|
|
Aqualand Q&As September 1-10, 2010 |
|||||||||||||||||
| Amphibians Axolotls Caecilian Worm Chaco Toad Mud Puppies Newts General Newts Eastern Newts Golden Newts Mandarin Salamanders Suriname Toad Tadpoles Terrarium I Terrarium II USA Toads Water Dogs Misc. Toads Frogs Bull Clawed Dumpy Dwarf Fire-Belly Floating Green Tree Leopard Pac Man Pipa pipa Pyxie Red-Eyed Tree Tomato Misc Frogs Misc Frogs II Misc Frogs III Misc Frogs IV Misc Frogs V Animals
Birds Kids
at Pet Expo 5
Snakes Alive Sulcata
Grindal
Worms
Decorating
How
to Start
Sponge
Filters
Pet World Visit |
We don't ship critters or live fish.
Papy MPOVA, Congo,
Africa, September 1, 2010 A: Sorry. We are not direct importers. Thanks, anyway. LA
A: I've only had two Australian water dragons in my life. I raised them from anole-sized little housefly eaters to breeder size. They are definitely nice lizards. You will find they cost 10 to 20 times more than a wild caught Chinese water dragon. The Australians are evidently captive bred. I doubt you will find a local source for them. I've kept hundreds of the Chinese water dragons. Happily, the Chinese water dragons make excellent pets also. LA
Adrei Teo, September 1, 2010
RE Dying plants Hi, I have followed the advice of books by removing the "sponge" and plastic basket sold together with it and snipping off unhealthy leaves. The plant I said that was attached to the coconut shell is an anubias. And the others are cabomba, bacopa, and an Amazon sword (small one). Recently I have bought Java fern, duckweed, and an Amazon sword. Nothing unusual has happened. Time will tell. And I have noticed that my one and only loach kuhli has a bump at the belly. It is greenish. According to your website my loach kuhli is pregnant? Sorry but there is another problem , my two kribs (one with an eyespot on its tail another without it). They chase their tank mates away from their cave. Are they breeding? I have checked for eggs but there are none. Hope you can answer all my questions. Thank you A1: Anubias are very hardy. They will grow
under water or above water. The "sponge" you are removing is
actually a fiber media which protects their roots. The basket
just holds it together. When you get rid of the "sponge," you
damage their roots. You lose all the advantages inherent in
buying potted plants -- not a big deal in cabomba and bacopa, but
very important in Amazon swords (which are the salad bar of choice
for most plecos). The duckweed will carpet your water surface
and inhibit all plant growth below it except the anubias and the
Java fern.
Star DeArmond, Louisiana, September 1, 2010
My husband and I adopted a bullfrog some months ago; he was on the side of the road near a canal during a hot, rainy night. He was about a handful in size when we picked him up and we kept him in a 5-gallon bucket while we gathered a tank for him. We live just outside of New Orleans, La. We kept Greedo in a 10-gallon tank for a while, but we got a discounted 40-gallon at a reptile/amphibian convention a few weeks after we adopted him. We didn't know what to do with him, as the pet stores around here had never heard of anyone keeping bullfrogs in anything other than outdoor ponds, and we had never before kept any sort of aquarium. He has a nice big piece of driftwood and some rocks on which to bask, but he likes to be in the water most of the time. It's been at least three months since we adopted Greedo and he has gone from being a mere handful to requiring both hands in order to handle. He is 6 and a half inches long, not including his massive hind legs. We're sure he's male because his "ears" are way bigger than his eyes, he croaks often, and sometimes his throat and belly turn yellow. Here's the interesting part: Greedo won't eat goldish. He won't eat nightcrawlers or other worms, even if we held them in front of his big fat mouth. In the first week or so, we bought about 10 or 12 tiny feeder goldfish and most of them died; we only ever saw Greedo eat one, and my husband and I still quarrel about whether or not the fish was one of the dead ones. When all our first batch was dead, I didn't want Greedo not to have the option of eating fish, so we bought two more when we got our tank more stable with a nice filter. Greedo never hunted them, and never ate them. One died during a car trip (we went to stay with my dad-in-law in the country and brought the tank with us), but the other one is still alive. The frog just won't eat it. Greedo does like crickets, but he likes anole lizards and house geckos better, we think. Greedo can eat up to five or six geckos/lizards a day, and we give them to him whenever we catch them. While he has eaten tree frogs, there has been a leopard frog in his tank for about a week now that Greedo hasn't yet tried to eat. (The leopard frog does hide, though. We thought Greedo ate it, but we discovered it later in a crevasse in the driftwood. It doesn't come out at all.) While we were packing and traveling home from my husband's dad's house, we ran out of crickets and so for the space of about two days, there was nothing in the tank for Greedo to eat but the leopard frog and the goldfish, but he once again left them alone. He must have been hungry, because he ate five geckos during the space of a couple hours after we gave them to him, but he did not touch the leopard frog or the goldfish. Greedo is most active at night. He eats at night, when all the lights are off. And when the lights are on, he hides from them. Does it sound like we are doing anything wrong? I have never seen any reports of bullfrogs eating anole lizards or geckos, and by all accounts he should have eaten the goldfish. Do you think he will eventually catch and eat that leopard frog we've given him? Also, do you have an idea of how old our Greedo could be? Like I said before, he was about a handful when we got him about 3 months ago, and he's 6 and a half inches long now. Thanks,
A: Hmm, all the bullfrogs I have kept always ate goldfish. The difference is I always kept mine in very shallow water. Greedo probably can't catch them when they're swimming. I never found bullfrogs to be more active at night. Back when I used to gig them, they were like sitting ducks when the flashlight beam hit them. They're sight feeders so I'd expect them to be more active during the day, but I've never checked their nocturnal activities in captivity. I never offered mine anoles or lizards because they're a bit pricey to serve as food. Mine always ate anything smaller than them that moved. Greedo will get that leopard frog if it moves. I'm adding your report to my bullfrog page. LA
Tod Beagle, Florida, September 1, 2010
The catfish you could not identify was a black bullhead. Native to north Florida, nicknamed spotted cat or appaloosa cat. Max length 18 inches, weight up to 4 lbs. I have a pond full of them.
A: Cool. I can't argue with anyone who keeps a pondful of bullheads. I'm adding your ID below the pictures. He looks just like our Iowa bullheads except for the "appaloosa" feature. LA
Alexis Gueco , Texas, September 2, 2010
Hey LA, I just got the Microworms yesterday and I wanna say thanks for 'em. I appreciate it a lot.
Can I replace yeast with anything else though?? I can't
seem to find any at all here. Thanks Again!
A: No way. You must have yeast. Look in your local store's "Baking Supplies" section. Get the dry version in the foil packet. The packet will make 6 to 8 new cultures. LA
Jenny Kim, Ankeny, IA, September 3,
2010
Hi, We have a couple of really big fish that are too big, I think, for our 55 gallon tank. One is a plecostomus and the other is an Iridescent Shark. The plecostomus and I really have no idea which kind it is about half as long as the tank is high. The shark is about that long too, although I think he's smaller. I think they really need to go to someone with a bigger tank. The plecostomus I got as a baby about an inch long from Wal-Mart and the shark came with our tank, we got it used. Would you be able to buy them from us to sell? What could you give us? Store credit is fine as well as fish; mollies, swordtails, etc. We have black tetras, guppies, cory cats, an angel fish and some snails. Please let me know. Thanks for your time, A: We probably can. But you need to call 283-0300 to see if we have room. Don't expect to get rich from trading in fish that are too big. LA
Chris Lew, California, September 3, 2010
Hey Larry, I recently went over to a fish store ,and to my surprise, they had some otocinclus! Considering that I had a nice planted 10 gallon up and running for 2 months, I decided to add one as my first fish (my Bolbitis and the tank glass had quite a bit of algae build up, which I thought would be a nice place for an oto). Needless to say, he looked healthy. But then, the next day in my tank, he was breathing hard and swimming erratically. A few hours later, he died. Nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia read at 0. pH was around 7.5.
After more reading, it seems that otos are just about all
wild-caught. As well, it seems that fish collectors use
cyanide (!) of all things to stun the fish and net them at
the water's surface. Others say that there's bacteria in the
gut of otos that aids in their digestion... Otos are held
for a few weeks without much food as the collectors try to
get sizable quantities of the little guys before shipping,
so the bacteria in their gut dies and they can't digest
properly. The more I read, the less hopeful I was at maybe
getting a new pair of them. Survival rates are low; some say
1 survivor out of ten otos is a good ratio. Pretty dismal.
So, I have a questions: Where do you guys get your otos
from? Are they captive or wild bred? How is your survival
rate? Thanks,
A: We get our otos out of Chicago. Because they are so cheap, they have to be wild caught. We lose a few, but I haven't really noticed massive die-offs. I would think that cyanide would work so quickly and efficiently that there would be zero survivors. The gut bacteria problem sounds real though. We put new otos in with existing otos. I figure this gives them access to plenty of bacteria -- like kids in grade school. I also like to feed them zucchini and keep water-logged wood in their tank. Next time you buy some, pick the ones with fat little bellies. LA
Noelle Combs, Japan, September 4, 2010
Hello, and thank you for you amazing website! I've never learned so much about fish in a day, and it's now caused a small obsession over my new friends!
My husband and I recently moved to Japan for military
business, and of course, everything can be found in small
efficient sizes here. Even fish tanks! Or in my case last
week, a small jar! The whole setup was so cute I purchased
one, as well as a package I couldn't read beyond the words
"water quality neutralizer". It's been a little over a week
since then, and not only do I know the water should be
changed, but I want a larger enclosure. Will our tap water
really be okay if I just let it age for 48 hours, or should
I use this bleaching powder to clean it? The jar came with 2
"White Cloud" and a hearty strand of "Java Moss" so I'm
afraid the chemical might kill the moss.
I was also just gifted a jar with a Moss Ball or "Marimo"
and it came with what looks like a tiny glass shrimp. I have
a feeling that when it comes time to clean that water, I
should avoid the water treatment, for the Marimo's sake as
well. I've never been good at keeping anything but a
housecat alive for any length of time, so any suggestions on
how not to kill these would be wonderful. Thanks!
If you like, I can send pictures of the sort of things they
sell out here, for that "desk sized" touch of nature.
A: Some obsessions you take pills for or electro
shock treatments. Luckily, you have one of the better
obsessions. I can't help you much on your water questions.
Chances are: Japan's water ingredients are much different than
Des Moines water. That could be a plus. Right now we're
so high on the nitrate scale (from farm field run off), that we're
not supposed to let infants drink it. Aquatic plants
(especially algae) like nitrates. Anyway, your local fish
store can give you better water info than I can. With small
containers, you usually need at least weekly water changes. We
change our betta water every three or four days. The larger
your tank, the easier it is to care for.
Noelle Combs, Japan, September 5, 2010
Thank you for your quick reply.
I was told that this base has its own water
supply, separate from the local surrounding area, and that
it was safe for people to drink, so long as they ran the
water for a couple of minutes, to clear possible sediment
from the lines. So I'm guessing that's pretty clean... We
don't even have fluoride, apparently. So I'm thinking that
running some water, maybe letting it sit for 24-48 hours,
and calling it good. Unless bottled Aquafina or something
might be better. I don't mind using it, considering how
small the things are. (The fish are getting a bigger home
TODAY. They're starting to fight)
The problem with asking my local pet store is that they
don't know English! And I don't know Japanese! (yet) But
your info should still help me. I don't think I have to
worry about the water for the fish, but heard that Marimos
can't handle copper, and I don't know what kind of pipes my
building uses. But hopefully I can browse through the
store's packaging until I find something that mentions
"EDTA". ^_^
Otherwise, I was wondering if it was possible to use bottled
water to save myself some trouble? Not exactly
cost-efficient in the long run, but until I find some more
info, it would help to get me by. Are brands like Aquafina
of Evian or something okay for fish, or do those have to be
treated as well?
PS: Sorry for the poor picture quality, I'm not too handy
with a camera...
NC
A: Those are tiny. I thought just their cameras would fit into your pocket. Your white clouds are not fighting -- more likely breeding. Copper will kill all plants, not just marimos. EDTA detoxifies it. I don't like "pure" water -- no electrolytes. Try to find a complete water conditioner. LA
Asher C Curri, Colorado, September 4, 2010
Hi, There are a ton of blue belly lizards in Co. I have caught a couple and have been just letting them go, and I was wondering if you know how to take care of them. Thanks.
A: First check with your Colorado DNR to make sure
it's legal to capture and keep these little dudes. Than go to
Skinks
and treat them like small skinks. LA
Brian Barnett, Ardeer, Victoria, August 4, 2010
Hi from Australia. We are going to add Superworms to our list of products in the Herp Shop. Would you mind if we put a link to your article on Breeding Superworms © 2005 LA Productions? It is an excellent article and covers everything. I only just started breeding them late last year and do find them interesting. They haven't been a major reptile food item in our country and I'm sure they will take off. Thanking you, Regards A: Link away, cobber. LA
Brian Barnett, Ardeer, Victoria, August 5, 2010
Hi Larry, Thanks very much for that, excellent article and much appreciated. These days it is more 'mate' than 'cobber' but also comes down to which State you live in. We joke about Tasmania and Q'land not having entered the 21st century yet (you can believe it at times). Regards A: Fair dinkum, as we said back in the old days. LA
Kevin Zhang, St. Charles, IL, September 5, 2010
I have a Senegal bichir and it is about 4 inches. I tried to feed it ghost shrimp but it didn't seem to eat them. The gouramis in the tank ended up having them. I feed my bichir earthworms because it is the only thing that it seems to eat that I can get in large quantities. Do you have any suggestions about what to feed it?
A: Just relax. Senegals eat nearly anything you give them. The little guys like plankton, bloodworms, and Californis blackworms. LA
Kevin Zhang, St. Charles, IL, September 6, 2010
Can you feed them frozen bloodworms? How do you feed frozen bloodworms to fish? A: I doubt you can find live boodworms. Frozen bloodworms are a great fish food. Just break a small piece off the frozen sheet of worms. You can thaw it in a separate container or let the chunk float in the tank until it thaws and falls to the bottom. LA
Kevin Zhang, St. Charles, IL, September 6, 2010
I also have gouramis in the tank. What if they get to the bloodworms first? How should I sink the bloodworms? Should I put them in a tube and send them to the bottom? A: Gouramis love bloodworms. Just feed enough that everyone gets them. No need to sink the bloodworms. They will fall to the bottom as they thaw. LA
Bryan Skinner, September 6, 2010
Well I have a few things to ask you (and tell you).I caught 3 spiders, one a wolf spider. They are all pretty good size. Will the big crickets eat the spiders like they did to your black widow? Could red claw crabs live with bettas. I treated my hermit crabs horrible until I found you site. If they could see you, they would thank you. And I agree with you on mice. They are better food (for pets) than pets. What animals would you not handle? I would not handle any spiders but rose hair tarantulas and red knees, scorpions, and crayfish. Maybe piranhas. And I saw a pacu labled as a piranha somewhere. I visit your website daily. Red claw crabs can pinch hard. P.S. What is your favorite pet? A1: Crickets will eat anything organic that doesn't
eat them first. Jz Proctor, Denver, CO, September 6, 2010
A: I don't know if all parrots are sterile, but all mine were. Crossing it back to a severum may help your hatch rate. Often the first three American cichlid spawns (except convict spawns) fail to hatch. LA
Herr Doktor Robert Krickl, Austria, September 7, 2010
Dear Larry, some time has passed since my last email and I haven't yet received an answer. Probably there was an electronic error? Therefore, I send it once more (see below). Please tell me if it worked this time or if there are any other problems. Best wishes, A: Must have been an electronic error. LA
Jeremiah Toles, Richmond, VA, September 7, 2010
Hey i am jumping back into the aquarium world. i had one before that i lost in a move and i got another one now... I had some questions of what u thought and some suggestions for what i am trying to do with my aquarium I want to have some exotic and fun fish , and base my community around them and add some color... The 3 fish that i like to base my community around are Elephant nose fish black ghost knife fish and a pleco (one of the breeds) African, zebra etc) All these fish are cool looking and have great characteristics as far as being interesting but on top of that i want to add some color in some cheaper community fish to accent the tank. I have a 75 gallon tank Could u tell me what u think about that and also suggest some fish that i can add to those to bring some color to my tank Thanks in advance. Also i see that u don't ship fish. So i was wondering can u suggest a great place to get fish cause i don't think we have a vast selection of fish shops here.... A: 75 gallons is an excellent choice. Wait a
couple month before you add a pleco. Then add a bristlenose.
