February 11-20, 2007 questions you asked Aqualand

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

We'll start off the proceedings with a couple queries from a continuously curious Canadian. LA

Philip Barnsdale, Brookfield, NS, Canada, February 11, 2007
I just had baby mollies last night. Do I put them in fresh water or leave them in the brackish water?

A: Leave them as is unless you have big fish in there that will eat them. LA

Phil again
I put them in a baby holding tank inside the tank. What should I feed them, and thank you very much for all the info you have provided.

It is a 30 gallon tank. I am going to do a water change today on the tank.

Remember? I added 2 cups salt to 10 litres of water and added that all at once to the tank. When I do a water change today, how much salt should I add this time? 1 cup for every 10 litres of water or more or less? I am not sure how much water I want to take out to get rid of the waste at bottom of tank? Plecos won't survive in a brackish tank will they? Is there anything I can get to help clean the waste and glass in the tank?

A: Feed the babies the same thing you feed the parents. Mush your flakes up between your forefinger and thumb.
Wipe your glass weekly with an algae remover pad.
Clean your gravel weekly with a Gravel Vacuum Cleaner.
For each gallon of water you replace, add 1.5 teaspoons of aquarium salt. Make sure you add water at the same temperature as the water in your tank. LA

Ray Risley, Indiana, February 11, 2007
A shout out to LA,

I am setting up a small saltwater tank. I have 4 freshwater tanks now, but this is my first salt, and have a couple questions. But first I want to tell you that I LOVE your site. It is packed with a wealth of information!!! and is very easy to navigate!! GREAT JOB!!

My tank measures 36"x18"x16" tall. I believe it is called a 40 gallon breeder-tank. I used Crushed Atlantic Coral as my base. I used Instant Ocean Sea Salt for my water mixture and it is maintaining 1.022 SG, the pH is at 8.3 and the NH3+NH4 is 0-0.25. I added 8 pcs of rock that came from a salt water tank. I let the tank go for one week and then I added 9 small damsels..Ok now my Questions.

1; I want to add some live Fiji rock how much is too much? And should I buy cured or uncured?

2; I have been told with a tank as small as mine that I do not need a protein skimmer? I am thinking that I might?

3; I have read that a new tank needs to cycle first. that the ammonia will increase and then go back to normal? Is this correct and approximately how long does it take to cycle?

4; OK, now the tricky one. I eventually want to add coral and anemones to make this a reef tank, and I have done a lot of research on lighting. Do I have to go with metal halide or is a T5 high output light enough? I have read so much that I am beginning to confuse myself (BRAIN OVERLOAD), so if you could give me a light of hope (no pun intended). I would appreciate it. I am looking to buy a fixture type not a retrofit. I am leaning toward metal halide but the High Outputs are not as expensive. I don't know how much wattage for this size tank? Also do I need the Actinic type lights as well or is that just a nice additional feature? Do you know any good light fixture sellers? And last, do you sell Fiji live rock or could you recommend a GOOD site that does?

Ok; after all that if you have not fallen asleep by now, any information that you could share with me would be greatly appreciated. Thank You Very Much God Bless to you and your Family

A: Thanks for the thumbs up, Ray. However, I've been out of saltwater for over a decade -- nearly two. You need to hook up with a local saltwater fish store so you get the latest info and equipment. LA
PS Reading up on the topic is a wise investment.

Rob and Julia, East Tennessee, February 11, 2007
Hi, We have owned this guy for about 4 years now and would like to identify him. We know he is a catfish, but can you give us any more info on him? Attached are 2 pics of him. Thanks,

R&J

A: Looks like a spotted Raphael from here. They like to hide (very well) during the day and eat when the lights go off. When you take them out of the water, they make a grunting noise. If you hold them in your hand, they will try to pinch you between their pectoral fins and the sharp scutes along their sides. They are not picky eaters and especially love neons. LA

Imraan Sheikh, India, February 12, 2007
Hello Mr. Arnold, I started keeping aquariums for the past two years. I owned and bred various Live Bearers, Gouramis and have even bred a pair of Oscars twice. Now I have moved on to keeping discus (two days ago) and I must say that these are truly royal fishes to keep. I have a pair of 4" Red Melon Discus, with a pair of Monodactylus Argenteus, and four male Pearl Gouramis, and two Trapdoor Snails to clean up the extra food.
But from the time I have brought them from the aquarist, both of the Discus occupy the corner of the tank, whereas they used to move around in the crowded aquarist tank.
I have been feeding Tubiflex Worms to the fishes, but the discus won't even come up to the feeding cup, they just eat the worms lodged between the stones. The aquarist told me that they are a bit shy, as it is a new tank.
Please help, I am getting a little bit worried now. I have attached a couple of pictures, so as to help you get the general idea of what is going on.
You have a great website running up there, keep up the good job.

A: Before I answer your question, I'm going to go off on a tangent about the word "tubiflex." They are really tubifex worms. A couple decades or so ago, Kordon came out with a paste food called "Tubiflex." It came in a tube -- like toothpaste. Ever since then, fish keepers have been saying tubifLex. Now back to your question:
Discus live in soft, acid water vastly different than the hard, alkaline water you would keep monos in. Call your aquarist store and ask them the pH, hardness, and temperature of their water. Then test your water and correct it if necessary. You'll need to remove the discus or the monos from your current tank. LA

Dee McFarland, Southern IA, February 12, 2007
Hello from southern Iowa. Would like to say I really like your website and the information it provides, and have no problem recommending it to others.
I would like to know the price of a 29 gal tank I have a 20L and would like to get a larger tank that will fit on the same stand. Also would like to share that I am the proud owner of about 40 baby angels. Can’t wait till they get big enough to really see their markings. Thanks again for providing a wonderful site.

A: We rarely give prices by email. However, you can call us at 515 283-0300 and get the info. Use your cell phone to avoid long distance charges. Congrats on the angel fry. LA

Angelea, Lincoln, NE, February 13, 2007
Hello, I am writing to you because I first would like to say how wonderful and informative your site is! So much information that I didn't know all in one convenient site. It covers all the pets I have at home except one.

What about the leopard geckos? I have books at home that I can read, but I still like to cruise the net and see if there is anything new that I didn't know about them. (There isn't much info out there.) With all the awesome critters that you have on your site, it surprised me that leopard geckos were not among them. Why?

I currently have my hands full with six leos and need all the info I can get.

Thanks

A: Ah, if you go to Gecko, Leopard all your wildest dreams will come true (to quote Pedro). LA

Vicki Erickson, MA, February 13, 2007
I have 3 ghost fish in a 55 gal tank, the biggest is 16 inches, the next one is 12 inches, and the smallest is about 9 inches. I don't know which one, but one of them just had 2 babies. I was looking to get help on what to do with the babies, or how long to leave them in the tank, or who's the mom How many times they will have babies? I still can't believe it happened. They are so cute. Any help let me know.

A: How big are the babies? I'd take them out right now so the parents would not be tempted. I'm unaware of any black ghost spawnings, so keep me informed. Baby black ghosts hit the market at 1.5 to 2 inches long. If you have friends like some of mine, they would sneak in baby black ghost knife fish to tweak me. Any chance of a photo? I'll add your report to my black ghost page. LA

Adria Deitz, Liberty, SC, February 14, 2007

Hi! I just wanted to thank you for your wonderful and informative site. I refer to it often when I'm researching new fish to add to my collection. It's very friendly and not boring which makes the reading all that more easier.

A: Thanks for your Valentine Day message. LA

Bumble Freely, UK, February 14, 2007
I was reading your rat info and I'm not sure but I think you aren't housing your rats properly. You haven't put them on the right litter. Because you said they sit around . They are actually trying to sweat. Because they sweat out their feet. Maybe you can keep them on paper of some sort. And if you want to give them something to dig in, give them some sawdust in a pot. They can dig in it when they want to.

A: We keep our rats in four large cages with gravity feed bins, one quart water bottles, and aspen litter. LA

Etpageme, February 14, 2007
I read the page on Malaysian snails where if you see an entire herd of snails headed for the top during the day then you have a severe water quality problem. I admit that I have a water quality problem with the aquarium and I am addressing it now but I'm not sure what to do. This is my first fish tank. I have two Neon Tetras, about 8 to 10 Corys including babies, and two young Ramshorns. I've also got another kind of snail in the tank that I cannot ID. It's small, black, breeds like crazy and leaves clear jelly everywhere with eggs in it. They're even clogging up my filter.

Another question, I need to change the tank completely and I don't have a second tank nor can I afford one. Can I use a bucket that had cat litter in it? Thanks!

A1: Clown loaches will quickly devour your snails. You have a crop of Physa, the common pond snail. Their eggs sneak in as hitchhikers on your plants. They reproduce very rapidly when you overfeed your fish.
A2: You can correct your water quality by cleaning your gravel weekly with a Gravel Vacuum Cleaner. And quit overfeeding. LA

Mike Petruzzelli, Danbury, CT, February 14, 2007
Hi, my name is Mike Petruzzelli and I want to thank you for your incredible
site! It's been helping me with fish decisions, what types of food to feed
my fish, mixing fish etc. It's definitely one of the most informative and
helpful aquatic sites I've seen in a while.
I own a 20-gallon freshwater tank right now (trying to con mom into getting
a 38-gallon) and a while back I did a science project for a contest on fish.
I ended up doing the changes in fish growth on fancy guppies using different
types of fish foods. After finishing up with the project, I was stuck with
Fancy Guppies, which I soon realized wasn't so bad at the time. So I ended up kicking up the decor in the tank by purchasing a starter Amazon Sword plant, a tinier almost dead Amazon sword plant (which I got for half price), and a small Anubias plant. I also purchased 3 Albino Corys, which are one of the most amazing corys I've ever had, and a couple more Fancy Guppy males. The tank looked awesome.
Unfortunately for me, the guppies kept having babies and now my tank is
chock full of them. I tried asking different fish retailers near me if they
would buy them, but they can only take them for free, which is unfair. I
have about 20-25 guppies in my tank right now, along with my 3 Albino Corys and I know things are starting to get a little crowded. I really want to
start a tank with abstract fish, like a Long nose Gar or a Black Ghost Knife,
but I know the tank is way too small for something like that, even if I did
somehow get rid of my guppies. I can't think of any other way to get rid of
them other than them just dying out, which could take months, even years. Is there any way I can do this without being too harsh?
My plants on the other hand are growing fairly amazing if I do say so
myself. The almost dead Amazon Sword, ended up growing to be twice the size it used to be in only about a month in a half! My larger Amazon Sword only had about 5 or 6 leaves when I bought it, but now it takes up about half of my tank and has over 30 leaves when I counted last. Even my slow-growing Anubias is growing at a steady pace, but still not as big as I wanted it to be. Is there a way to grow a larger Anubias plant other than using plant food such as "Plant Tabs" which I used for a while? My large Amazon Sword is also getting a lot of algae attached to some of the leaves from time to time, making me snip off leaves every so often. Is my Amazon Sword getting too much light from my tank hood? Can I buy a Plecostomus and have him eat the algae without tearing my plant apart?
Hopefully you can answer my questions, and I want to thank you for creating such an informative site to help me out. Thank you! Sincerely,

A1: Add a black ghost knife fish. He will thin out your guppy population.
A2: Anubias grow slow unless you grow them emersed.
A3: A small bristlenose pleco should solve your algae problem. Or a clutch of otocinclus. LA

Ozzy Weiss, February 14, 2007
Ok, forget the stonefish, forget the gar (it will probably get way too big even for a 90 gal,) what about a clown knife? I was thinking an arowana too, but....I think if a clown knife can rip them up, my especially brutal oscar could do it no problem. I was also thinking a ghost knife, but they are way too peaceful for a tank of bullies, right?

A: If you insist on mixing highly territorial fish that want to kill and/or maim each other, keep good records. Then you can tell us which ones win the ultimate fighter smack down. LA

Stephanie, February 14, 2007
Hello ~ Just wondering if you have any female Degus in stock? Thanks,

A: Probably, but I don't know for certain. My computer's at home and the degus are at work. Call us tomorrow morning (515 283-0300) and ask Kathie. LA

Tom, Sacramento, CA, February 14, 2007
RE English keets. I saw them mentioned on your web page/site... Do you ever get any? Do you have any links that I might read more about them?
Thanks

A: Yes, we get English keets, frequently. I don't have any links. However, when I googled "English parakeets," I got 1,090 hits. LA

Ronny TJ, Indonesia, February 15, 2007
Hi, I've read your wasp fish/butterfly goby (Vespicula depressifrons) section. It's the most detailed info on net I've ever found ! I live in Indonesia, last week I bought 3 wasp fish. You're right about picky eaters. I fed them frozen bloodworms and I never saw them eating it but they're very active day and night. However, I noticed their white poop, pure white, is this normal? Considering that I never feed them anything else beside frozen worms and few pellets. I put them in a freshwater tank with a bit of salt, temp 75-80F with some neon tetras and they never gulped those neons.

A: I'm not a trained coprologist so I really never really paid much attention to their fecal production. I would, however, not trust them with neon tetras. LA

Kelsey Vanmeter, IOWA, February 15, 2007.
I was in your store about a week ago looking at your ferrets. I'm really interested in owning one, but I would like to start out with a younger ferret. Your ferrets looked great, but I noticed you had a sign that said they were "used." I couldn't really tell, but they looked a little bit older than I had wanted and I was just wondering where you got your ferrets from? Is there any possibility that you would be getting young, baby ferrets in at any time? Or could you like special order a baby ferret for me? Thank you so much!! Hope to hear back from you! Thanks again.

A: We sell only the Marshall ferrets, descented and neutered. Decades ago we sold wild ones but we decided their odor was a bit strong (to put it mildly). Looks like we have one young one and two used ones on hand. We'll have another young one tomorrow. Hopefully, one will still be there when you come in. LA
PS: Actually, I hope we sell them all by 9 pm today.

Sam Saeteurn, February 15, 2007
Is it ok to mix a 4 in long nose gar with a 6 in pleco? I already have
the pleco. I was thinking about buying a gar for my tank. Thanks.

A: A gar won't hurt your pleco. He'll just ignore him. However, he will probably grow to a couple feet long. LA

Matthew Brown, Mattoon, IL, February 16, 2007
Greetings, I recently bought a kuhli loach without knowing a whole lot about it. I was browsing the internet for info and came across your page. I must say the information you provide is not only informative, but quite extensive.

I also forwarded your web address to my brother in law who after seeing my aquariums, decided to go out and get a tank of his own. I figured it would be much easier on him (and me) if he followed your instructions since it is so well set up.

Anyway, just wanted to let you know that I am going to use your page to look up any info I may need, and if I am ever in the Des Moines area I will have to stop in and take a look. Keep up the excellent work. Regards,

A: I appreciate your comments, but it's always a good idea to have more than one source of information. LA

Tom, Sacramento, CA, February 16, 2007
RE Feb 14 email
Thanks for the Reply Larry -- and while I know and have had
'PARAkeets'... there is a difference between the 'PARAkeets' and KEETS
(note: No Para)
I can buy all the Parakeets I want in Norcal -- don't have to Google for
them... However, I am after "Keets"
btw - I have seen a 'Keet' -- there is a Difference.
I'll find one (again)

A: Hm, looks like I'm in danger of learning something entirely new. I just used "keets" as a contraction. I did not know there was a difference. Now, I'll have to find out more. I'll start with our local bird club. Thanks for the info. LA

Marianne Stevenson, Hopewell Junction, NY, February 16, 2007

Hi! You have a great website with some really terrific pictures.

I am the proud parent to a pair of male & female soap dish crabs. I found your website during a Google search to get information about them. Your website is the only one with correct pictures of the crabs I have. I have had them since summer, and they survived their first molt a few weeks after I brought them home.

The female is now loaded with eggs and I am not sure how to make her comfortable or if there is any way to help the crab eggs survive so they can become baby crabs. There is very little information about these crabs anywhere on the web, and I would appreciate any information you could provide.

Thanks for any help you can offer. Sincerely,

A: Don't take this as Gospel, but most (if not all) crabs return to the sea to lay their thousands of eggs. They hatch in the saltwater and become part of the floating plankton (animal and plant) that lives in the nutrient-rich top layer of the ocean. They eat or are eaten by each other and finally molt into tiny crablets which continue their eat or be eaten process until they attain full crabhood and are stuck into soap dishes and sent to the US. LA

Suachi Xiong, Wausau, WI, February 16, 2007
Dear Aqualand Pets Plus, I've looked everywhere to find the same exact "Jellybean Convict" that's on your website, yet I can't seem to find them anywhere else. They don't have any in this small area. I asked around on the net about where I could get the same exact fish that's on www.aqualandpetsplus.com. But every time I get an answer, no one seems to know, or gives me info on a different type.

I know that you don't ship any critters or live fish other than koi. But if you know where I can get these Jellybean Convicts, please let me know because I'm in desperate need of help. I'd really like to get the same ones from the pictures in the link below, white with pale blue and pink. Please tell me if you know anything, where they were ordered, anywhere I could get them shipped to Wausau? Thank you. Sincerely,

LA
Inch-long parrot cichlid. When dyed, they're called jelly beans.

A: As near as I can remember, I got them from a transhipper in California called ZFISH a few years ago. Walt asked me if I'd ever heard of "jellybeans?" Since I hadn't, I ordered some. I think there were 50 in the pack but cannot swear to it. I can't remember the country of origin either. They came in pink, green, purple, and so forth -- like the painted glassfish. That spawning pair was the last two out of the original 50. The last jellybeans we ordered came from APET, a wholesaler in Illinois. They were not painted. Finding them in small quantities will be difficult. Finding the specific color you seek will be more than difficult. LA
PS They appear to be a cross between a pink convict and a gold severum.

Josue Martinez, February 16, 2007
Hey, it's Josue again. I have had a jaguar cichlid in a bare 29 gallon tank for about a month now, and at only two inches, it already flares at my face and hands, sometimes even bites them. Could I put an archer fish about the same size with the jag? The jaguar cichlid eats guppies, frozen saltwater shrimp, and crickets.

A: Your archer will eat the same foods, just not as much -- especially in the presence of the much more aggressive jaguar. The jaguar will grow faster and meaner. He may not eat your archer but he will dominate it and probably beat it to death. Save your money. LA

Logan Newbanks, February 16, 2007
This may seem like an odd question, but can I keep a golden gecko and a giant African millipede in the same terrarium together? It seems like they can live in about the same habitat . My gecko lives in a 42 gallon hex tank and if I put the millipede in there he would have a lot more room to move around. They're about the same size and I really can't see the gecko trying to eat the millipede. But I don't know of there are any issues with the millipede putting any chemicals off that would make the gecko sick. Thank you for your time.

A: Sounds like a good mix to me. LA

RSK

Rebecca S. Key, February 17, 2007
The gang is all here! Hope you like them as much as I do!

A: Yup. I added some dark ones to my Fire-Belly Toad page also. LA

Mike Fries, President, Minnesota Aquarium Society, Feb 17, 2007

Would you please post the information about our Tropical Fish Show on March 10th and 11th. If you have any questions you can contact me at the address below.

I have included a press release, copy of the show poster, and show logo for you to use. Thanks

A: You got it. LA

Mina Spenzi, NC, February 17, 2007
You can put this on your web page, if you would like but please don't put my email. I have emailed you before, but once again, I must say, I love your site. Anyways, in your pond plants page, it says
"Floating Plastic Plants. Lacking a green thumb? You can find all the floating pond plants (except duckweed)"
Well, this is about the "Except duckweed" part. I found a plastic plant made for aquariums, That is replicated after duckweed, looks almost exactly like it, just a little larger than life. Once it is in the water, it looks very real. Esp. when you put a whole bunch in. Here is a link to it.
http://www.exo-terra.com/EN/products/plastic_plants_aquatic_i.html

Anyways, I thought I'd update you on this. And, It won't multiply!

A: Thanks. I wonder if plastic goldfish will eat it? LA

Jackie Thicket, TX, February 17, 2007
Hello. We are in southeast Texas, and we have had lots of rain this winter. Today was a real sunny day and the kids were outside and found what we think is a salamander. It is black with gray stripes/spots on it. Can you tell me how to take care of it. and what it is? thanks

A: Yep. Salamander. Go to Salamanders For info. LA

Mike Petruzzelli, Danbury, CT, February 17, 2007
Hello again. I've came to an agreement on my guppy problem by setting up
another 10-gallon tank to put them in instead of trying to search for a
black knife ghost around here, since I've only seen retailers have them
rarely from time to time.
I also ordered a bristlenose pleco at one of my close retailers that should be
arriving sometime next week, so my plant algae should be taken care of. Is
there anything else I should be feeding the pleco instead of him feeding on
the algae? I remember reading something on your site that feeding them
blanched zucchini or cucumber is a great food source, so I guess I could.
Another question I began thinking of was: what is a cool intermediate type
of fish I could raise in a 20-gallon, since I know how to take care of most
beginner fish such as: mollies, guppies, platys, swordtails etc. I'm looking
for something exotic, but I'm not too sure what to pick since some fish may
be too advanced for me. I don't think my tank would be large enough for a
needle nose gar, even though I want one pretty bad. I'm not even sure it
is large enough for a black ghost knife for that fact. Gobies would be
pretty sweet to have, but they're also a hard fish to find in my area.
I don't want to keep bothering you like this, unless you don't mind the
"question, answer," but you seem like the only knowledgeable person that I
can ask about fish, since one of my favorite retailers went out of business
a couple months ago. Thank you for your time and helpful information.
Sincerely,

A: You already answered your pleco food question. Barbs make excellent community fish -- and there's lots of smaller species to choose from. Best of all, you can breed many of them in a 10-gallon tank. The Q&As work best if you limit your queries to one per month. LA

Lonnie Lewis, Oakland, MD, February 17, 2007
I have scoured the internet trying to find out what's wrong with my fish and
came across your page. I like it very much but can't find the info I need.
Hope you can help.
I have a fish problem that started with painted glass tetras. They would
dart then go belly up float around the tank like they were going to die, then
be ok for a day or so. They died soon thereafter. Now a Bala Shark is doing
the same thing. Also in the last month I have bought six fish from two
different places that all died within two days. Had my water tested at local
pet shop. Everything was ok.
Any ideas. Thanks.

A: My first idea would be that everything was not okay. Water test kits only test a few things. They cannot test for soap and other cleaning materials, bug spray, high/low temperature, over/under/wrong medications, over lighting, lack of cover, over feeding, internal parasites, improper foods, bullies, and other stresses.
Painted glassfish are not really tetras. They need some salt in their water and do much better with frequent feedings of live foods. Any painted fish is also going to be weak from the "painted" process. They also do better in groups than as singles or pairs. LA

Maxwell Smart, Port Townsend, WA, February 17, 2007
Happened upon your site and love it! I'm a photographer and animal lover in Port Townsend, WA. I'm not interested in $ but would be up for pitching in on your site for the fun of it if you're game.
My teenage daughters, foster daughters and the rest have a whole menagerie.
Aside from the too-many dogs and cats and about a dozen fish tanks, we had 2 llamas (Yoshi and Dollie) 3 newts (Gingrich, Wayne, and Issac) a Scarlet Macaw with a sufficient 4-letter word vocabulary that I was asked to not bring her to the school anymore, a ball python (Monte) and two ferrets
(Gizmo and Weasel). My friends joke that I have an entire food-chain in my
house.
But it makes for great pictures and I love sharing them. If you'd like to use any, all I ask is photo cred so if I ever decide I want to be famous
someday we can both say we were there back then and probably both of us make a mint off the old shots.
What say? Here's a sample of Scarlet having a beer.

A: Really nice pic. Okay, Agent 86, let's pull down the "Cone of Silence" and make a deal. First, is that macaw old enough to drink beer? Second, don't send me your whole portfolio. Start with about 10 and let's see what happens. Third, I can probably guarantee that you won't get rich. LA

Greg, Port Townsend, WA, February 17, 2007
You know, I never thought about whether Scarlet was old enough to drink. She's actually only about four. Got her a few days out of the nest. She
doesn't even know she's a bird. But she flies out to my boat and lands on
the yardarm and screams until we get out there and go sailing. It'll be a
few months until it warms up enough for me to get shots of that. Makes for a
great tourist attraction, though. People are always going, "How do you get
her back?"
I say, "Like this," put my arm out and call her and she flies back to me.
And I'm serious. With a house full of teenagers, she has a VOCABULARY.
Here's another good shot of her. I'll dig the archives and send more as I
find them. Feel free to use them. Credit Greg in Port Townsend, WA.

From Greg in Port Townsend, WA aka Maxwell Smart aka Agent 86.

A: I didn't think her background looked much like Florida (like I'm some sort of Florida expert). However, I was able to see thru your Maxwell Smart cover. "You missed it by just this much." LA

Bryan T. Phenicie, Franklin, PA, February 18, 2007
Please provide me with as much or as little information as possible on this very uncommon type. I am an angelfish fanatic and would very much like to do a tank with black veil, gold veil, and the elusive red. THANK YOU.

A: I'll tell you as much as I know (which also happens to be very little) about the red angels. I received a few shipments of them from Segrest Farms in Florida a couple years ago. They reputedly came out of Czechoslovakia. I was unable to keep them alive long enough to breed them. Only retailers can order from Segrest Farms, so don't even try. Ask your local fish store to look into getting them for you. They will cost you more than your average angel. They're only available occasionally. And, as Forrest says, "that's all I have to say about that." LA

Sherrie Revland, Thornton, IA, February 18, 2007
Dear Aqualand, I have been looking for this snail for a long time now. It is a European pond snail that is an exotic species import to the USA. I first acquired it when I bought some pond plants at a Des Moines Earl May store. I contacted that store when I lost my snails and have had no luck in getting it back. When clean, this snail is beautiful! It’s ears glow in the sunlight. It has a very thin shell and you have to handle it carefully. I have looked for it on the web and find info, but nowhere to buy it. I can across your website, and a kickin website it is. WOW on content. Have you ever seen this snail? You would most certainly like it! I like snails, this species in particular and want to get it again. Thank-You!

Photo by Esther Wullschleger

A: I'm not sure whether I've seen it or not. I'll see what I can do about finding a source. What with the recent federal snail regulations, it may no longer be available. LA

Vicki Erickson, MA, February 18, 2007
RE Feb 13 email on ghost knife spawning
I could only get a picture of one baby ghost knife. The other one is hiding. I don't know how old they are, maybe 7 weeks. We never saw them from egg to baby. The big one is the dad.

A: Congrats. Start passing out those cigars. In the meantime, Kathie (who works at Aqualand) sent me a couple ghost knife spawning reports. I lost them temporarily. I'll get them to you later. LA

Annemarie Rusz, NY, February 18, 2007
Hi, I wanted to ask, if you have any idea why my royal and gold nugget plecos die on me after 2-4 weeks? They were in a "community" tank that I had for 6 years, that is housing mostly catfish and loaches now. There is no ammonia. I did water changes regularly and use salt. It's an Eclipse 12, by the way.. Ph is around 7.4.

The plecos were not the only fish I could not keep alive for long. There were a few cichlids (Texas, firemouth, and a few I can't even remember that I gave up on ever keeping, it added up to over $140 fish loss in just 4 mos.)

I really love plecos and there is driftwood for them and a constant algae source (besides algae wafers). My sailfin butterfly pleco and spotted Raphael have been in there for 5+ years and doing well. I did move the pleco into my African tank 3 mos ago and he is still doing great.

I realize the fancier the pleco the more sensitive it is, but I would like to know what am I doing wrong when everybody else, including a clown pleco is doing well.

How can I increase the oxygen circulation, besides the airstone, which did not save my plecos?

