November 1-15, 2006 questions you asked Aqualand

Eric Gomez, TX, November 1, 2006
OK, thanks. I'll make sure and do that. Oh, and your water dogs when y'all have them, how much do they go for? I want some, and I can't find any here in Texas at any pet stores. I've been to every one in my city and they only carry a lot of the common cheap fish or reptiles. I just want a price to see what or how much I should be paying for them. I'm still on the hunt!

A: We've had so few waterdogs the last couple years, that I cannot remember how much they cost. They've become very scarce. They used to be sold in bait shops -- probably for bass. I doubt you will find any. I can't. LA

Shaleah Firrell, Davenport, IA, November 1, 2006
I have noticed that you carry a few types of fish I would like for my aquarium. My problem is travel. What would be the best way for me to get the fish home? Drive time from here to there is about 3 hours.

A: Just tell us you have a three hour drive, and we'll put them in a larger bag. You may want to pack them in a cooler to stabilize their temp. Before you fill your tank and head this way, call first to make sure we have the fish you're looking for. The web shows fish we've had in the past -- some we've not been able to get for years. LA

Eric Gomez, TX, November 2, 2006
Man, what you suggested worked like a charm. He shed his skin within 10 minutes and ate it as fast. Now he's a vivid bright yellow. Thanks I'm so happy nothing happened to him. Well, thanks for all your help.

(Refers back to his October 31, 2006 letter.)

Ichchit Sharma, India, November 2, 2006
Hello to all at Aqualand, I am a great fan of LA and tried to confirm to the newsletter but the above link does not work. Please send me another link. Thank you

A: Namastey. Glad to hear we're going over so well in India. Seems like a long commute to buy fish, but what the hey? It's really a Sales Letter as opposed to a News Letter. I entered your name just now. We do put some news in it occasionally. You'll get the November issue. LA

Jerel McDaniel, November 2, 2006
Do you know of any websites that you can order a Mud Puppy, Necturus maculosus from?

A: No. LA

Sam Saeteurn, November 2, 2006
Hi, I've had my arowana for 1 week now. I feed it freeze dried shrimp
made by Futian and freeze dried krill made by Hikari. I tried feeding it
pellets made by Aqua Master but my arowana refuses to eat them. I tried
to feed it the pellets for about 2 days and the arowana didn't budge.
Then when I went to feed my pleco an algae wafer, the arowana attempted
to eat the algae wafer. So I gave in and fed my arowana shrimp.
Do you think I should continue trying to feed my arowana pellets? Maybe a
different type of pellet?
Also, my arowana is scared of me. When I get close to the tank to look
at it, my arowana goes crazy and starts jumping all over the tank. Will my arowana ever recognize me?
I have a friend who has an arowana and his isn't afraid of him at all. He's had his arowana for 1.5 months. Also, his arowana eats pellets. Let me know what you think. Thanks.

A: One week seems like a long time when you're trying to get your fish to adjust to his new home. I know. I've got a blue one coming tomorrow. You're actually making good progress just getting him away from eating live goldfish. Just take your time, he'll adjust. Try those red Tetra sticks. LA

Joe Carrieri, November 2, 2006
I have a bearded dragon, most likely a male. I got it as a Christmas present in 2005, and Leon (my dragon) was 4 inches long then, now 11 months later he is 16 inches long. Other beardies of similar age are all larger than him -- some already adult size. Why isn't Leon as big as them? Leon is fed a nutritious diet of grated carrots, mustard greens, dandelion greens, collards, romaine lettuce, grated celery, sliced apple, bananas, and cantaloupe, as well as peaches and grapes and strawberries.

Leon is housed in a 40 gallon tank, with a reptile carpet for substrate. It is washed weekly. He has a basking spot temp of 105 degrees, and a large water dish to soak his entire body. He has a 9 month old UVB/UVA light bulb. Could that be it? He is offered 4 dozen crickets a week and they are dusted with calcium every other feeding.

He is interacted with daily for an hour as well.

Any reason Leon could still be small? Or am I doing something wrong? If Leon just happens to be small, I will still give Leon the best care. Thanks

A: Sounds like Leon is really Leona. LA

Martin Mannings, November 2, 2006
Hi. I already have a 2 foot discus tank and I am upgrading to a 3 foot tank. Is there any way I can set the new tank up and put the fish in the same day? I was wondering if I could use the water from the 2 foot tank and use reverse osmosis water to top it up? And use the filter from the 2 foot tank as well as the new one I'm getting? Will this work? And what are the best plants for a discus setup? And what size gravel works best? And would I need a CO₂ system for the plants? Or will I need plant fertilizer? Sorry about all these questions but I want to get it right. Thanks

A: Yes, it will work. Forget the gravel. Forget the plants. Forget the CO₂system for the plants and the fertilizer. LA

Al Falls, November 2, 2006
Do you think axolotls can live in outdoor ponds? I live in California which would probably be good weather for them to survive in.

A: Axolotls would undoubtedly thrive in cooler areas of California. Lots of luck smuggling them into the golden state. LA

Dj Gilpin, November 2, 2006
Hello, I would like to inquire as to the prices on your Piebald Ball Pythons,
and your Het-Piebald Pythons as well. Thank you for your time,

A: I don't think I've ever seen a piebald ball python myself. You might check with Anthony at mccainreptiles@iowatelecom.net We really don't ship animals. LA

Joe Carrieri, November 3, 2006
Thank you for your answer. How exactly can you tell male from female? I heard that males have a black beard when puffed up. Leon sometimes has a black beard but not always. How can I tell if Leon is a male or female? Or should I go to a reptile specialty store and ask someone there to do it for me?

Thanks

LA
You can tell he's a boy not by the "B" on his belly but by the hemi-penis between his legs.