There are no African plecos. The easiest way to add color is
to add a herd of assorted platies plus neons. Then add some
angels to get variety in shape.
Jeremiah Toles, Richmond, VA, September 7, 2010
Thanks for the quick response. So the black ghost knife fish, elephant nose, and bristlenose. And some platies and angelfish will work good as a community? A: You bet in a 75 -- not in a 10 or 20. LA
Jeremiah Toles, Richmond, VA, September 7, 2010
Great man, thanks. And about the stores I was saying can you recommend somewhere online to get the fish. And btw ur website has given more answers and help than any one website out there. Thanks so much it's great and bookmarked on my computer A: It's just that I've never ordered any fish online. So I really don't know which one(s) to recommend. Most local fish stores will order nearly any fish you want. LA
Jeremiah Toles, Richmond, VA, September 8, 2010
Thanks for all ur help yesterday per ur advice i added 6 fish yesterday to start the cycle on my tank.. I added a coupple different mollies and platies in various colors to get the tank going and in a lil while i will add my black ghost knife, and elephant nose, and brislenose...
What do u think about adding those fish should i get them
all at once and add all 3 of them after the cycle or should
i introduce them 1 at a time?
A: In a 75 you can add them any way you prefer. You can accelerate the nitrification cycle (and introduce new fish earlier) by adding a gallon of dirty water. Pull your gallon of dirty water from the gravel of a cichlid tank. LA
Jeremiah Toles, Richmond, VA, September 9, 2010
ok and just to clarify cause i have heard dofferent answers on this with the fish i am housing, would this be better as a brackish tank or plain freshwater? elephant nose, black ghost knife, mollies, platies, and pleco.... A: Fresh. LA
Chris Hammerand, Sec. CIWGA, Des Moines, IA, Sept. 7, 2010
Hi Larry, I think that we would be interested in these pages and would like to add them to our website. We are still working on getting the new website up and running but, it looks like it would be great information to have. Do you plan to send them along or is there another way we should access them? Thanks again Larry! A: If you scroll down to the bottom of their newsletter, it tells how to contact them. If this doesn't work, let me know and I'll continue forwarding them to you. LA
Tanner Francisco, Johnston, IA, September 8, 2010
Hi Larry, Can you get any Australian blue eyes? Pseudomugil gertrudae, Pseudomugil signifer, or Pseudomugil furcatus? I really like the look of the aussie blue eyes but cannot find them anywhere. And if you can order them, what is the price range? Thanks, A: These are the rainbows available right now.
We've had the signifers and furcatus in the past but not lately. Do you have any ostracods? LA
Bianca Reimert, September 8, 2010
RE Fire-belly toads. I don't agree with the opposing viewpoint on mixing species. I have a very happy FBT paludarium with zebra danios. All are healthy and my FBTs don't mess with the danios. A: Sure, I mix fish with them all the time.
The writer was advising us not to mix other amphibians with FBTs.
I'll add your comments to the fire-belly page. LA
Bianca Reimert, September 9, 2010
Larry, I can't even catch my danios lol! Do you have any thoughts about putting them with Platys or mollies? How about poison dart frogs with platys or mollies. Or a poison dart with an fbt? A: Feel free to mix platys and mollies with your fire-belly toads. If I were you, I would avoid the poison dart frogs (and the mantellas) until you learn to culture fruit flies or pinhead crickets. LA
Gracey Alexander, Ames, IA, September 9, 2010
Hello, I was inquiring about any possible job positions you might have available at your place of business. I am looking for a part-time position Sunday through Saturday. I am a student at ISU but I am only part-time. The hours I was looking for are around 15- 20 hours. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks A: Sorry, Gracey. We don't have any openings. Most of our staff have been with us for a decade or longer. LA
After a couple years of correcting reader questions for
grammar, spelling, tense, capitalization, italics, etc,
I've finally decided to roll with the twitter
generation. Gots to keep up with the times.
After all George Bernard Shaw recommended a similar
shorthand version of our obtuse common language.
It's just a personal observation but questions from
overseas are usually better written than question from
the U.S. My new laissez-faire system will
save me more time de-transmogrifying than the much
ballyhooed Google search changes. LA
Akash Varun,
Cunupia,Trinidad and Tobago, September 9, 2010
hi i use ur site alot its easy, fun to use and well put together. I've had large fish like pacus ,Arowanas ,oscars for many years now and i almost always stock them with a school of no less than eight or nine tinfoil barbs but recently i moved some of my larger tinfoils (24cm>) in with some flowerhorns in a 400 gal tank and did a 50% water exchange (water aerated for a week in a closed water tank) two weeks after. Only the barbs died after about an hour. To my surprise all the other fish seem fine. i read that they can be very sensitive to D.O. but my water's readings were normal -- nitrates and pH were stable too. I never lost a fish without knowing the cause and it kinda disturbs me. i really would like to hear your thoughts on this. A: Organics and pH levels do not measure
oxygen levels. Although a low pH could indicate a high
carbon dioxide level. I would a suspect low oxygen
level killed your tinfoils. Every time one of my
tanks' filters stops, the tinfoils will croak fairly fast.
The flowerhorns could beat on them a little, but that would
not kill them in one hour. LA
A1: Glad you like the website. Recommend it to as many customers as you want. I thought I did write about farlowellas, but it was a variant of the whiptail catfish called the red lizard catfish, L10 -- males are red, females brown. They have not spawned for me yet. So I'm not done.
A2: Different aquarium light bulbs often affect the
color of your pictures unless your flash "drowns them out."
A: We have no tiger salamaders in stock at present. A current wholesale list indicate they woild retail for $30 to $40. We do not ship. LA
Q&As Jan I 0109 Q&As Mar II 0309 Q&As Mar III 0309 Q&As Apr I 0409 Q&As Apr II 0409
Q&As
Apr III 0409
Q&As
Jun I 0609 Q&As Jul II 0709 Q&As Jul III 0709
Q&As
Aug I 0809 Q&As Aug III 0809
Q&As Sept I 0909
Q&As
Nov III 1109 Q&As Jan III 0110 Q&As Feb I 0210 Q&As Feb I 0210
Q&As
Feb III 0210 Q&As Apr 1 0410 Q&As Apr I1 0410
Q&As
Apr II1 0410
Q&As
May III 0510 Q&As Jul I 0710 Q&As Jul II 0710 Q&As Jul III 0710 Q&As Aug I 0810 Q&As Aug II 0810 Q&As Aug III 0810 Q&As Sep I 0910 Q&As Sep II 0910 Q&As Sep III 0910
© 2010
LA Productions
3600 Sixth Avenue Corner of Sixth & Euclid Avenues Des Moines, IA 50313 515 283-0300
|
Anabantids
Betta Leaf Betta Breed 1 Betta Breed II Betta Info Betta Housing Betta Pla Kat Choc Gourami Climbing Perch Gourami Pix Kiss. Gourami Osphronemus Pearl Gourami More Pearls Paradise Fish Snakehead Spawn Gourami T. trichopterus Catfish Banjo Bullheads Bull Sharks Channel Corydoras Cory Pics Electric Glass Hoplos Otocinclus Pangassius Pictus Plecostomus Pleco Bristle Pleco Costly I Pleco Costly II Pleco Costly III Pleco Costly IV Pleco Costly VI Raphael Red-Tail Shovelnose Sun Synodontis Synodontis petricola Turushuki Catfish Upside-down Misc Catfish Misc Catfish II Misc Catfish III Misc Catfish IV Cichlids African I African II African III African IV Amer. Small Amer. Med Amer. Large Angelfish I Angelfish II Angelfish III Angelfish IV More Angels Buttikoferi Chocolate Chocolate Spawning Cichlid Decor Cichlid Food Convicts Convicts 2 Convicts 3 Convicts 4 Dempseys More Dempseys Discus Dither Fish Flower Horn Green Terror Jaguar More Jaguars Jaguar Spawning
Jaguar Spawning II
Rainbowfish, Dwarf Neon
Koi III
Misc Odd V Pond Info |
||||||||||||||||