Thank you so much if you take your time to answer. By the way I've been keeping fish for over 15 yrs, but I guess I am still a novice. My 2 other tanks seem to be fine and they're only a few months old. Sincerely,

A: Your pleco experience closely parallels my recent pleco experience -- same lack of success with those two species. You needn't feel like the Lone Ranger. I've been chalking it up to the season -- summertime in Brasil. So I'm cutting back on new plecos for a month or so.
You can increase your aeration with a canister filter or even a powerhead with a hose with a shower head on the other end. Adding another outside filter will also increase circulation. And those airstones really do a heck of a circulation job. LA

Mike, Saskatoon Saskatchewan, Canada, February 19, 2007

Hi, I've been looking at purchasing a sugar glider or two, but I can not find a price, or a dealer. Could you send me a list of dealers and prices. Thank you

A: I don't have a list of Canadian sugar glider dealers or prices. I'd suggest a Google search for: Saskatoon + "sugar glider" If you get no satisfactory results, broaden your search to: Saskatchewan + "sugar gliders" There's supposed to be a Sugar Glider Association in Regina. I hope this info helps. LA

Ryan Wilton, Toronto, ON, February 19, 2007
Hey, I've been reading up a bit on your site (okay well a lot because of all
the useful information) and I came across a bullfrog tadpole about 9-10
months ago. No idea how old he is for sure, however about 2 weeks ago he
got his legs, and just last night he finished growing in his arms. My question is, how long after his arms are grown in will it take him to become, and look like, an actual frog? He still does have his tail.
Another question is about gravel. Do I need it for a bullfrog? I have some
large river rock pebbles. Would this suffice? Also, I have an African clawed
frog (albino) and I was wondering if sand would be good as a substrate for
him?

A: No exact answer is possible because it depends on temperature and food consumed. Right now he's absorbing the energy stored in his tail. His eyes and mouth will grow at the same time. Once he switches over, he needs some sort of island or he will drown. He'll also need moving frog food -- crickets, worms, fish or similar live foods.
Most frogs couldn't care less about their substrate. However, some people think that hungry frogs will eat large chunks of gravel in their quest for live foods. I'd go with which ever one looks best to you. LA

Dracullela, Knoxville, IA, February 19, 2007
Hi, I was rereading your page about moons for the umpteenth time. You have a lot of information but what you don't have is information on the development of the fry after they stop being fry and turn into the little orange fish about half an inch long. The mom I got when she was about an inch and a half long. Now she is the biggest thing in the tank -- bigger than even my adult corys -- and really deep in the main body. How big do adult moons get before stopping? She's about an inch or so wide, is this normal or is she just fat from eating too much?

When it comes to babies, the amount I have now is good. How long is it until the babies are mature enough to breed? I don't need my babies giving birth to babies. That would be complicated. Also, the mom is a mickey moon but the babies only have these two little black dots on the edges where the 'ears' are. Does the 'face' show up later or is this just breeding. Since I got the mom and two aunts from a tank where they had multiple mickey moons, I have no idea which one was the dad.

The mom ate the two aunts to death -- she ate all the food before they could -- or they both had complications from pregnancy. Both were alright one morning and then both were croaked the next.

Oh, on your page you said that even moon moms like the taste of moon fry, is this true for all fish? I've seen some sites that say that moons are less likely to eat their young than other fish. The first time I had 3 fry, I set up a fry tank with a sponge filter and they died. This time I just let them be in the main 20 gal high with mom and 6 corys. They hid in the tall plastic plants I have in the edges. All of them survived -- I think. At last count there were about 12, although they move around so much they're hard to count.

Please help a journeywoman fish keeper out here. This was my first time with livebearers. I usually have blue gouramis. At least then you know what sex they are. Sincerely, Drace

P.S. How old do the babies have to be before I could bring them to Aqualand to sell them? If I keep them in the tank, I'll have a moon explosion. Thanks for the help.

A: Big fish eat little fish. No one patrols the rivers, lakes, and streams of the world with a huge can of TetraMin flakes. Moon moms and dads and uncles and aunts (and your corys) eat small fish including their own fry. Moon moms give birth to about 30 fry every six weeks and usually devour the bulk of each litter. If they didn't, we'd be up to our hipwaders in moons.
Surviving fry (the smart ones) evade the predators by hiding in the plants, rocks, and gravel. If they make it to the ripe old age of a week or two, they become quick enough or smart enough to grow into fish. The females probably become fertile at three months, so they would start having babies at 4.5 months of age.
If you want lots and lots of fry, add several bunches of hornwort to your tank. You will have many more survivors from your next litter. If you want no more babies, add two angelfish. They are skilled predators.
When we buy moons at Aqualand, we usually get 20 to 30 of the same color type. I can't tell if your super-sized moon is normal or not. And I doubt that she was able to out eat her "sisters" until they died. LA

Sarah Taylor, Orange, CA, February 20, 2007
Hey, You have two insects listed as "friendly 3/4'-inch ? bugs" on this page:
http://www.aqualandpetsplus.com/Bugs,%20Miscellaneous.htm
The first is a picture of Milkweed bug nymphs, Oncopeltus fasciatus. The second is a picture of the adult of that species. Just thought I'd add some trivial information!
Also, on an unrelated topic, do you have any advice for raising a bass? I recently rescued one from a shipment of feeder goldfish where I work. It's only about 1.5'' at the moment and will only eat live/frozen brine shrimp and worms and baby guppies. I can't get it to touch any kind of manufactured food (and I would assume that something like baby cichlid pellets are correct for this type of fish). Any ideas? And what can I expect from this fish in the future, in terms of size, dietary requirements and temperament? I can't seem to find much information about raising bass as individuals (in aquariums) ... or
raising bass at all. Thanks,

Bug A: Thanks for the bug info. I added it to my bug page.
Bass A: Largemouth bass (really a sunfish) grow huge -- 10 ponds in Iowa, over 20 down south. They reach 4 to 6 inches their first year, 8 to 12 their second year, and live a couple decades. They are at the top of the food chain in most areas and eat fish, crayfish, frogs, leeches, insects, small animals, and birds.
Smallmouth bass live in cooler waters and top out at 7 pounds.
Aquaculturists use a Hybrid Bass Pellet to feed their real bass crosses (stripers), but I haven't been able to find a commercial largemouth bass food. I'd use a small cichlid pellet. Bass are attracted to movement, so I'd toss the pellets in one at a time. Since he did okay with the feeder goldfish, I'd add some goldfish to spark your bass' competitive instincts and eat up the extra pellets. Ten pounds of food will yield one pound to his body weight. Goldfish are much more efficient food utilizers. LA
PS Myself, I'd put him back in the feeder tank.

Bumble Freely, UK, February 20, 2007
Can I keep two hamsters in the same cage? If you have a Syrian hamster, often called the "Teddy Bear Hamster", the answer is "no". Syrian hamsters are solitary. If you try to keep two together, one will eventually kill the other. If, on the other hand, you have Campbell's dwarf Russian or Winter White Siberian hamsters, the answer is "usually". If you buy a pair of young hamster siblings from the pet store, then they will most likely be fine. If your dwarf hamster has been on its own for a while, then it is much less likely to accept new company. So what I want you to know is it is dangerous.

Thank you for noticing me.

A: Teddy bear hamsters in our neck of the woods are just long-haired Syrian (regular) hamsters. I find that all hamsters (and gerbils and mice) kept by themselves will argue/fight with new additions to their cage. So you start them both out in neutral corners (like prize fighters) -- not in the cage of the original occupant. Give them a few toilet paper rolls, empty frozen juice cans, or commercial hamster houses to claim as their own. If they still argue, spritz them with perfume. And, if they still argue, dip them in water. Wet hamsters rarely fight. They spend all their time cleaning themselves. Repeat the dipping process until they quit arguing. LA

Ryan Wilton, Toronto, ON, February 20, 2007
RE Bullfrog Tadpole
Okay, not too sure how much he is eating. Currently I have him in a 29
gallon community tank, temperature 74-76 F. I'm giving extra shrimp pellets
and algae wafers to ensure he gets some food. I've got a 10gallon tank ready for him/her, half full without a heater and I've got a turtle dock landing for him/her. I'm thinking of isolating him/her from the other fish into a 5-gallon tank, would this be okay until he/she turns into a frog?

A: Your set up sounds good. But don't feed him much while he's losing his tail. His mouth is also changing. LA

Ben le Nobel-Quee, Toronto, ON, February 20, 2007
Dear LA, I was wondering, if I were to put some clown loaches over white sand, do you think they would lose their natural color? What about a rainbow shark? Thanks

A: I think the clown loaches would go pale at first. After two or three weeks, they would adjust to their new surroundings and regain their natural vibrant colors. The rainbow shark would only get a little pale and for a very short time. LA

Tim, February 20, 2007
Hello, do you guys sell reptiles? I couldn't tell by the site. Thank you

A: We sell lizards, snakes, turtles, tortoises, frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, and tarantulas. But we do not ship them. LA

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Under Gravel Filters Sponge 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 Pet World Visit Dandelions 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	We don't ship critters or live fish. When writing us, include your location. LA_Aqualand@msn.com We'll start off the proceedings with a couple queries from a continuously curious Canadian. LA Philip Barnsdale, Brookfield, NS, Canada, February 11, 2007 I just had baby mollies last night. Do I put them in fresh water or leave them in the brackish water? A: Leave them as is unless you have big fish in there that will eat them. LA Phil again I put them in a baby holding tank inside the tank. What should I feed them, and thank you very much for all the info you have provided. It is a 30 gallon tank. I am going to do a water change today on the tank. Remember? I added 2 cups salt to 10 litres of water and added that all at once to the tank. When I do a water change today, how much salt should I add this time? 1 cup for every 10 litres of water or more or less? I am not sure how much water I want to take out to get rid of the waste at bottom of tank? Plecos won't survive in a brackish tank will they? Is there anything I can get to help clean the waste and glass in the tank? A: Feed the babies the same thing you feed the parents. Mush your flakes up between your forefinger and thumb. Wipe your glass weekly with an algae remover pad. Clean your gravel weekly with a Gravel Vacuum Cleaner. For each gallon of water you replace, add 1.5 teaspoons of aquarium salt. Make sure you add water at the same temperature as the water in your tank. LA Ray Risley, Indiana, February 11, 2007 A shout out to LA, I am setting up a small saltwater tank. I have 4 freshwater tanks now, but this is my first salt, and have a couple questions. But first I want to tell you that I LOVE your site. It is packed with a wealth of information!!! and is very easy to navigate!! GREAT JOB!! My tank measures 36"x18"x16" tall. I believe it is called a 40 gallon breeder-tank. I used Crushed Atlantic Coral as my base. I used Instant Ocean Sea Salt for my water mixture and it is maintaining 1.022 SG, the pH is at 8.3 and the NH3+NH4 is 0-0.25. I added 8 pcs of rock that came from a salt water tank. I let the tank go for one week and then I added 9 small damsels..Ok now my Questions. 1; I want to add some live Fiji rock how much is too much? And should I buy cured or uncured? 2; I have been told with a tank as small as mine that I do not need a protein skimmer? I am thinking that I might? 3; I have read that a new tank needs to cycle first. that the ammonia will increase and then go back to normal? Is this correct and approximately how long does it take to cycle? 4; OK, now the tricky one. I eventually want to add coral and anemones to make this a reef tank, and I have done a lot of research on lighting. Do I have to go with metal halide or is a T5 high output light enough? I have read so much that I am beginning to confuse myself (BRAIN OVERLOAD), so if you could give me a light of hope (no pun intended). I would appreciate it. I am looking to buy a fixture type not a retrofit. I am leaning toward metal halide but the High Outputs are not as expensive. I don't know how much wattage for this size tank? Also do I need the Actinic type lights as well or is that just a nice additional feature? Do you know any good light fixture sellers? And last, do you sell Fiji live rock or could you recommend a GOOD site that does? Ok; after all that if you have not fallen asleep by now, any information that you could share with me would be greatly appreciated. Thank You Very Much God Bless to you and your Family A: Thanks for the thumbs up, Ray. However, I've been out of saltwater for over a decade -- nearly two. You need to hook up with a local saltwater fish store so you get the latest info and equipment. LA PS Reading up on the topic is a wise investment. Rob and Julia, East Tennessee, February 11, 2007 Hi, We have owned this guy for about 4 years now and would like to identify him. We know he is a catfish, but can you give us any more info on him? Attached are 2 pics of him. Thanks, R&J R&J A: Looks like a spotted Raphael from here. They like to hide (very well) during the day and eat when the lights go off. When you take them out of the water, they make a grunting noise. If you hold them in your hand, they will try to pinch you between their pectoral fins and the sharp scutes along their sides. They are not picky eaters and especially love neons. LA Imraan Sheikh, India, February 12, 2007 Hello Mr. Arnold, I started keeping aquariums for the past two years. I owned and bred various Live Bearers, Gouramis and have even bred a pair of Oscars twice. Now I have moved on to keeping discus (two days ago) and I must say that these are truly royal fishes to keep. *I have a pair of 4" Red Melon Discus, with a pair of Monodactylus Argenteus, and four male Pearl Gouramis, and two Trapdoor Snails* to clean up the extra food. But from the time I have brought them from the aquarist, both of the Discus occupy the corner of the tank, whereas they used to move around in the crowded aquarist tank. I have been feeding Tubiflex Worms to the fishes, but the discus won't even come up to the feeding cup, they just eat the worms lodged between the stones. The aquarist told me that they are a bit shy, as it is a new tank. Please help, I am getting a little bit worried now. I have attached a couple of pictures, so as to help you get the general idea of what is going on. You have a great website running up there, keep up the good job. A: Before I answer your question, I'm going to go off on a tangent about the word "tubiflex." They are really tubifex worms. A couple decades or so ago, Kordon came out with a paste food called "Tubiflex." It came in a tube -- like toothpaste. Ever since then, fish keepers have been saying tubifLex. Now back to your question: Discus live in soft, acid water vastly different than the hard, alkaline water you would keep monos in. Call your aquarist store and ask them the pH, hardness, and temperature of their water. Then test your water and correct it if necessary. You'll need to remove the discus or the monos from your current tank. LA Dee McFarland, Southern IA, February 12, 2007 Hello from southern Iowa. Would like to say I really like your website and the information it provides, and have no problem recommending it to others. I would like to know the price of a 29 gal tank I have a 20L and would like to get a larger tank that will fit on the same stand. Also would like to share that I am the proud owner of about 40 baby angels. Can’t wait till they get big enough to really see their markings. Thanks again for providing a wonderful site. A: We rarely give prices by email. However, you can call us at 515 283-0300 and get the info. Use your cell phone to avoid long distance charges. Congrats on the angel fry. LA Angelea, Lincoln, NE, February 13, 2007 Hello, I am writing to you because I first would like to say how wonderful and informative your site is! So much information that I didn't know all in one convenient site. It covers all the pets I have at home except one. What about the leopard geckos? I have books at home that I can read, but I still like to cruise the net and see if there is anything new that I didn't know about them. (There isn't much info out there.) With all the awesome critters that you have on your site, it surprised me that leopard geckos were not among them. Why? I currently have my hands full with six leos and need all the info I can get. Thanks A: Ah, if you go to Gecko, Leopard all your wildest dreams will come true (to quote Pedro). LA Vicki Erickson, MA, February 13, 2007 I have 3 ghost fish in a 55 gal tank, the biggest is 16 inches, the next one is 12 inches, and the smallest is about 9 inches. I don't know which one, but one of them just had 2 babies. I was looking to get help on what to do with the babies, or how long to leave them in the tank, or who's the mom How many times they will have babies? I still can't believe it happened. They are so cute. Any help let me know. A: How big are the babies? I'd take them out right now so the parents would not be tempted. I'm unaware of any black ghost spawnings, so keep me informed. Baby black ghosts hit the market at 1.5 to 2 inches long. If you have friends like some of mine, they would sneak in baby black ghost knife fish to tweak me. Any chance of a photo? I'll add your report to my black ghost page. LA Adria Deitz, Liberty, SC, February 14, 2007 Hi! I just wanted to thank you for your wonderful and informative site. I refer to it often when I'm researching new fish to add to my collection. It's very friendly and not boring which makes the reading all that more easier. A: Thanks for your Valentine Day message. LA Bumble Freely, UK, February 14, 2007 I was reading your rat info and I'm not sure but I think you aren't housing your rats properly. You haven't put them on the right litter. Because you said they sit around . They are actually trying to sweat. Because they sweat out their feet. Maybe you can keep them on paper of some sort. And if you want to give them something to dig in, give them some sawdust in a pot. They can dig in it when they want to. LA A: We keep our rats in four large cages with gravity feed bins, one quart water bottles, and aspen litter. LA Etpageme, February 14, 2007 I read the page on Malaysian snails where if you see an entire herd of snails headed for the top during the day then you have a severe water quality problem. I admit that I have a water quality problem with the aquarium and I am addressing it now but I'm not sure what to do. This is my first fish tank. I have two Neon Tetras, about 8 to 10 Corys including babies, and two young Ramshorns. I've also got another kind of snail in the tank that I cannot ID. It's small, black, breeds like crazy and leaves clear jelly everywhere with eggs in it. They're even clogging up my filter. Another question, I need to change the tank completely and I don't have a second tank nor can I afford one. Can I use a bucket that had cat litter in it? Thanks! A1: Clown loaches will quickly devour your snails. You have a crop of Physa, the common pond snail. Their eggs sneak in as hitchhikers on your plants. They reproduce very rapidly when you overfeed your fish. A2: You can correct your water quality by cleaning your gravel weekly with a Gravel Vacuum Cleaner. And quit overfeeding. LA Mike Petruzzelli, Danbury, CT, February 14, 2007 Hi, my name is Mike Petruzzelli and I want to thank you for your incredible site! It's been helping me with fish decisions, what types of food to feed my fish, mixing fish etc. It's definitely one of the most informative and helpful aquatic sites I've seen in a while. I own a 20-gallon freshwater tank right now (trying to con mom into getting a 38-gallon) and a while back I did a science project for a contest on fish. I ended up doing the changes in fish growth on fancy guppies using different types of fish foods. After finishing up with the project, I was stuck with Fancy Guppies, which I soon realized wasn't so bad at the time. So I ended up kicking up the decor in the tank by purchasing a starter Amazon Sword plant, a tinier almost dead Amazon sword plant (which I got for half price), and a small Anubias plant. I also purchased 3 Albino Corys, which are one of the most amazing corys I've ever had, and a couple more Fancy Guppy males. The tank looked awesome. Unfortunately for me, the guppies kept having babies and now my tank is chock full of them. I tried asking different fish retailers near me if they would buy them, but they can only take them for free, which is unfair. I have about 20-25 guppies in my tank right now, along with my 3 Albino Corys and I know things are starting to get a little crowded. I really want to start a tank with abstract fish, like a Long nose Gar or a Black Ghost Knife, but I know the tank is way too small for something like that, even if I did somehow get rid of my guppies. I can't think of any other way to get rid of them other than them just dying out, which could take months, even years. Is there any way I can do this without being too harsh? My plants on the other hand are growing fairly amazing if I do say so myself. The almost dead Amazon Sword, ended up growing to be twice the size it used to be in only about a month in a half! My larger Amazon Sword only had about 5 or 6 leaves when I bought it, but now it takes up about half of my tank and has over 30 leaves when I counted last. Even my slow-growing Anubias is growing at a steady pace, but still not as big as I wanted it to be. Is there a way to grow a larger Anubias plant other than using plant food such as "Plant Tabs" which I used for a while? My large Amazon Sword is also getting a lot of algae attached to some of the leaves from time to time, making me snip off leaves every so often. Is my Amazon Sword getting too much light from my tank hood? Can I buy a Plecostomus and have him eat the algae without tearing my plant apart? Hopefully you can answer my questions, and I want to thank you for creating such an informative site to help me out. Thank you! Sincerely, A1: Add a black ghost knife fish. He will thin out your guppy population. A2: Anubias grow slow unless you grow them emersed. A3: A small bristlenose pleco should solve your algae problem. Or a clutch of otocinclus. LA Ozzy Weiss, February 14, 2007 Ok, forget the stonefish, forget the gar (it will probably get way too big even for a 90 gal,) what about a clown knife? I was thinking an arowana too, but....I think if a clown knife can rip them up, my especially brutal oscar could do it no problem. I was also thinking a ghost knife, but they are way too peaceful for a tank of bullies, right? A: If you insist on mixing highly territorial fish that want to kill and/or maim each other, keep good records. Then you can tell us which ones win the ultimate fighter smack down. LA Stephanie, February 14, 2007 Hello ~ Just wondering if you have any female Degus in stock? Thanks, A: Probably, but I don't know for certain. My computer's at home and the degus are at work. Call us tomorrow morning (515 283-0300) and ask Kathie. LA Tom, Sacramento, CA, February 14, 2007 RE English keets. I saw them mentioned on your web page/site... Do you ever get any? Do you have any links that I might read more about them? Thanks A: Yes, we get English keets, frequently. I don't have any links. However, when I googled "English parakeets," I got 1,090 hits. LA Ronny TJ, Indonesia, February 15, 2007 Hi, I've read your wasp fish/butterfly goby (*Vespicula depressifrons) section. It's the most detailed info on net I've ever found ! I live in Indonesia, last week I bought 3 wasp fish. You're right about picky eaters. I fed them frozen bloodworms and I never saw them eating it but they're very active day and night. However, I noticed their white poop, pure white, is this normal? Considering that I never feed them anything else beside frozen worms and few pellets. I put them in a freshwater tank with a bit of salt, temp 75-80F with some neon tetras and they never gulped those neons. A: I'm not a trained coprologist so I really never really paid much attention to their fecal production. I would, however, not trust them with neon tetras. LA Kelsey Vanmeter, IOWA, February 15, 2007.* I was in your store about a week ago looking at your ferrets. I'm really interested in owning one, but I would like to start out with a younger ferret. Your ferrets looked great, but I noticed you had a sign that said they were "used." I couldn't really tell, but they looked a little bit older than I had wanted and I was just wondering where you got your ferrets from? Is there any possibility that you would be getting young, baby ferrets in at any time? Or could you like special order a baby ferret for me? Thank you so much!! Hope to hear back from you! Thanks again. A: We sell only the Marshall ferrets, descented and neutered. Decades ago we sold wild ones but we decided their odor was a bit strong (to put it mildly). Looks like we have one young one and two used ones on hand. We'll have another young one tomorrow. Hopefully, one will still be there when you come in. LA PS: Actually, I hope we sell them all by 9 pm today. Sam Saeteurn, February 15, 2007 Is it ok to mix a 4 in long nose gar with a 6 in pleco? I already have the pleco. I was thinking about buying a gar for my tank. Thanks. A: A gar won't hurt your pleco. He'll just ignore him. However, he will probably grow to a couple feet long. LA Matthew Brown, Mattoon, IL, February 16, 2007 Greetings, I recently bought a kuhli loach without knowing a whole lot about it. I was browsing the internet for info and came across your page. I must say the information you provide is not only informative, but quite extensive. I also forwarded your web address to my brother in law who after seeing my aquariums, decided to go out and get a tank of his own. I figured it would be much easier on him (and me) if he followed your instructions since it is so well set up. Anyway, just wanted to let you know that I am going to use your page to look up any info I may need, and if I am ever in the Des Moines area I will have to stop in and take a look. Keep up the excellent work. Regards, A: I appreciate your comments, but it's always a good idea to have more than one source of information. LA Tom, Sacramento, CA, February 16, 2007 RE Feb 14 email Thanks for the Reply Larry -- and while I know and have had 'PARAkeets'... there is a difference between the 'PARAkeets' and KEETS (note: No Para) I can buy all the Parakeets I want in Norcal -- don't have to Google for them... However, I am after "Keets" btw - I have seen a 'Keet' -- there is a Difference. I'll find one (again) A: Hm, looks like I'm in danger of learning something entirely new. I just used "keets" as a contraction. I did not know there was a difference. Now, I'll have to find out more. I'll start with our local bird club. Thanks for the info. LA Marianne Stevenson, Hopewell Junction, NY, February 16, 2007 Hi! You have a great website with some really terrific pictures. I am the proud parent to a pair of male & female soap dish crabs. I found your website during a Google search to get information about them. Your website is the only one with correct pictures of the crabs I have. I have had them since summer, and they survived their first molt a few weeks after I brought them home. The female is now loaded with eggs and I am not sure how to make her comfortable or if there is any way to help the crab eggs survive so they can become baby crabs. There is very little information about these crabs anywhere on the web, and I would appreciate any information you could provide. Thanks for any help you can offer. Sincerely, A: Don't take this as Gospel, but most (if not all) crabs return to the sea to lay their thousands of eggs. They hatch in the saltwater and become part of the floating plankton (animal and plant) that lives in the nutrient-rich top layer of the ocean. They eat or are eaten by each other and finally molt into tiny crablets which continue their eat or be eaten process until they attain full crabhood and are stuck into soap dishes and sent to the US. LA Suachi Xiong, Wausau, WI, February 16, 2007 Dear Aqualand Pets Plus, I've looked everywhere to find the same exact "Jellybean Convict" that's on your website, yet I can't seem to find them anywhere else. They don't have any in this small area. I asked around on the net about where I could get the same exact fish that's on www.aqualandpetsplus.com. But every time I get an answer, no one seems to know, or gives me info on a different type. I know that you don't ship any critters or live fish other than koi. But if you know where I can get these Jellybean Convicts, please let me know because I'm in desperate need of help. I'd really like to get the same ones from the pictures in the link below, white with pale blue and pink. Please tell me if you know anything, where they were ordered, anywhere I could get them shipped to Wausau? Thank you. Sincerely, LA Inch-long parrot cichlid. When dyed, they're called jelly beans. A: As near as I can remember, I got them from a transhipper in California called ZFISH a few years ago. Walt asked me if I'd ever heard of "jellybeans?" Since I hadn't, I ordered some. I think there were 50 in the pack but cannot swear to it. I can't remember the country of origin either. They came in pink, green, purple, and so forth -- like the painted glassfish. That spawning pair was the last two out of the original 50. The last jellybeans we ordered came from APET, a wholesaler in Illinois. They were not painted. Finding them in small quantities will be difficult. Finding the specific color you seek will be more than difficult. LA PS They appear to be a cross between a pink convict and a gold severum. Josue Martinez, February 16, 2007 Hey, it's Josue again. I have had a jaguar cichlid in a bare 29 gallon tank for about a month now, and at only two inches, it already flares at my face and hands, sometimes even bites them. Could I put an archer fish about the same size with the jag? The jaguar cichlid eats guppies, frozen saltwater shrimp, and crickets. A: Your archer will eat the same foods, just not as much -- especially in the presence of the much more aggressive jaguar. The jaguar will grow faster and meaner. He may not eat your archer but he will dominate it and probably beat it to death. Save your money. LA Logan Newbanks, February 16, 2007 This may seem like an odd question, but can I keep a golden gecko and a giant African millipede in the same terrarium together? It seems like they can live in about the same habitat . My gecko lives in a 42 gallon hex tank and if I put the millipede in there he would have a lot more room to move around. They're about the same size and I really can't see the gecko trying to eat the millipede. But I don't know of there are any issues with the millipede putting any chemicals off that would make the gecko sick. Thank you for your time. A: Sounds like a good mix to me. LA RSK Rebecca S. Key, February 17, 2007 The gang is all here! Hope you like them as much as I do! A: Yup. I added some dark ones to my Fire-Belly Toad page also. LA Mike Fries, President, Minnesota Aquarium Society, Feb 17, 2007 Would you please post the information about our Tropical Fish Show on March 10th and 11th. If you have any questions you can contact me at the address below. I have included a press release, copy of the show poster, and show logo for you to use. Thanks A: You got it. LA Mina Spenzi, NC, February 17, 2007 You can put this on your web page, if you would like but please don't put my email. I have emailed you before, but once again, I must say, I love your site. Anyways, in your pond plants page, it says "Floating Plastic Plants. Lacking a green thumb? You can find all the floating pond plants (except duckweed)" Well, this is about the "Except duckweed" part. I found a plastic plant made for aquariums, That is replicated after duckweed, looks almost exactly like it, just a little larger than life. Once it is in the water, it looks very real. Esp. when you put a whole bunch in. Here is a link to it. http://www.exo-terra.com/EN/products/plastic_plants_aquatic_i.html Anyways, I thought I'd update you on this. And, It won't multiply! A: Thanks. I wonder if plastic goldfish will eat it? LA Jackie Thicket, TX, February 17, 2007 Hello. We are in southeast Texas, and we have had lots of rain this winter. Today was a real sunny day and the kids were outside and found what we think is a salamander. It is black with gray stripes/spots on it. Can you tell me how to take care of it. and what it is? thanks JT A: Yep. Salamander. Go to Salamanders For info. LA Mike Petruzzelli, Danbury, CT, February 17, 2007 Hello again. I've came to an agreement on my guppy problem by setting up another 10-gallon tank to put them in instead of trying to search for a black knife ghost around here, since I've only seen retailers have them rarely from time to time. I also ordered a bristlenose pleco at one of my close retailers that should be arriving sometime next week, so my plant algae should be taken care of. Is there anything else I should be feeding the pleco instead of him feeding on the algae? I remember reading something on your site that feeding them blanched zucchini or cucumber is a great food source, so I guess I could. Another question I began thinking of was: what is a cool intermediate type of fish I could raise in a 20-gallon, since I know how to take care of most beginner fish such as: mollies, guppies, platys, swordtails etc. I'm looking for something exotic, but I'm not too sure what to pick since some fish may be too advanced for me. I don't think my tank would be large enough for a needle nose gar, even though I want one pretty bad. I'm not even sure it is large enough for a black ghost knife for that fact. Gobies would be pretty sweet to have, but they're also a hard fish to find in my area. I don't want to keep bothering you like this, unless you don't mind the "question, answer," but you seem like the only knowledgeable person that I can ask about fish, since one of my favorite retailers went out of business a couple months ago. Thank you for your time and helpful information. Sincerely, A: You already answered your pleco food question. Barbs make excellent community fish -- and there's lots of smaller species to choose from. Best of all, you can breed many of them in a 10-gallon tank. The Q&As work best if you limit your queries to one per month. LA Lonnie Lewis, Oakland, MD, February 17, 2007 I have scoured the internet trying to find out what's wrong with my fish and came across your page. I like it very much but can't find the info I need. Hope you can help. I have a fish problem that started with painted glass tetras. They would dart then go belly up float around the tank like they were going to die, then be ok for a day or so. They died soon thereafter. Now a Bala Shark is doing the same thing. Also in the last month I have bought six fish from two different places that all died within two days. Had my water tested at local pet shop. Everything was ok. Any ideas. Thanks. A: My first idea would be that everything was not okay. Water test kits only test a few things. They cannot test for soap and other cleaning materials, bug spray, high/low temperature, over/under/wrong medications, over lighting, lack of cover, over feeding, internal parasites, improper foods, bullies, and other stresses. Painted glassfish are not really tetras. They need some salt in their water and do much better with frequent feedings of live foods. Any painted fish is also going to be weak from the "painted" process. They also do better in groups than as singles or pairs. LA Maxwell Smart, Port Townsend, WA, February 17, 2007 Happened upon your site and love it! I'm a photographer and animal lover in Port Townsend, WA. I'm not interested in $ but would be up for pitching in on your site for the fun of it if you're game. My teenage daughters, foster daughters and the rest have a whole menagerie. Aside from the too-many dogs and cats and about a dozen fish tanks, we had 2 llamas (Yoshi and Dollie) 3 newts (Gingrich, Wayne, and Issac) a Scarlet Macaw with a sufficient 4-letter word vocabulary that I was asked to not bring her to the school anymore, a ball python (Monte) and two ferrets (Gizmo and Weasel). My friends joke that I have an entire food-chain in my house. But it makes for great pictures and I love sharing them. If you'd like to use any, all I ask is photo cred so if I ever decide I want to be famous someday we can both say we were there back then and probably both of us make a mint off the old shots. What say? Here's a sample of Scarlet having a beer. MS A: Really nice pic. Okay, Agent 86, let's pull down the "Cone of Silence" and make a deal. First, is that macaw old enough to drink beer? Second, don't send me your whole portfolio. Start with about 10 and let's see what happens. Third, I can probably guarantee that you won't get rich. LA Greg, Port Townsend, WA, February 17, 2007 You know, I never thought about whether Scarlet was old enough to drink. She's actually only about four. Got her a few days out of the nest. She doesn't even know she's a bird. But she flies out to my boat and lands on the yardarm and screams until we get out there and go sailing. It'll be a few months until it warms up enough for me to get shots of that. Makes for a great tourist attraction, though. People are always going, "How do you get her back?" I say, "Like this," put my arm out and call her and she flies back to me. And I'm serious. With a house full of teenagers, she has a VOCABULARY. Here's another good shot of her. I'll dig the archives and send more as I find them. Feel free to use them. Credit Greg in Port Townsend, WA. From Greg in Port Townsend, WA aka Maxwell Smart aka Agent 86. A: I didn't think her background looked much like Florida (like I'm some sort of Florida expert). However, I was able to see thru your Maxwell Smart cover. "You missed it by just this much." LA Bryan T. Phenicie, Franklin, PA, February 18, 2007 Please provide me with as much or as little information as possible on this very uncommon type. I am an angelfish fanatic and would very much like to do a tank with black veil, gold veil, and the elusive red. THANK YOU. A: I'll tell you as much as I know (which also happens to be very little) about the red angels. I received a few shipments of them from Segrest Farms in Florida a couple years ago. They reputedly came out of Czechoslovakia. I was unable to keep them alive long enough to breed them. Only retailers can order from Segrest Farms, so don't even try. Ask your local fish store to look into getting them for you. They will cost you more than your average angel. They're only available occasionally. And, as Forrest says, "that's all I have to say about that." LA Sherrie Revland, Thornton, IA, February 18, 2007 Dear Aqualand, I have been looking for this snail for a long time now. It is a European pond snail that is an exotic species import to the USA. I first acquired it when I bought some pond plants at a Des Moines Earl May store. I contacted that store when I lost my snails and have had no luck in getting it back. When clean, this snail is beautiful! It’s ears glow in the sunlight. It has a very thin shell and you have to handle it carefully. I have looked for it on the web and find info, but nowhere to buy it. I can across your website, and a kickin website it is. WOW on content. Have you ever seen this snail? You would most certainly like it! I like snails, this species in particular and want to get it again. Thank-You! Photo by Esther Wullschleger A: I'm not sure whether I've seen it or not. I'll see what I can do about finding a source. What with the recent federal snail regulations, it may no longer be available. LA Vicki Erickson, MA, February 18, 2007 RE Feb 13 email on ghost knife spawning I could only get a picture of one baby ghost knife. The other one is hiding. I don't know how old they are, maybe 7 weeks. We never saw them from egg to baby. The big one is the dad. VE A: Congrats. Start passing out those cigars. In the meantime, Kathie (who works at Aqualand) sent me a couple ghost knife spawning reports. I lost them temporarily. I'll get them to you later. LA Annemarie Rusz, NY, February 18, 2007 Hi, I wanted to ask, if you have any idea why my royal and gold nugget plecos die on me after 2-4 weeks? They were in a "community" tank that I had for 6 years, that is housing mostly catfish and loaches now. There is no ammonia. I did water changes regularly and use salt. It's an Eclipse 12, by the way.. Ph is around 7.4. The plecos were not the only fish I could not keep alive for long. There were a few cichlids (Texas, firemouth, and a few I can't even remember that I gave up on ever keeping, it added up to over $140 fish loss in just 4 mos.) I really love plecos and there is driftwood for them and a constant algae source (besides algae wafers). My sailfin butterfly pleco and spotted Raphael have been in there for 5+ years and doing well. I did move the pleco into my African tank 3 mos ago and he is still doing great. I realize the fancier the pleco the more sensitive it is, but I would like to know what am I doing wrong when everybody else, including a clown pleco is doing well. How can I increase the oxygen circulation, besides the airstone, which did not save my plecos? Thank you so much if you take your time to answer. By the way I've been keeping fish for over 15 yrs, but I guess I am still a novice. My 2 other tanks seem to be fine and they're only a few months old. Sincerely, A: Your pleco experience closely parallels my recent pleco experience -- same lack of success with those two species. You needn't feel like the Lone Ranger. I've been chalking it up to the season -- summertime in Brasil. So I'm cutting back on new plecos for a month or so. You can increase your aeration with a canister filter or even a powerhead with a hose with a shower head on the other end. Adding another outside filter will also increase circulation. And those airstones really do a heck of a circulation job. LA Mike, Saskatoon Saskatchewan, Canada, February 19, 2007 Hi, I've been looking at purchasing a sugar glider or two, but I can not find a price, or a dealer. Could you send me a list of dealers and prices. Thank you A: I don't have a list of Canadian sugar glider dealers or prices. I'd suggest a Google search for: Saskatoon + "sugar glider" If you get no satisfactory results, broaden your search to: Saskatchewan + "sugar gliders" There's supposed to be a Sugar Glider Association in Regina. I hope this info helps. LA Ryan Wilton, Toronto, ON, February 19, 2007 Hey, I've been reading up a bit on your site (okay well a lot because of all the useful information) and I came across a bullfrog tadpole about 9-10 months ago. No idea how old he is for sure, however about 2 weeks ago he got his legs, and just last night he finished growing in his arms. My question is, how long after his arms are grown in will it take him to become, and look like, an actual frog? He still does have his tail. Another question is about gravel. Do I need it for a bullfrog? I have some large river rock pebbles. Would this suffice? Also, I have an African clawed frog (albino) and I was wondering if sand would be good as a substrate for him? A: No exact answer is possible because it depends on temperature and food consumed. Right now he's absorbing the energy stored in his tail. His eyes and mouth will grow at the same time. Once he switches over, he needs some sort of island or he will drown. He'll also need moving frog food -- crickets, worms, fish or similar live foods. Most frogs couldn't care less about their substrate. However, some people think that hungry frogs will eat large chunks of gravel in their quest for live foods. I'd go with which ever one looks best to you. LA Dracullela, Knoxville, IA, February 19, 2007 Hi, I was rereading your page about moons for the umpteenth time. You have a lot of information but what you don't have is information on the development of the fry after they stop being fry and turn into the little orange fish about half an inch long. The mom I got when she was about an inch and a half long. Now she is the biggest thing in the tank -- bigger than even my adult corys -- and really deep in the main body. How big do adult moons get before stopping? She's about an inch or so wide, is this normal or is she just fat from eating too much? When it comes to babies, the amount I have now is good. How long is it until the babies are mature enough to breed? I don't need my babies giving birth to babies. That would be complicated. Also, the mom is a mickey moon but the babies only have these two little black dots on the edges where the 'ears' are. Does the 'face' show up later or is this just breeding. Since I got the mom and two aunts from a tank where they had multiple mickey moons, I have no idea which one was the dad. The mom ate the two aunts to death -- she ate all the food before they could -- or they both had complications from pregnancy. Both were alright one morning and then both were croaked the next. Oh, on your page you said that even moon moms like the taste of moon fry, is this true for all fish? I've seen some sites that say that moons are less likely to eat their young than other fish. The first time I had 3 fry, I set up a fry tank with a sponge filter and they died. This time I just let them be in the main 20 gal high with mom and 6 corys. They hid in the tall plastic plants I have in the edges. All of them survived -- I think. At last count there were about 12, although they move around so much they're hard to count. Please help a journeywoman fish keeper out here. This was my first time with livebearers. I usually have blue gouramis. At least then you know what sex they are. Sincerely, Drace P.S. How old do the babies have to be before I could bring them to Aqualand to sell them? If I keep them in the tank, I'll have a moon explosion. Thanks for the help. A: Big fish eat little fish. No one patrols the rivers, lakes, and streams of the world with a huge can of TetraMin flakes. Moon moms and dads and uncles and aunts (and your corys) eat small fish including their own fry. Moon moms give birth to about 30 fry every six weeks and usually devour the bulk of each litter. If they didn't, we'd be up to our hipwaders in moons. Surviving fry (the smart ones) evade the predators by hiding in the plants, rocks, and gravel. If they make it to the ripe old age of a week or two, they become quick enough or smart enough to grow into fish. The females probably become fertile at three months, so they would start having babies at 4.5 months of age. If you want lots and lots of fry, add several bunches of hornwort to your tank. You will have many more survivors from your next litter. If you want no more babies, add two angelfish. They are skilled predators. When we buy moons at Aqualand, we usually get 20 to 30 of the same color type. I can't tell if your super-sized moon is normal or not. And I doubt that she was able to out eat her "sisters" until they died. LA Sarah Taylor, Orange, CA, February 20, 2007 Hey, You have two insects listed as "friendly 3/4'-inch ? bugs" on this page: http://www.aqualandpetsplus.com/Bugs,%20Miscellaneous.htm The first is a picture of Milkweed bug nymphs, Oncopeltus fasciatus. The second is a picture of the adult of that species. Just thought I'd add some trivial information! Also, on an unrelated topic, do you have any advice for raising a bass? I recently rescued one from a shipment of feeder goldfish where I work. It's only about 1.5'' at the moment and will only eat live/frozen brine shrimp and worms and baby guppies. I can't get it to touch any kind of manufactured food (and I would assume that something like baby cichlid pellets are correct for this type of fish). Any ideas? And what can I expect from this fish in the future, in terms of size, dietary requirements and temperament? I can't seem to find much information about raising bass as individuals (in aquariums) ... or raising bass at all. Thanks, Bug A: Thanks for the bug info. I added it to my bug page. Bass A: Largemouth bass (really a sunfish) grow huge -- 10 ponds in Iowa, over 20 down south. They reach 4 to 6 inches their first year, 8 to 12 their second year, and live a couple decades. They are at the top of the food chain in most areas and eat fish, crayfish, frogs, leeches, insects, small animals, and birds. Smallmouth bass live in cooler waters and top out at 7 pounds. Aquaculturists use a Hybrid Bass Pellet to feed their real bass crosses (stripers), but I haven't been able to find a commercial largemouth bass food. I'd use a small cichlid pellet. Bass are attracted to movement, so I'd toss the pellets in one at a time. Since he did okay with the feeder goldfish, I'd add some goldfish to spark your bass' competitive instincts and eat up the extra pellets. Ten pounds of food will yield one pound to his body weight. Goldfish are much more efficient food utilizers. LA PS Myself, I'd put him back in the feeder tank. Bumble Freely, UK, February 20, 2007 Can I keep two hamsters in the same cage? If you have a Syrian hamster, often called the "Teddy Bear Hamster", the answer is "no". Syrian hamsters are solitary. If you try to keep two together, one will eventually kill the other. If, on the other hand, you have Campbell's dwarf Russian or Winter White Siberian hamsters, the answer is "usually". If you buy a pair of young hamster siblings from the pet store, then they will most likely be fine. If your dwarf hamster has been on its own for a while, then it is much less likely to accept new company. So what I want you to know is it is dangerous. Thank you for noticing me. A: Teddy bear hamsters in our neck of the woods are just long-haired Syrian (regular) hamsters. I find that all hamsters (and gerbils and mice) kept by themselves will argue/fight with new additions to their cage. So you start them both out in neutral corners (like prize fighters) -- not in the cage of the original occupant. Give them a few toilet paper rolls, empty frozen juice cans, or commercial hamster houses to claim as their own. If they still argue, spritz them with perfume. And, if they still argue, dip them in water. Wet hamsters rarely fight. They spend all their time cleaning themselves. Repeat the dipping process until they quit arguing. LA Ryan Wilton, Toronto, ON, February 20, 2007 RE Bullfrog Tadpole Okay, not too sure how much he is eating. Currently I have him in a 29 gallon community tank, temperature 74-76 F. I'm giving extra shrimp pellets and algae wafers to ensure he gets some food. I've got a 10gallon tank ready for him/her, half full without a heater and I've got a turtle dock landing for him/her. I'm thinking of isolating him/her from the other fish into a 5-gallon tank, would this be okay until he/she turns into a frog? A: Your set up sounds good. But don't feed him much while he's losing his tail. His mouth is also changing. LA Ben le Nobel-Quee, Toronto, ON, February 20, 2007 Dear LA, I was wondering, if I were to put some clown loaches over white sand, do you think they would lose their natural color? What about a rainbow shark? Thanks A: I think the clown loaches would go pale at first. After two or three weeks, they would adjust to their new surroundings and regain their natural vibrant colors. The rainbow shark would only get a little pale and for a very short time. LA Tim, February 20, 2007 Hello, do you guys sell reptiles? I couldn't tell by the site. Thank you A: We sell lizards, snakes, turtles, tortoises, frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, and tarantulas. But we do not ship them. LA Q&As Jun II 0606 Q&As Jul I 0706 Q&As Jul II 0706 Q&As Aug I 0806 Q&As Aug II 0806 Q&As Sep I 0906 Q&As Sep II 0906 Q&As Oct I 1006 Q&As Oct II 1006 Q&As Nov I 1106 Q&As Nov II 1106 Q&As Dec I 1206 Q&As Dec II 1206 Q&As Jan I 0107 Q&As Jan II 0107 Q&As Jan III 0107 Q&As Feb I 0207 Q&As Feb II 0207 Q&As Feb III 0207 Q&As Mar I 0307 Q&As Mar II 0307 Q&As Mar III 03077 Q&As Apr I 0407 Q&As Apr II 0407 Q&As Apr III 0407 Q&As May I 0507 Q&As May II 0507 Q&As May III 0507 Q&As Jun I 0607 Q&As Jun II 0607 Q&As Jun III 0607 Q&As Jul I 0707 Q&As Jul II 0707 © 2007 LA Productions aqualandpetsplus.com 3600 Sixth Avenue Corner of Sixth & Euclid Avenues Des Moines, IA 50313 515 283-0300 Home Fish Other Stuff	Anabantids Betta Leaf Betta Breed 1 Betta Breed II Betta Info Betta Housing Betta Pla Kat Choc Gourami Climbing Perch Gourami Pix Kiss. 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