A: Look between his back legs for the two bumps that represent his hemi-penis. Oddly enough, "hemi" in other English words means "half." As in hemisphere, hemi-demi-semiquaver, and the Dodge "hemi" commercials. Hemi is a Greek word meaning half. Same as the Latin word semi.
Anyway, in the reptile world it means "two." They are a better clue than chin color which can vary considerably. LA

Dee McFarland, Des Moines, IA, November 3, 2006
How long does it take before baby angelfish actually look like the parents? I have about 40 to 50 (hard to count) swimmers. If they live, I will then have to figure out how to get rid of them. They started out as just an experiment because my angels kept laying eggs. The baby’s are in a tank of their own.

A: They should definitely look like their parents at six weeks of age. They should be sellable at three to four months of age. Make sure they eat flake food before selling them. LA

Sarah W., November 4, 2006
First off, I LOVE your site and have found it very helpful in the past! My first question today is about my clown loaches. I've had 2 for several months, and added 2 more about 8 weeks ago. One new one came down with Ich and was successfully treated and finished up last week -- very glad I recognized the rock flicking etc and caught it early. But now they all stopped eating and playing and they just hide. One died this morning. I can't for the life of me figure out what is going on. All the other tank inhabitants are perfectly fine,
even the other loach species. Water conditions are as good as they get here (we have a naturally higher nitrate level in our water
system and can't ever get the tank below 20).
Any ideas about the clown loaches? I've never had them act like this before. My second question is about the nitrate levels. I tested our tap water, and the
nitrates are about 20. Is there any way to lower this or treat it chemically for nitrates? I didn't really think anything of it until my clown loaches started acting funny. I do weekly 20% water changes in my 55g tank using a gravel vacuum, and have a power filter and an under gravel filter with power heads. Given the natural nitrates in our water, I can't keep the nitrates any
lower than 20-40. Thank you for any input. I greatly appreciate your
taking the time!

A: First, clown loaches are very sensitive to malachite green -- the main ingredient in most ich remedies. Most of their labels say use them at half strength for loaches. But clown loaches are more susceptible to malachite than even the other loaches. Ditto pictus catfish. Next time look for an ich cure without any dyes in it.
Second, Seachem makes a product called Prime. Their info sheets and web site say: Prime™ detoxifies nitrite and nitrate, allowing the biofilter to more efficiently remove them. You can probably find it at your local fish store. LA

Ichchit Sharma, India, November 4, 2006
Hey, LA. Thanks a million for the acknowledgement. Well it's not so much about buying as opposed to more about info. We here in India love your site Aqualand. It's amazing how much info you guys have managed to post on your site. We have known about other sites, but we like Aqualand best. Well at least all fish freaks I know have been to your site, including some very famous ones here in India. We hope you start a newsletter soon.. Also we hope you start selling critters through the net. MSN Blocked this image to help protect your privacy.

Click to show images or right-click for more options.

MSN Blocked this image to help protect your privacy.

Click to show images or right-click for more options.

Yours most faithfully,

A: Actually, the site started from our Aqualand Newsletters and Aqualand Fact Sheets. We included several years of both in our first web site. We had to get rid of all of them in an attempt to keep our site from going down the first week of every month from too much traffic. We talked to our bud and fellow fish freak, Captain Jack, and he set us up with a web site that stays up. So, I give him (and Mike Parks) a real thumbs up. LA

Contessa Mendosa, November 4, 2006
I just bought an iridescent, and he doesn't appear to be doing so well. The first one I bought I put in my pond and he didn't last 2 days. I got another one yesterday, and put him in my tank. I only have a 10 gallon tank, which I read is fine to start. I have several other fish in there including 5 guppies, 3 small goldfish, 2 tetras, a gourami, and a molly. I saw how feisty they can be when I brought him home. When I first put him in the tank, he was sort of just lying at the bottom and lethargic. As the day went on, he seemed to perk up and was moving more and seemed fine. Now I just cleaned the tank and changed the water and put him back in and he's just lying on his side barely moving. When I change the water, I replace the old water with 2 buckets of faucet water that I have left sitting out for a couple of days and mix in some of the old water too. Is my guy going to be ok, or is there something I need to do? The way he looks now, he may not make it through the day.

A: Iridescent sharks (and most other fish) do not like massive water changes. Regular water changes -- about 20 to 25% -- work best. And always add a water conditioner. We like NovAqua.

Bob, VA, November 4, 2006
Hi Larry, I read your articles concerning brine shrimp but I have a few questions. The first is how much sea salt (Instant Ocean) would you use per gallon of water with a pH of about 7.0? I have been using regular aquarium salt and the brine shrimp only live for a few days which is OK for feeding fry, but there is still a lot of wasted shrimp even though I only hatch out small amounts. I read that using yeast for food works but I haven't been able to keep them alive long enough to find out. Is it safe to feed the fish dead shrimp? I usually just dump the dead ones down the drain and start over. I just wanted to try and raise a batch of shrimp and thought the sea salts would be better to use. Thanks!

A: You may want to use a hydrometer and shoot for twice the specific gravity of saltwater. Or just use twice the salt recommended for saltwater fishes. Do not crowd them like the pictures show. A 10-gallon tank will grow 500 adults in four to six weeks. LA
PS The frozen are much easier to work with.

Sam Saeteurn, November 5, 2006
Hi Larry, Lately, my arowana has been acting strangely. All the arowana does is lie at the bottom of the tank. It's not very active. The arowana is active at night but not during the day. Also, my arowana used to eat in front of me when I fed it. Now when I feed it twice a day (once in the morning, once at night), it doesn't eat. When I leave the room and come back, the food is gone. Is my arowana afraid to eat in front of me? Why does it lie at the bottom of the tank all day? Thanks

A: Lying on the bottom is never a good sign for arowanas -- new or established. Since you've had him such a short time, water quality is always a suspect. Check for ammonia right now. Cut back on the food. Put in some gouramis or other non-swallowable fish to encourage him to swim. His prognosis is not good. LA

Rebeccak3, November 5, 2006
Ohhh. I finally got something out of them! I did it to the little guy and he barked… male, okay *silent* and I did it to the big one and it is a he… he barked. Both of them are males… Whoa. How did he get so big?. Okay, another question how much are fire-belly toads supposed to shed? They shed so much that it clogs my filter. (Not that much but enough that a lot of things don’t get through.) Do females bark?

A: The more you feed them. The more they grow. The more they shed. Females do not bark. LA

Sarah W., November 5, 2006
Thanks for your response. Yes I do know loaches are very sensitive to dye type treatments for ich, and I didn't say I used such. I have used Aquarisol at half strength quite successfully in the past. I do realize copper is toxic and monitor the levels with a test kit. They showed no signs of stress until a week after stopping treatment with normal water changes. And I was wondering if there was another possibility as to their odd behavior, and the death of the one? I have other loaches (Kuhlis, dojos) none are having problems. I also
wonder if their behavior is related to the changes in the weather? I will look for the Seachem Prime and see if that helps the nitrate issue. Thank you again for your time, it is greatly appreciated.

A: I've never used Aquarisol myself because I figured the EDTA in most water conditioners would chelate the copper and reduce its efficacy. It sounds like a better solution than a dye treatment. I hope Prime helps your nitrate problem. LA

James Barber, November 5, 2006
When I was browsing your site I noticed your Texas Spawning II. I myself own 5 Texas and a Tex x jack dempsey hybrid. I believe the fish on Texas Spawning II are jack dempsey x Texas crosses. Although they are beautiful, I feel you should inform any buyers of the fish that they are hybrids.

A: I do believe you are right. Thanks. LA

David Tran, November 5, 2006
I don't know if you give online help. But since I don't know anyone who specializes in turtles, vet check ups are so expensive it's just become ridiculous. I stumbled upon your home page and I saw an article on red ear sliders. I have a really urgent issue with my turtle. I have these baby turtles. When I first bought them, only one was a real eager eater. The other got accustomed to my hand so within a weeks he began eating from my fingers. But now, one of them remains eating, and the other hasn't eaten in 2 months, I'm not so sure, maybe 3. The one that eats used to be a lot smaller than the one that first began eating. Now it's huge! Probably 3 times its original weight. The one that doesn't eat, just sits there. I'm surprised it can crawl onto the little platform, because it can't carry itself when I take it out of the little lagoon. It barfs and sits there. And when I put it in water it floats at a slant, regardless if I put it upside down or put it at the other side. It will always float at one side. It barfs out bubbles. Do you think you can give me some tips on what to do? As a reminder, I just bought a heater for it, and a small lamp. The lamp really isn't much. It's just a regular light bulb for reading. It's 20 watts.

A: Lots of turtles go into a period of slowed metabolism during the fall. Put a larger bulb in your lamp and get the temperature up to 85 F.
Barfing bubbles can indicate a respiratory disease.
Call a vet and ask thon vet to recommend a reptile vet. LA

Ron Kruger, NJ, November 5, 2006
Hello Larry, Just a quick note that I came across a couple of the "flower shrimps" in a store about a month ago. Naturally I had to check out your web site to see if you had them listed. I was happy to see them there! The shop only had two left and I'm hopeful that they are male and female. One is larger so perhaps they are a pair.

I noted right away that instead of claws they have a "fan" type of arrangement that indicates a filter type of feeder (as you indicate). Mine have pretty much taken up residence on the live plants right under the power filter catching whatever comes their way in the "fan." That includes very fine pieces of flake food. When they want to, they can move very quickly across the gravel.

I've also noted too that they pick at food they find in the sponge type filters that I also have in the tank along with the outside power filter. They also pick at algae and whatever they find on the live plants; seem to loosen the food with their legs and put the food in the "fan" which they in turn put in their mouths. Have also watched them bite at food that is on the live plants.

The two are in a 20 gallon aquarium with only corydoras catfish, so hopefully I can observe reproductive activity and report back to you (assuming they are male and female). I have a mesh covering for the power filter intake to hopefully keep young from being sucked in. They like the water flow too much to have that turned off.

I find it rather distressing to know that people are feeding ghost shrimp to other creatures. That seems to be the case here as well. I can't get into the store fast enough to buy them as the shrimp seem to be sold faster than they can get them in. Did manage to get a few and now have baby ghost shrimp swimming around in a 10 gallon tank.

Love your web site! So informative with great photos!

A: As usual, thanks for your input, Ron. Be aware that corys will eat baby flower shrimp. LA

LA Pic
Came in a box of 1,000 ghost shrimp. No clue.

Robert Nichols, November 5, 2006
This picture was in Miscellaneous Oddballs 2. That is a species of sand darter (U.S. native).

A: Thanks. Sorry for the crummy pic. LA

Alaskin Briones, UK, November 6, 2006
Hi, I need your expertise about my green Texas. It's just about 4 inches in length. Can you help me determine its sex? If it's a HE or a She? I am attaching some pics here and hope they're clear enough. Any opinion will be greatly appreciated.. And thank you so much in advance.

AB

A: Looks like you have more than one in your tank. I can't see a nuchal bump on his head or a breeding tube, so I can't say for certain. Males tend to grow faster and larger. They're also more aggressive. Females are usually (but not always) shyer. Females are also less colorful. In summary, I have to say I can't tell its sex, but it's a good looking specimen. LA

LA
One very oddly shaped goby.

Robert Nichols, November 6, 2006
This is a marbled sleeper goby. He gets 2 feet long. I hope this helps you guys.

A: I figured it was an extremely old one when I fished him out of the bucket he came in. He's stayed hidden for several months. He died yesterday. Thanks again for your input. LA

Anna Hooper, November 6, 2006
Enjoy your website very much! Recently looking at your pics of H. temporalis. Is it possible to tell the difference between this species and H. coryphaenoides when they are young (~2inches)? They look very similar. Thank you very much,

LA
Under two-inch chocolate cichlid.

A: I'm not sure I've ever seen the non-temporalis species. Here's a pic of a small (under 2 inch) chocolate I took this morning. LA

Anna Hooper, November 10, 2006
Thank you for your reply; I learned this week that young H.coryphaenoides have more vertically stretched spots on their sides and are more chocolate with gold coloring, while H.temporalis have rounder spots and more reddish color to their chocolate. Mystery solved! Mine look like the pic you sent and are H.temporalis. Thank you, and, I like browsing the many pictures, info, and funny stories you post on your site, Anna.

Charles D. Black, Olathe, KS. November 6, 2006
How long are you wanting me to talk? Any specific topic or just in general? Any idea as to how many people? Do you want me to bring along stock for sale or just display? I'll bring along the Randy May Prints as they are major crowd pleasers. I'll also bring along the freeze-dried mounted stock as well.

A: Right now we're expecting 20 to 25 people. We have in store posters, we put you on our web site home page plus our Q&A page which more people read. We sent Faxes to the media. We'll send out invitations to our list of tarantula buyers this week. And we sent out 1,550 announcements to our regular customers. Now that I think of it, we better alert the Nebraska Tarantula Enthusiasts Club.
Can you speak 20 to 40 minutes? Then allow 20 to 40 minutes for questions? We'd like you to assume everyone already knows the basics. These will nearly all be current tarantula keepers. We covered the basics on Tarantula Night 2006. Bring display items and items for sale. Some of the attendees will be looking for unusual tarantulas. We'll have a better handle on potential attendance late next week. LA

Dan Choe, November 6, 2006
May I have your permission to use some of your pictures on my website?

A: Sure. Just put the little LA next to it. LA

Derrick Andrews, OH, November 8, 2006
Hey man, have you ever heard of an African cichlid called a Black Calvus?? I've heard there's a white calvus too, but I saw a picture of a black calvus on a website awhile back and no petstores in like a 60-mile radius have been able to find me this fish!

A: Give your LFS the name Altolamprologus calvus or Neolamprologus calvus. The A. compressiceps looks very similar. I shot this guy this afternoon (for you). He's under two inches, very slow growing, a shell dweller, and plenty pricey. They come in black, red, white, and gold. They usually arrive at about half an inch and all look alike at that size. LA
Whoops. After trying to decide what color he is, I realized he's a compressiceps. LA

Sam Saeteurn, November 5, 2006
I used Kordon AmQuel Plus. My arowana is very active now. I have my
arowana in a 10 gallon tank with a pleco. The pleco produces a lot of
waste. I feed the pleco one wafer twice a day. Is that too much food for
the pleco? He really, really produces a lot of waste. I clean my tank
once a week on Thursdays.
After I use an underwater gravel vacuum I put in water from my sink.
Before I use the sink water, I add in Kordon NovAqua Plus to clean the
water. Then I place it in the tank.
My arowana seems very eager to eat now. Whenever I open the lid to feed
it, the arowana swims right up top to wait for the food. It's really
amazing. Thanks for all the advice Larry.

A: As long as you give your tank a weekly vacuuming and you're past that critical first couple of weeks, I wouldn't worry about the pleco waste. However, you may want to break those wafers in half. The fact that your arowana's up looking for food is a very good sign. LA

Derrick Andrews, OH, November 10, 2006
I was thinking of adding my electric blue dempsey to my African cichlid tank. Will the higher pH level mess with my dempsey? I keep the ph between 7.8 and 8.4

A: Your African cichlids will kill your dempsey before the pH will present a problem. LA
PS You're only supposed to get one question per month.

Trevor Worthington, November 10, 2006
Hey Aqualand,I was browsing your site when I decided to check to see if my favorite fish was there. Sure enough, it was. I have a Black Ghost Knife and he's not aggressive at all. Actually, he seems to think all the fish are his friends. He hides behind our almost 3 ft long plecostomus and plays in the bubbles with our neons and tiger barbs. The PetSmart store where we got him said that he was the best Ghost Knife they've had so far. Apparently, he'll eat right out of your hand, and he'll play with you too. I think your description of the little guys is a bit harsh. I've never, EVER, seen my Ghosty make any attempt on another fish's life, and we still haven't lost any fish since we got him (almost half a year ago), not even our neons. I just hope that you'll have a use for my little report.
Thanks,

A: Alright. I'll add your info to my ghost page. Thanks. LA

KJ Vezino, Bellevue, NE, November 11, 2006
RE Tarantula Speaker Botar on November 19
LA, Thanks, I'll let my group know about it. We've got our monthly meeting the day before that. We had Botar up here a couple months ago. It was a great meeting. I'm sure yours will be as well. As far as that graphic goes, are you talking about the rose hair? That's not mine. It's been used on the web for as long as I have been into Ts (6 years). It's been used so much all over the place, I don't think anyone knows whose it is either. Good luck with your meeting.

A: Thanks for the info. LA

Charles Blount, November 12, 2006
Dear Aqualand: I am very impressed with the fish index you have put up. But it would be a great help if you could send me a list of all of the fish that are compatible with a black ghost knife fish in a 35 gallon tank. I have had a black ghost for around six moths, and it looks to be a 10 months old. But it is kind of hard to find a site with a good compatibility list. I would appreciate the help. Sincerely,

A: I doubt that such a list exists. Just stick with fishes too large to be swallowed and too small (or aggressive) to eat or beat your ghost knife fish to death. LA

Eric Jamieson. November 12, 2006
Great site. A couple of months ago I wanted an interesting fish that would do a good job of eating algae, and based on your site's recommendation I bought a bristlenose pleco. What a cool little fish. I'd never even heard of them until I found your site.
Unfortunately I live about 1500 miles away from Des Moines, so probably won't be bringing you guys much business, but just wanted to thank you for the great web site!

A: No prob, Next time you're in the area, drop past and buy us all lunch at a Chinese buffet. LA

Sam Saeteurn, November 13, 2006
Will my arowana get along with a red volitan lionfish? I really want to
get a lionfish. Thanks

A: No. Volitans are salt water. LA

George Sobhy, Egypt, November 13, 2006
Hi. I adore fish. I can't live without my tanks. My Pangassius hypopthalmus does not eat well, while another smaller one eats very well. I don't know why. Can you give me some helpful ideas? Thanx plz plz plz reply thanx very much.
PS If I want to buy a fish from you, how can I get it? And I want to know the prices, please. Thanx very much

A: Normally the larger fish intimidates the littler fish, so you would separate them. However, pangassius are schooling fish. They do better in a group. So, add two more pangassius. LA
PS We don't sell fish thru the mail.

Laura Kiely, NC, November 13, 2006
Hi, I have a Horned Lizard and love your site. I saw that you do not ship live animals. I wish you did. I live in North Carolina. I was wondering if you know a breeder I could contact for another one. Thank you

A: As far as I know, these rascals are probably all captured from the wild. The main sticking point in keeping them is their food. Email me back if you need a carpenter ant source. LA

George Sobhy, Egypt, November 13, 2006
Hello, do you sell fish and lizards??

A: We sell fish and lizards, but we do not ship fish or lizards. LA

Tabitha, November 13, 2006
Hi! My Ramshorn Snail is sick. It is like the water is soft in the aquarium but it isn't. It is very hard, over 200. His shell is how you have explained it on the Ramshorn Snail site, how the soft water disintegrates it. But like I've said, I only have hard water in the aquarium. I tested the water using a 5 in 1 test kit and the nitrate is b/w 80 and 160, the nitrite is b/w safe and caution, alkalinity is low, and the ph is 6.2. With the snails I have 2 Neon Tetras and 2 adult Cory Cats and babies. And the temp. is about 70 degrees. If you have any advice I would appreciate it. Thank you.

A: Once the shell dissolves, I haven't found any way to repair it. You could possibly dry the shell and color it in with a brown permanent marker? Maybe try a brown fingernail polish? In any event, your snail is not really sick, he's just losing the calcium in his shell -- sort of like osteoporosis. You could add a vacation feeder block? They contain lots of calcium. LA

Tabitha, November 14, 2006
Will he die? I'm just concerned about how that will affect him. Thanks

A: He will, of course, die, but no sooner than any other snail. LA

Dee Mondiy, November 14, 2006
Hi, I asked my local pet store to get me another African knife which I had for a while and wanted to add another one. But to my surprise, I noticed when I got home that the fish is a hybrid -- a cross between the clown knife and the African knife. I have never seen or heard of such a fish. Have you any information on this fish? Regards

A: I don't see how they could be hybridized, but I've been surprised before. Take care of your new knife based on his mouth size. If he has a small mouth, treat him like an African knife fish. If he has a big mouth, treat him like a clown knife fish. LA

Stacey, November 14, 2006
LA, Over the summer I kept my 2-inch black moor goldfish in a pond with some goldfish, minnows, and 2 other moors (who were all only 3 inches, except for my 4-inch gold comet). When I went out in the morning at feeding time, his EYE WAS MISSING!!! I quickly scooped him out and transferred him to a hospital tank. Then he caught ich! I put some ich cure in and he recovered over a few weeks. His eye is better now (there is skin covering it) and I would like to know if you have any ideas of what happened. Thank you for your time.

A: Likely a bird tried to snag him and only got a taste. Your moor was lucky. His eye should heal but will never work again. Luckily, he only needs one to survive. LA

Alex Potter, November 15, 2006
Hi, I need your help. I have a black ghost knife fish. I got it a few months ago. It's around 3 or 4 inches long. I was looking at it, and it has a brown spot on both sides of its body. Have you ever heard of this? And is it something I should be concerned about?

A: I haven't heard of the brown spots, and you should be concerned about them. Without seeing them, I would suspect a bacteria infection. If you treat him in the tank he's in, try MelaFix. If you have a quarantine tank, try one of the Furan drugs. LA

Vickie Richman, November 15, 2006
I have done a lot of research and I heard that you guys sell horned lizards (toads). I can't get them until Christmas, but I would really want to buy one. I can get a good supply of ants.

A: We sell them from time to time -- but not always. We'll probably have them more often now that we can get mass quantities of carpenter ants. Make sure your ants are carpenter ants. LA

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	Aqualand Q&As November 1-15, 2006

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. 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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	Eric Gomez, TX, November 1, 2006 OK, thanks. I'll make sure and do that. Oh, and your water dogs when y'all have them, how much do they go for? I want some, and I can't find any here in Texas at any pet stores. I've been to every one in my city and they only carry a lot of the common cheap fish or reptiles. I just want a price to see what or how much I should be paying for them. I'm still on the hunt! LA A: We've had so few waterdogs the last couple years, that I cannot remember how much they cost. They've become very scarce. They used to be sold in bait shops -- probably for bass. I doubt you will find any. I can't. LA Shaleah Firrell, Davenport, IA, November 1, 2006 I have noticed that you carry a few types of fish I would like for my aquarium. My problem is travel. What would be the best way for me to get the fish home? Drive time from here to there is about 3 hours. A: Just tell us you have a three hour drive, and we'll put them in a larger bag. You may want to pack them in a cooler to stabilize their temp. Before you fill your tank and head this way, call first to make sure we have the fish you're looking for. The web shows fish we've had in the past -- some we've not been able to get for years. LA Eric Gomez, TX, November 2, 2006 Man, what you suggested worked like a charm. He shed his skin within 10 minutes and ate it as fast. Now he's a vivid bright yellow. Thanks I'm so happy nothing happened to him. Well, thanks for all your help. (Refers back to his October 31, 2006 letter.) Ichchit Sharma, India, November 2, 2006 Hello to all at Aqualand, I am a great fan of LA and tried to confirm to the newsletter but the above link does not work. Please send me another link. Thank you A: Namastey. Glad to hear we're going over so well in India. Seems like a long commute to buy fish, but what the hey? It's really a Sales Letter as opposed to a News Letter. I entered your name just now. We do put some news in it occasionally. You'll get the November issue. LA Jerel McDaniel, November 2, 2006 Do you know of any websites that you can order a Mud Puppy, Necturus maculosus from? A: No. LA Sam Saeteurn, November 2, 2006 Hi, I've had my arowana for 1 week now. I feed it freeze dried shrimp made by Futian and freeze dried krill made by Hikari. I tried feeding it pellets made by Aqua Master but my arowana refuses to eat them. I tried to feed it the pellets for about 2 days and the arowana didn't budge. Then when I went to feed my pleco an algae wafer, the arowana attempted to eat the algae wafer. So I gave in and fed my arowana shrimp. Do you think I should continue trying to feed my arowana pellets? Maybe a different type of pellet? Also, my arowana is scared of me. When I get close to the tank to look at it, my arowana goes crazy and starts jumping all over the tank. Will my arowana ever recognize me? I have a friend who has an arowana and his isn't afraid of him at all. He's had his arowana for 1.5 months. Also, his arowana eats pellets. Let me know what you think. Thanks. A: One week seems like a long time when you're trying to get your fish to adjust to his new home. I know. I've got a blue one coming tomorrow. You're actually making good progress just getting him away from eating live goldfish. Just take your time, he'll adjust. Try those red Tetra sticks. LA Joe Carrieri, November 2, 2006 I have a bearded dragon, most likely a male. I got it as a Christmas present in 2005, and Leon (my dragon) was 4 inches long then, now 11 months later he is 16 inches long. Other beardies of similar age are all larger than him -- some already adult size. Why isn't Leon as big as them? Leon is fed a nutritious diet of grated carrots, mustard greens, dandelion greens, collards, romaine lettuce, grated celery, sliced apple, bananas, and cantaloupe, as well as peaches and grapes and strawberries. Leon is housed in a 40 gallon tank, with a reptile carpet for substrate. It is washed weekly. He has a basking spot temp of 105 degrees, and a large water dish to soak his entire body. He has a 9 month old UVB/UVA light bulb. Could that be it? He is offered 4 dozen crickets a week and they are dusted with calcium every other feeding. He is interacted with daily for an hour as well. Any reason Leon could still be small? Or am I doing something wrong? If Leon just happens to be small, I will still give Leon the best care. Thanks A: Sounds like Leon is really Leona. LA Martin Mannings, November 2, 2006 Hi. I already have a 2 foot discus tank and I am upgrading to a 3 foot tank. Is there any way I can set the new tank up and put the fish in the same day? I was wondering if I could use the water from the 2 foot tank and use reverse osmosis water to top it up? And use the filter from the 2 foot tank as well as the new one I'm getting? Will this work? And what are the best plants for a discus setup? And what size gravel works best? And would I need a CO₂ system for the plants? Or will I need plant fertilizer? Sorry about all these questions but I want to get it right. Thanks A: Yes, it will work. Forget the gravel. Forget the plants. Forget the CO₂system for the plants and the fertilizer. LA Al Falls, November 2, 2006 Do you think axolotls can live in outdoor ponds? I live in California which would probably be good weather for them to survive in. A: Axolotls would undoubtedly thrive in cooler areas of California. Lots of luck smuggling them into the golden state. LA Dj Gilpin, November 2, 2006 Hello, I would like to inquire as to the prices on your Piebald Ball Pythons, and your Het-Piebald Pythons as well. Thank you for your time, A: I don't think I've ever seen a piebald ball python myself. You might check with Anthony at mccainreptiles@iowatelecom.net We really don't ship animals. LA Joe Carrieri, November 3, 2006 Thank you for your answer. How exactly can you tell male from female? I heard that males have a black beard when puffed up. Leon sometimes has a black beard but not always. How can I tell if Leon is a male or female? Or should I go to a reptile specialty store and ask someone there to do it for me? Thanks LA You can tell he's a boy not by the "B" on his belly but by the hemi-penis between his legs. A: Look between his back legs for the two bumps that represent his hemi-penis. Oddly enough, "hemi" in other English words means "half." As in hemisphere, hemi-demi-semiquaver, and the Dodge "hemi" commercials. Hemi is a Greek word meaning half. Same as the Latin word semi. Anyway, in the reptile world it means "two." They are a better clue than chin color which can vary considerably. LA Dee McFarland, Des Moines, IA, November 3, 2006 How long does it take before baby angelfish actually look like the parents? I have about 40 to 50 (hard to count) swimmers. If they live, I will then have to figure out how to get rid of them. They started out as just an experiment because my angels kept laying eggs. The baby’s are in a tank of their own. A: They should definitely look like their parents at six weeks of age. They should be sellable at three to four months of age. Make sure they eat flake food before selling them. LA Sarah W., November 4, 2006 First off, I LOVE your site and have found it very helpful in the past! My first question today is about my clown loaches. I've had 2 for several months, and added 2 more about 8 weeks ago. One new one came down with Ich and was successfully treated and finished up last week -- very glad I recognized the rock flicking etc and caught it early. But now they all stopped eating and playing and they just hide. One died this morning. I can't for the life of me figure out what is going on. All the other tank inhabitants are perfectly fine, even the other loach species. Water conditions are as good as they get here (we have a naturally higher nitrate level in our water system and can't ever get the tank below 20). Any ideas about the clown loaches? I've never had them act like this before. My second question is about the nitrate levels. I tested our tap water, and the nitrates are about 20. Is there any way to lower this or treat it chemically for nitrates? I didn't really think anything of it until my clown loaches started acting funny. I do weekly 20% water changes in my 55g tank using a gravel vacuum, and have a power filter and an under gravel filter with power heads. Given the natural nitrates in our water, I can't keep the nitrates any lower than 20-40. Thank you for any input. I greatly appreciate your taking the time! A: First, clown loaches are very sensitive to malachite green -- the main ingredient in most ich remedies. Most of their labels say use them at half strength for loaches. But clown loaches are more susceptible to malachite than even the other loaches. Ditto pictus catfish. Next time look for an ich cure without any dyes in it. Second, Seachem makes a product called Prime. Their info sheets and web site say: Prime™ detoxifies nitrite and nitrate, allowing the biofilter to more efficiently remove them. You can probably find it at your local fish store. LA Ichchit Sharma, India, November 4, 2006 Hey, LA. Thanks a million for the acknowledgement. Well it's not so much about buying as opposed to more about info. We here in India love your site Aqualand. It's amazing how much info you guys have managed to post on your site. We have known about other sites, but we like Aqualand best. Well at least all fish freaks I know have been to your site, including some very famous ones here in India. We hope you start a newsletter soon.. Also we hope you start selling critters through the net. Yours most faithfully, A: Actually, the site started from our Aqualand Newsletters and Aqualand Fact Sheets. We included several years of both in our first web site. We had to get rid of all of them in an attempt to keep our site from going down the first week of every month from too much traffic. We talked to our bud and fellow fish freak, Captain Jack, and he set us up with a web site that stays up. So, I give him (and Mike Parks) a real thumbs up. LA Contessa Mendosa, November 4, 2006 I just bought an iridescent, and he doesn't appear to be doing so well. The first one I bought I put in my pond and he didn't last 2 days. I got another one yesterday, and put him in my tank. I only have a 10 gallon tank, which I read is fine to start. I have several other fish in there including 5 guppies, 3 small goldfish, 2 tetras, a gourami, and a molly. I saw how feisty they can be when I brought him home. When I first put him in the tank, he was sort of just lying at the bottom and lethargic. As the day went on, he seemed to perk up and was moving more and seemed fine. Now I just cleaned the tank and changed the water and put him back in and he's just lying on his side barely moving. When I change the water, I replace the old water with 2 buckets of faucet water that I have left sitting out for a couple of days and mix in some of the old water too. Is my guy going to be ok, or is there something I need to do? The way he looks now, he may not make it through the day. A: Iridescent sharks (and most other fish) do not like massive water changes. Regular water changes -- about 20 to 25% -- work best. And always add a water conditioner. We like NovAqua. Bob, VA, November 4, 2006 Hi Larry, I read your articles concerning brine shrimp but I have a few questions. The first is how much sea salt (Instant Ocean) would you use per gallon of water with a pH of about 7.0? I have been using regular aquarium salt and the brine shrimp only live for a few days which is OK for feeding fry, but there is still a lot of wasted shrimp even though I only hatch out small amounts. I read that using yeast for food works but I haven't been able to keep them alive long enough to find out. Is it safe to feed the fish dead shrimp? I usually just dump the dead ones down the drain and start over. I just wanted to try and raise a batch of shrimp and thought the sea salts would be better to use. Thanks! A: You may want to use a hydrometer and shoot for twice the specific gravity of saltwater. Or just use twice the salt recommended for saltwater fishes. Do not crowd them like the pictures show. A 10-gallon tank will grow 500 adults in four to six weeks. LA PS The frozen are much easier to work with. Sam Saeteurn, November 5, 2006 Hi Larry, Lately, my arowana has been acting strangely. All the arowana does is lie at the bottom of the tank. It's not very active. The arowana is active at night but not during the day. Also, my arowana used to eat in front of me when I fed it. Now when I feed it twice a day (once in the morning, once at night), it doesn't eat. When I leave the room and come back, the food is gone. Is my arowana afraid to eat in front of me? Why does it lie at the bottom of the tank all day? Thanks A: Lying on the bottom is never a good sign for arowanas -- new or established. Since you've had him such a short time, water quality is always a suspect. Check for ammonia right now. Cut back on the food. Put in some gouramis or other non-swallowable fish to encourage him to swim. His prognosis is not good. LA Rebeccak3, November 5, 2006 Ohhh. I finally got something out of them! I did it to the little guy and he barked… male, okay *silent* and I did it to the big one and it is a he… he barked. Both of them are males… Whoa. How did he get so big?. Okay, another question how much are fire-belly toads supposed to shed? They shed so much that it clogs my filter. (Not that much but enough that a lot of things don’t get through.) Do females bark? A: The more you feed them. The more they grow. The more they shed. Females do not bark. LA Sarah W., November 5, 2006 Thanks for your response. Yes I do know loaches are very sensitive to dye type treatments for ich, and I didn't say I used such. I have used Aquarisol at half strength quite successfully in the past. I do realize copper is toxic and monitor the levels with a test kit. They showed no signs of stress until a week after stopping treatment with normal water changes. And I was wondering if there was another possibility as to their odd behavior, and the death of the one? I have other loaches (Kuhlis, dojos) none are having problems. I also wonder if their behavior is related to the changes in the weather? I will look for the Seachem Prime and see if that helps the nitrate issue. Thank you again for your time, it is greatly appreciated. A: I've never used Aquarisol myself because I figured the EDTA in most water conditioners would chelate the copper and reduce its efficacy. It sounds like a better solution than a dye treatment. I hope Prime helps your nitrate problem. LA James Barber, November 5, 2006 When I was browsing your site I noticed your Texas Spawning II. I myself own 5 Texas and a Tex x jack dempsey hybrid. I believe the fish on Texas Spawning II are jack dempsey x Texas crosses. Although they are beautiful, I feel you should inform any buyers of the fish that they are hybrids. A: I do believe you are right. Thanks. LA David Tran, November 5, 2006 I don't know if you give online help. But since I don't know anyone who specializes in turtles, vet check ups are so expensive it's just become ridiculous. I stumbled upon your home page and I saw an article on red ear sliders. I have a really urgent issue with my turtle. I have these baby turtles. When I first bought them, only one was a real eager eater. The other got accustomed to my hand so within a weeks he began eating from my fingers. But now, one of them remains eating, and the other hasn't eaten in 2 months, I'm not so sure, maybe 3. The one that eats used to be a lot smaller than the one that first began eating. Now it's huge! Probably 3 times its original weight. The one that doesn't eat, just sits there. I'm surprised it can crawl onto the little platform, because it can't carry itself when I take it out of the little lagoon. It barfs and sits there. And when I put it in water it floats at a slant, regardless if I put it upside down or put it at the other side. It will always float at one side. It barfs out bubbles. Do you think you can give me some tips on what to do? As a reminder, I just bought a heater for it, and a small lamp. The lamp really isn't much. It's just a regular light bulb for reading. It's 20 watts. A: Lots of turtles go into a period of slowed metabolism during the fall. Put a larger bulb in your lamp and get the temperature up to 85 F. Barfing bubbles can indicate a respiratory disease. Call a vet and ask thon vet to recommend a reptile vet. LA Ron Kruger, NJ, November 5, 2006 Hello Larry, Just a quick note that I came across a couple of the "flower shrimps" in a store about a month ago. Naturally I had to check out your web site to see if you had them listed. I was happy to see them there! The shop only had two left and I'm hopeful that they are male and female. One is larger so perhaps they are a pair. I noted right away that instead of claws they have a "fan" type of arrangement that indicates a filter type of feeder (as you indicate). Mine have pretty much taken up residence on the live plants right under the power filter catching whatever comes their way in the "fan." That includes very fine pieces of flake food. When they want to, they can move very quickly across the gravel. I've also noted too that they pick at food they find in the sponge type filters that I also have in the tank along with the outside power filter. They also pick at algae and whatever they find on the live plants; seem to loosen the food with their legs and put the food in the "fan" which they in turn put in their mouths. Have also watched them bite at food that is on the live plants. The two are in a 20 gallon aquarium with only corydoras catfish, so hopefully I can observe reproductive activity and report back to you (assuming they are male and female). I have a mesh covering for the power filter intake to hopefully keep young from being sucked in. They like the water flow too much to have that turned off. I find it rather distressing to know that people are feeding ghost shrimp to other creatures. That seems to be the case here as well. I can't get into the store fast enough to buy them as the shrimp seem to be sold faster than they can get them in. Did manage to get a few and now have baby ghost shrimp swimming around in a 10 gallon tank. Love your web site! So informative with great photos! A: As usual, thanks for your input, Ron. Be aware that corys will eat baby flower shrimp. LA LA Pic Came in a box of 1,000 ghost shrimp. No clue. Robert Nichols, November 5, 2006 This picture was in Miscellaneous Oddballs 2. That is a species of sand darter (U.S. native). A: Thanks. Sorry for the crummy pic. LA Alaskin Briones, UK, November 6, 2006 Hi, I need your expertise about my green Texas. It's just about 4 inches in length. Can you help me determine its sex? If it's a HE or a She? I am attaching some pics here and hope they're clear enough. Any opinion will be greatly appreciated.. And thank you so much in advance. AB A: Looks like you have more than one in your tank. I can't see a nuchal bump on his head or a breeding tube, so I can't say for certain. Males tend to grow faster and larger. They're also more aggressive. Females are usually (but not always) shyer. Females are also less colorful. In summary, I have to say I can't tell its sex, but it's a good looking specimen. LA LA One very oddly shaped goby. Robert Nichols, November 6, 2006 This is a marbled sleeper goby. He gets 2 feet long. I hope this helps you guys. A: I figured it was an extremely old one when I fished him out of the bucket he came in. He's stayed hidden for several months. He died yesterday. Thanks again for your input. LA Anna Hooper, November 6, 2006 Enjoy your website very much! Recently looking at your pics of H. temporalis. Is it possible to tell the difference between this species and H. coryphaenoides when they are young (~2inches)? They look very similar. Thank you very much, LA Under two-inch chocolate cichlid. A: I'm not sure I've ever seen the non-temporalis species. Here's a pic of a small (under 2 inch) chocolate I took this morning. LA Anna Hooper, November 10, 2006 Thank you for your reply; I learned this week that young H.coryphaenoides have more vertically stretched spots on their sides and are more chocolate with gold coloring, while H.temporalis have rounder spots and more reddish color to their chocolate. Mystery solved! Mine look like the pic you sent and are H.temporalis. Thank you, and, I like browsing the many pictures, info, and funny stories you post on your site, