April 21-30, 2007 questions you asked Aqualand

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

Michael Hissom, Wilmington, NC, April 21, 2007
Do you plan to get in any shovelnose sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus)? If you do I would like to have a few of them.

A: Didn't you ask about these this time last year? Our supplier occasionally offers sturgeons (I'm not sure what species), but we've decided their diet is too difficult for most of our customers to keep successfully. I hate to sell fish that I know are going to die. I know that everything dies, but I don't want to cause it. Anyway, we still do not ship fish. LA
PS I agree with your comments on pangassius catfish.

Michael Hissom, Wilmington, NC, April 21, 2007
Yeah I probably did ask about them a year or so ago. It's become a quest of mine. I am probably one of the few people who could keep them and a paddle fish if I ever get one. Who knows? Maybe one day. Meanwhile I keep on dreaming! I forgot you guys didn't ship fish. I ship fish, crayfish usually, you guys should try it. It's easy and these days the Internet is the only place most people can get fish. I couldn't have started breeding crayfish for sale if I hadn't started by shipping them in the mail. Now I just ship to wholesalers, but it was by mail that got me started. You guys are a lot bigger than me though. I just breed crustaceans. I've been looking for a source of unusual snails, if you know of any drop me an e-mail.

A: I'll send you some snails. If they're a different snail, send me some dwarf crayfish. I'll need your mailing address. LA

SHSLeo15, April 21, 2007
I have a 55 g tank that I'm going to be adding several species of tetras and barbs to soon. But my water as of right now is very hard and alkaline (about 7.8). How can I make it softer and more acidic?

A: You can decrease your hardness and lower your pH any number of different ways. Your water sounds fine for most barbs and many of the tetras. Water tends to get more acidic over time. You'll be ahead to pick out fish that work in your water rather than changing your water to fit your fish. The easiest ones to pick are the ones that do fine at your local fish store. LA

H. Myers, April 21, 2007
I've been looking around on aqualandpetsplus.com and can't seem to find pricing. I'm kind of looking around to help my boss (a local pet shop owner) to find a possible new distributor. Do you sell a selection anything like the variety of animals displayed/described on this site?

A: We're not a wholesaler, we're a retail store in Des Moines, Iowa. We don't sell thru the mail. LA

Bob, Virginia, April 21, 2007
Howdy! What's a good plant to use in my 20L swordtail fry tank? I was using cabomba but it wasn't very salt tolerant. It lasted about 4 months though. The only fish in there are the swordtails and three cory cats. The snail population dropped way down after I started being more careful about over feeding and the cory cats do a great job at cleaning up any excess food. I don't want to give up using salt because the benefits far out weigh the loss of plants. I could always go with the plastic kind but I like real stuff too. Any ideas? Thanks!

A: Hornwort. Rinse it well often. LA

Shengfei, China, April 22, 2007

Dear sir, Have you businesis frogs and snakes? Can you ship to China?

Kind regards

A: We do sell frogs and snakes. We cannot ship to China. LA

Jeffrey Hill, April 22, 2007
I bought a baby leopard gecko yesterday, which would be April 21. He is about 4 inches long. The store I bought him at were feeding him mealworms. I have tried feeding him crickets late yesterday and again this morning. Should I just wait a while to feed him, or does he not know that crickets are food?

A: Chill, dude. Don't panic if he doesn't eat when you serve dinner. He's still adjusting to his new quarters. Make sure you have his temperature at 80 degrees. Give him a hide box and a humid cave to hide in. He'll be hungriest in the evenings. If he goes two days without eating, bump his temp to 85. Do not handle him for a few days. Leopard Geckos love crickets. LA

Amber Carrel, Dyess AFB, TX, April 22, 2007

I have recently purchased a new ghost. I had one growing up and have never seen one behave the way this one does. He lies on his side at the bottom of the tank while still moving his fins, and then gets up at night but still goes back to lying on his side quite often!! Is this something I should be concerned about or will he be ok!!? It's really the strangest thing I have ever seen!!

A: One thing you can say about black ghost knife fish is they are not like other fish -- particularly in their swimming modes. They swim backwards, upside-down, standing on their heads (or tails), or just flop on the bottom. If he's eating, he's probably fine. LA

Daniel Hampton, WA, April 23, 2007
How big do African mudskipper & freshwater moray eels get? Thanks

A: Four to six inches and three feet. Much depends upon diet, frequency of eating, tank size, water quality and changes, temperature, and the size of their parents. LA

Andrew Simon, Washington, MI, April 23, 2007
Hey Larry, I am looking for a few fish to go into a tank with 1 pair of kribs. It is a 16 gallon tank and the only fish in the tank thus far are the Kribs. There's lots of rock work so there are plenty of hiding spots. I would prefer that the fish come from Africa. I am trying to do an African theme with the tank. By the way, there are no live plants. Only a few plastic ones. I'd appreciate any suggestions.

A: Since you're locked into Africa, I'd suggest African butterfly fish and shell dwellers. LA

Carl Scott, Vallejo, CA, April 24, 2007
Can you tell me if my new fire-belly frogs can get ich like some fish do? Thanks so much for your help!!!

A: Fire-belly frogs do not get ich. LA

Dan (Mr. Blackworm), Fresno, CA, April 24, 2007
Hi Larry, I see your name and Aqualand mentioned in the Iowa Aquarium Clubs' fish forums and some auctions coming up I think. Is there anything we can do to help promo the Blackworms?

A1: Sure. We can offer a FREE one tablespoon portion (which we sell for $2) to our Aqualand eSpecials mailing list -- 1,735 today (but not all of these are local) -- with a coupon.
A2: We can bag these samples up and keep them on ice on our sales counter. Then we give each fish keeper a bag with an info sheet.
A3: We can put "We eat California Blackworms" signs on our aquariums with picky eaters in them (and others). The sign would be like the captions in the comics pages.
A4: We can contact our various Iowa fish clubs and ask if they want FREE samples for their next event.
A5: We can declare the California Blackworm our "Official Aqualand Live Food" and put a certificate on our bulletin board. No problem here. They're already our favorite.
A6: We could hold a Blackworm swallowing contest like the old goldfish swallowing contests.
A7: Which, of course, brings us to the more current Fear Factor TV program. Make them a TV star.
A8: And, you should do your best to get them on the Food Channel.
PS I don't suppose you have their nutritional Analysis by now -- protein, fat, ash, moisture, etc?
PPS Update your web site.

Chris Proctor, Salt Lake City, UT, April 25, 2007
I was looking at your site and came across the picture you have of the frilled dragon. I am a breeder here in Salt Lake and am curious if you'd sell this guy to me? I am willing to off $450 for him and I can have him picked up by a shipper. I have been breeding frilleds for about 9 years now. I have pure Australians, red phase New Guineas, and I make hybrids. If you are interested let me know, I am willing to pay what he is worth and he'd go to a great home and have his share of the females to help change up my bloodline. Thanks,
This is the guy I am interested in.

A: Sorry, Chris. He was a trade in. As soon as we got rid of his mites and fattened him back to health, we sold him. I wish I'd known you wanted him. I'd rather he'd gone to a breeder. He probably would have been happier with his own harem. Right now, we can only get these little guys below:

LA
Including tail he's nearly six-inches long.

Garrett Beckvermit, April 25, 2007
What kind of fish is this? I thought it was some kind of sunfish, but I know it has to be a cichlid

A: I can't narrow it down any further than cichlid.. Sorry. Watch the Q&A Section. Someone will come up with the answer. LA

Shane Benck, Bunbury, Western Australia, April 26, 2007
Hi, I just bred black ghost knifes. I just wanted to share. As far as I know, not too many people have!

SB
Good pic of Shane. Not so hot of the baby ghost knife.

SB
So it's a good thing he sent this pic also.

A: Congrats, Shane. Now you need to write it up so we know the secrets of your success. I'll add this report to my black ghost page. Thanks. LA

Lynn, Southern CA, April 27, 2007
Hello, I was reading your site regarding trumpet snails. I have somehow inherited one, and not sure HOW I got it, but I did. Most likely when I bought a fish, but not sure. Anyway, needless to say, this snail produced more snails and then the cycle began! I am not over-populated at this moment, but I have taken out at least a dozen or more. I took some to the pet store last week, and they said they would offer them 'free' to any customers who may want them. Last night, I found 8 more! I can't keep taking these guys to the pet store, and even though they 'said' they wouldn't do away with them, they too, can not keep taking them from me, and having their 'bowl' over-populated.

I read that they will not breed if kept in cool temps? How cool is cool? I hate to kill these little guys, because I SAVE animals, not destroy them. But if there's no way to control them, I may have no choice. I was wondering if these type of snails would survive in a duck pond? There's a big, gorgeous duck pond (or small lake) in a park not far from me. I was thinking of putting them in there, but I worry that (1) there won't be enough food for them to eat and (2) if the water temps would be too cold for them? However, your site says they are pretty hardy, and they survived very HOT water, too.

One other thing I find interesting. When I discovered the trumpet snail, he was a good size, and was scaling the side of my tank. However, I never saw him or any others do it again. I look at night, and I do see them ON the gravel, or IN the gravel when I see the gravel moving. But when I scoop them out, and place them in a plastic cup, they almost immediately scale the side of the cup! Why do they scale the cup but not the aquarium? I know for a fact that they do NOT climb the walls on my aquarium, unless it's very late at night, but somehow, I truly feel they do not.

Also, I have a 12 gal tank. At what point would it be "over-populated?" I was thinking of cleaning my tank, and putting in new gravel, but I worry that some of my fish will die, and it will upset the balance of bacteria in my tank. What do you suggest?

Thanks so much!

A: For every snail you see, there are dozens burrowing thru your gravel. The easiest way to stop their breeding? Stop feeding them. The more food you feed them; the more they'll multiply. You can put them in your duck pond and they'll never run out of food. However, ducks eat snails. Your snails will usually stay under your gravel when you have your light on. They explore more in the dark. LA

George Sobhy, Egypt, April 27, 2007
Mr. Larry Hi, My turtles one of them opened her eye and the other one is still blind. But today I saw a white thing in a circle shape (like the eye) coming out from her eye. I think it is from the sun as I am keeping them in a sunny place but not all the day. Next day. They opened their eyes. I am so happy. I think it is from keeping them in the sun.

A: The sun and the vitamin A. Good. LA

Nathaniel R. Veith, April 27, 2007
(Commenting on Mike's comment at top of page.)
I thought paddle fish were a protected species here in the US. I know in Wisconsin, if you happen to catch one you must throw it back ASAP!