A:  I'm going to refer you to Betta Breed 1.  I hope this info will answer your questions.  LA  

A:  Don't count your albino channel cat out yet.  I've seen lots of two footers.  He should get a good three times bigger than your four-line pimodella.  LA

A:  I'm not sure exactly what you're getting at, but I know lots of fish -- especially goldfish -- get stunted.  LA

LA
Belly of a male patriot crab.

LA
Ditto female patriot crab.

A:  You can sex most crabs by the width of their tails.  You can keep king crabs just like Red Claw Crabs.

A:  Google puts those ads/links up.  Different ones in different areas.  If one of them is selling baby turtles, they skitter around the law by saying the turtles are for "research or educational purposes only."  However, the latest scuttlebutt says baby turtles may be street legal again in June.  LA

A:  You say you're "producing larvae well."  Larvae are the babies.  Did you mean pupae?  In case you did, the eggs take a while to hatch and the baby larvae are teeny.  LA

Feeder A:  Feeder fish are nearly always housed in very crowded quarters.  They're usually stressed and underfed or overfed.  Then they get netted and bagged and trotted to their new home.  You can relieve some of that stress by putting them in aged water with a quarter cup of salt.  Your feeder mollies will especially like the salt.  Your other feeders need it too.    
Dirty Water A:  Dirty water nearly always comes from overfeeding.  Frozen brine shrimp and algae discs both tend to mess up your water.  Feed them less often.  Watch for excess food on the bottom..  It always helps to rinse your brine shrimp.  LA

A:  I can't say I've ever raised one to maturity.  However there are three groups of bumblebee catfish.  The South American and the Asian I've seen get to three or four inches.  The relatively new African bumblebee catfish stays much smaller.  All of them are nocturnal and will hide for days, weeks, months -- depending on their mood.  Unless you watch your tank at night with a flashlight, you'll rarely see them.  LA  

A:  There are two schools of thought on stunting iridescent sharks.  Some people are shocked that anyone could allow it to happen.  They want every fish to grow to its fullest potential.  I tend to take a more pragmatic view.  Stunting happens.  In your case especially.  As long as you are enjoying keeping them, I wouldn't worry about the fact that they've grown into a mini-version of their full potential.  Sure, they could use more room, but I don't feel they are suffering by not living in a 4,000 gallon aquarium.  LA
PS  See Guido's May 21 comments above.  Then go to Pangassius  to see how big these guys can grow.     

A:  We don't always have land snails in stock.  We do today.  If you decide to make it a road trip, call first to make sure we have them in stock.  LA
PS  They cost less than an Illinois gallon of gas.     

A:  Today, make sure he's warm.  He'll want 85 F.  Give him three soaks a day in warm 90 to 95 degree shallow water.  Offer him some dandelion leaves.  If this does not perk him up, get him to a reptile vet tomorrow.  LA

A:  I did not know that fish food grows on trees in Canada.  Inch-worms are not that common around here.  I've never fed them to my fish because I've seen so few of them.  Try some and see how they work.  Let me know if your fish will eat them.  LA
PS  African cichlids eat duckweed but not as ravenously as goldfish and koi.

A:  Thanks for the very useful info.  I'm adding it to my web page with your name on it, of course.  I've always had problems with the little guys.  You've encouraged me to add a half dozen of the little cruisers this week.  I should have known they prefer bugs after seeing all those oriental paintings of arowanas leaping out of the water to snag dragonflies.  LA

A:  Maybe you didn't squeeze them hard enough?  Just kidding.  I've never seen them squirt blood either.  But they do.  LA    

Gabriel Sobrenome, Brazil, May 27, 2007
Hi I'm from Brazil, so forgive my poor english. I have seen on the Misc Bugs section of the Aqualand website, this picture: http://www.aqualandpetsplus.com/Bugs_47.jpg

so, these things appeared on my aquarium, on the cabomba leaves, apparently sucking them. What are these bugs? Do they damage the plants? How to remove them? Thank you,

A:  Oi.  Your English is much better than my Portuguese.  I don't know the exact name of those bugs.  I'm assuming they're a type of aphid.  They probably weaken the plants but don't kill them.  You can get rid of them by drowning them or rinsing them off in your sink.  LA         

A:  They are not aquatic.  They live on the surface.  They will drown underwater.  If you add a surfactant (such as two drops of detergent) you can probably drown them.  LA

A:  No.  Send me your address and I'll make sure you get some.  LA

A:  Of course I've tried it.  LA

A:  If you possibly can, get a job working at another pet store.  You can't beat real life experience.  Good or bad, you'll learn from them.  Remember that you can learn from anyone -- even the bad examples, maybe especially the bad examples.  LA     
PS  Feel free to use the Fact Sheets anyway you care to.

A:  Ring-necks are not the best parents in the world.  You can find nestling bird food at most pet stores.  You can feed the neglected squab with a syringe (also available at your local pet store).  The second pair will probably feed both squabs.  You can probably even swap in the original runt if you want to.  LA

A:  If you lived in Des Moines, I could probably get you a polka-dot stingray.  However, we don't ship fish.  LA

A:  We do not ship fish.  LA

A:  I remember your sun cat, however, I don't remember saying I had five fish I don't like.  Sorry.  LA

A: ¿Comesta, David?  Iguanas and young kids don't mix.  Salmonella can seriously harm youngsters.  It's no big deal for most adults.  I've eaten so many deviled eggs and tuna salad sandwiches at family picnics that I could eat a raw iguana with no problem.  But little kids have no immunity by comparison.  Read Salmonella then turn your iguana loose.  LA    

Photo swiped from www.fs.fed.us/r2/projects/scp/assessments/ornateboxturtle.pdf

A:  Does Barry know you're using his computer to ask turtle questions?  Just a rhetorical question.  No reply needed.  The Iowa DNR insists that all ornate box turtles are illegal to keep in Iowa because the western box (turtle above) grows wild in Iowa.  And, they consider them a threatened species.  Coincidentally, I just talked to them on the phone today.  We can't sell them, but the odds of the turtle police knocking on your door are very slim.  Go to Box, USA for additional upkeep info.  LA