank syndrome." This puts a lot of strain on your fish and makes a lot of unnecessary work for you. Just use a gravel vacuum cleaner. Then get yourself a small quarantine tank. Don't tell me you don't have room for a quarantine tank. If that's the case, don't keep buying new fish. Cichlids are less susceptible to velvet than most species. With all this in mind, you should be treating your new fish (if you're still adding them) with a prophylaxis -- a preventive medication. LA

Calvin Kwok, New York, NY, September 30, 2009
Oh actually I didn't do a 100% gravel change in a long time. But when I did I added one of those jumpstart tablets. And I stopped adding new fish. What causes velvet anyways? And yes I quarantine them for a while. I added some duckweed hoping it would help clean the water. I'll still change the water just so you know.

A: Velvet usually appears on fish that are stressed by dirty water. It is a very tiny parasite that spreads rapidly. Cichlids are among the least susceptible to it. Yours probably have a different problem. LA

Nicole Cruz, Houston, TX, September 28, 2009
I have about 3 pregnant red tail sharks and 2 pregnant rainbows.

What I want to know is are they livebearers? My friend who owns a fish shop says that red tails are, but rainbows lay eggs. Do I separate the pregos? And how do I tell if a bala is prego? What do I do? :[

A: Relax, your sharks may be pregnant but will not spawn for you. All three are egglayers. Break the news to your friend gently. LA

Nicole Cruz, Houston, TX, September 29, 2009
Why won't they spawn?

A: Let's just say that I've never heard of anyone outside of Thailand spawning them. And I've just heard that thru the grapevine. Your chances of successfully breeding them (even by accident) will make your name a household word and entitle you to a $10 Aqualand Gift Certificate. Your chances of winning the Texas lottery are just about the same -- maybe better. LA

Nicole Cruz, Houston, TX, September 29, 2009

Hmmm I'll take you up on that bet. If I can get them to spawn then I shall be expecting my gift certificate :D

A: Nice clear pic. LA

Nicole Cruz, Houston, TX, September 29, 2009
Also on your colombian snails page on the name origin it says "If these cool looking little plant eaters come from Colombia, how’d they get the “columbian” name." I think you mean if these cool little guys >didn't< come from Colombia, cause it would be contridicting yourself.

A: Most people call them colUmbian snails because they don't know how to spell the name of the country they came from. Or maybe do not even know it's a country. Oh well, when in Rome do as the Romanians do. LA
PS If I did contradict myself, who would be better qualified?

SSgt Conway, P.J., September 29, 2009
I have two questions, how do I find out the gender of my Water Dog and is
there a known breeder here on the east coast somewhere? I am looking to get my Big Man a room mate! Lol I know you don't ship live fish but I can't find one anywhere. Thanks in advance

A: If by "water dog" you mean the larvae of the tiger salamander, Ambystoma tigrinum, then I have no idea how to sex the larvae. If you mean some other critter let me know. I may have to forward your question to someone else. LA

Aaron Henrickson, Nebraska, September 29, 2009
Hi, I stumbled across your website during my research on black piranha/ Rhombeus. And I notice you had a piranha called a Serrasalmus niger Piranha. My question is, is that just a nick name or a fancy name you guys gave them? Or is there really a Serrasalmus niger Piranha? Are there several different types of blacks including the diamond rhombeus?. But just curious.
I'm a Red Belly Piranha breeder up in Northeastern NE, and have been supplying to local pet stores in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and South Dakota. I'm working on getting my import permit to start importing blacks, which is how I ran across your website and the Serrasalmus niger piranha. Thanks

LA
Smile for the camera, Red. And look sincere.

A: Some investigators are looking into the rhombeus group because they think there are different types within that group. I'm sure I saw an S. niger in a show I was judging in Davenport, Iowa. It looked like a red but it was definitely black and definitely not a rhombeus. That was a good two score and some odd years ago as we used to say back in the day. I have not seen any since. LA

Lindsey Higdon, Florida, Septmber 30, 2009
Hi, I saw on your website that you sell Axolotls and was wondering how to order them? I'm intersted in the albino with black eyes, preferably young.

I live in florida and heard you ship to Florida. Please reply or call me with pricing information ect. Thank you.

A: We don't ship, so I'm forwarding your request to someone who sells axolotls. LA

Mathieu kazangan, Chicago, IL, September 29, 2009
Hello I was looking at your page and I saw the nice variety of Bettas you have in stock. I was wondering if you guys ship Bettas across the country? I live in Chicago and I, unfortunately, can not drive over there, (Not allowed to drive yet) but I really want a veil tail Betta. All the pet stores around here only have red or blue (I already have red and blue) and I was looking for some different colored Bettas. If you do ship Bettas (or if you don't) I was wondering if you by chance have more then just the "normal" colors and how much are your Bettas? I'm looking for green (like light green), purple and/or orange male Bettas. Thank you so much for your time.

A: Ironically enough, at least 95% of our bettas come from Chicago. And right now we're just getting reds and blues (mostly blues). To find the rainbow of colors you seek, google the International Betta Congress. There are scads of different colors available. LA

Mathieu kazangan, Chicago, IL, October 1, 2009
That is so ironic. Where do you guys get your bettas? Thanks for the advice.

A: APET (minimum order $300). But like I said, we're getting reds and blues (mainly blues). Contact the IBC for the various colors. LA

Sam Motter, Indiana, September 29, 2009
Hi, thank you for reading this. I recently acquired a setup for a patriot crab, only to find that the website I was set to order one from had disappeared. Is there a good place in the continental United States that would be able to ship one to me? (website preferred) Thanks a lot,

A: Since I rarely order anything from a website, I can't really recommend one for you. Your local fish store can probably get one for you. LA

Victor-Alan Weeks , Atlanta, GA , September 29, 2009

Hi. It has been a while. I have a marbled salamander and I was wondering what are the best foods for it? It doesn't seem to notice any of the food I put in there. The grasshoppers don't really move and the crickets bite him. I would really appreciate your answer.

A: Salamanders love earthworms. LA

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