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
Bunnies
Bunnies II 
Chinchillas
Degus
Ferrets
Ferrets by BOB
Gerbils
Ground Squirrels
Guinea Pig
Hamsters I
Hamsters II
Hamsters III
Hamsters IV
Hamsters V
Hedgehogs
Kittens
Kids & Kittens
Mice
Mice Pets II
Parasites
Rats I
Rats II
Rats III
Rats, Hairless
S-T Opossums
Siberian Chipmunks
Sugar Gliders
Sugar Gliders II
Water Bottles

Bugs
Crabby 500
Crab 04 Results
Centipedes
Cray/Lobsters
Crayfish II
Crayfish III
Cray, Yucatan
Fiddler Crabs
Shrimp, Algae
Shrimp, Aqua
Shrimp, Red
Shrimp, Flower

Shrimp, Ghost
Shrimp, Rudolph
Hermit Crabs
Hermit Crabs II
Madagas Roach
Mantids
Mini-Clams
Mini-Crabs
Patriot Crabs
Giant Millipedes
Red Claw Crabs
Reiman Butterfly
Snail, Apple
Snail, Colombian
Snail, Land
Snail, Malaysian

Snail, Mystery
Snail, Trapdoor 
Scorpions
Tarantulas
Tarantulas II
Tarantula Night 2006
TarantulaWeen VII
TarantulaWeen 9
Misc. Bugs
Misc Bugs II  

Birds
Breeding Tips

Button Quail
Canaries

Cockatiels
Dove, Diamond
Dove, Ringneck
Finches
Love Birds
Parakeets
Pelleted Foods
Quaker Parrots

Parrot Pictures
Parrot Pix II

Parrot Pix III
Dave's Parrots


Lizards
Alligators
Anoles
Bearded Dragon

Beardies II
Calotes
Chamel, Jackson
Chamel, Panther
Chamel, Veiled
Crested Geckos
Gecko, Golden

Gecko, House
Gecko, Leopard
Gecko, Tokay
Horned "Toads"
Iguana New
Iguana Dragons
Iguana Q&A I
Iguana Q&A II
Iguana Training
Iguana Update
Cool Iguana Pics
Knight Anoles
Monitors, Nile

Monitors, Savana
Monitors, Water

Salmonella
Skinks
Skinks Blue-Tongue
Tegus
Uromastyx maliensis
Water Dragon
Misc Lizards
Misc Lizards 2
Misc Lizards 3
Misc Lizards 4
Misc Lizards 5

Misc Lizards 6
Misc Lizards 7
Misc Lizards 8
Misc Lizards 9


Snakes
Anacondas
Boa, Rosy

Boa, Red-Tail
Corn Snake
Garter Snake
Green Snake
Kids/Corn Snakes
Kids/Red-Tail Boas

Kids at Pet Expo 1

Kids at Pet Expo 2

Kids at Pet Expo 3

Kids at Pet Expo 4

Kids at Pet Expo 5
King & Milk
Python, Ball
Python, Burmese

Snakes Alive
Snakesgiving
Snakesgiving II

Misc Snake Pix
Misc Snakes II

Misc Snakes III  

Turtles/Tortoises
Box, Asian
Box, USA
Races
Snapping

Sulcata
Water

Western Painted

Live Foods
Blackworms
Blood Worms
Br Shrimp I
Br
Shrimp II
Crayfish 1
Crayfish 2
Crayfish 3 
Crickets
Daphnia
Earthworms
Feeder Goldfish
Fruit Flies
Ghost Shrimp

Glass Worms

Grindal Worms
Infusoria
Mealworms
Microworms
Rosy Reds

Super Worms

Wax Worms
White Clouds

 

Decorating
Bubbles
Driftwood
Gravel
Plastic Plants
Rocks
Slow Growing Plants

Miscellaneous
Bob's Acclimation

How to Start
How to Add New Fish
How to Keep Healthy
Which Fish Get Along?
10 Questions to Ask
What is Ich?
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

 

Papy MPOVA, Congo, Africa, September 1, 2010
We export the live tropical fishes in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We need the importers. If you’re interested, we can send to you our price list. Best regards

A:  Sorry.  We are not direct importers.  Thanks, anyway.  LA

Rachel Marie, September 1, 2010
Hello, I am currently looking to purchase an Australian water Dragon. I had thought to get a Chinese water dragon, but my friend told me it was better to get an Australian one because they are much more relaxed when introduced to a new environment. I wanted to know between the two which one is a better pet, and also if I decide on purchasing an Australian water dragon where might I be able to purchase it? I live in Pennsylvania and the only kind of the two they sell in our pet stores are the Chinese water dragons. Thank you for your help.

LA
Australian water dragon.

LA
Chinese water dragon.

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.
A2:  Machts nichts if your kuhli loach has a green belly bump.  She will not breed for you. 
A3:  Your kribs are trying to spawn.  Quit pestering them and remove your pleco.

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,

SD
Greedo.


One of my
bullfrogs eating a goldfish.

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.

LA

LA

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,

LA

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.
You can use "bleaching powder" (probably sodium hypochlorite) to clean your bowls as long as you rinse it all out.  However, regular water plus a paper towel usually suffice as a cleansing agent.  Most U.S. aquarium water treatments contain a chlorine neutralizer (usually sodium thiosulphate) plus EDTA to de-toxify heavy metals.  Your best bet, ask your local fish store.  LA
PS  I'd like to see some pictures of the Japanese mini-aquariums.

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

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.

AC

AC

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
PS 
Cool pix.

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
PS  Do you still say "cobber" these days.

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?

LA

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.
A2:  Red claw crabs could live with bettas.  Bettas could not live with red claw crabs.
A3:  Wolverines.
A4:  Today a kitty cat but it changes daily.  LA

Jz Proctor, Denver, CO, September 6, 2010
I have heard that Parrots are sterile, but I will keep an eye on them anyway. You probably can't tell from the pics but several of the eggs have already died which in other cichlid spawns means the opaque ones are alive. I will give you an email to see what happens in a couple of days

JP

JP

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.
I can't help you on fish shops.  The only place I've been in Virginia is Colonial Williamsburg.  Confidentially, they were woefully lacking in tropical fish mongers.  LA

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.

Rainbow Australian Sm

Rainbow Bosemani Md

Rainbow Celebes

Rainbow Kamaka Md

Rainbow Madagascar Md

Rainbow Neon Dwf Md

Rainbow Neon Dwf Sm

Rainbow New Guinea Lg

Rainbow New Guinea Md

Rainbow Pink

Rainbow Turquoise Md

Rainbow Werneri

Rainbow Yellow Md

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
PS  FBTs can rarely catch a fish.  Hardly any frog can catch a danio.  I mix other same size frogs with them all the time -- especially when some of our tadpoles start morphing into frogs.

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
 

Brandon Parker,.Lisle, IL, September 9, 2010
Hi, I just came across your website a few days ago and have spent many hours reading and looking at pictures.
I want to say thank you very much for all the time and effort you put into the photos and descriptions.
I work at a small pet shop in the Chicago area. If you don't mind I'd like to recommend your website to customers looking for more information than I can give them.
I've been looking through the Pleco and Catfish pages for one of my new favorites, the Farlowella cat or Twig cat, a pointy nosed aglae eater.   I can't seem to find them on your site. Do you have any experience with these?  I'd be happy to take some pictures and a give a short description if you'll add them to your oddballs or catfish pages.
I'm also wondering if you can give me some tips for taking pictures of fish in the tank.  I always seem to have trouble getting the colors to look the same as they do in real life, and when I do get a good shot it's often ruined by a reflection on the glass.
Anyways, thanks again for all the hard work.  I now have a reason to visit Iowa.  I hope to make a trip sometime this fall just to check things out.
Sincerely,

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.

LA
Probable female.

LA
Probable male under Aquailux fluorescent llght.

LA
Probable female.

LA
Royal farlowella six-inches long.

A2:  Different aquarium light bulbs often affect the color of your pictures unless your flash "drowns them out."
To avoid the flash reflection, take one step to the left and shoot again.  You can see the relection when you shoot your picture.  Take ten shots then keep the best one or two.  Take lots and lots of pictures.  LA
PS 
Looks like I need to shoot some farlowellas.

Scott Miller, Indiana, September 10, 2010
I'm looking for some tiger salamanders.  I was wondering if you ship.  I live in Indiana.  If so, how much are your salamanders?  I need about 5 depending on the price.

LA
Not all tigers look the same.

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

 

 


 

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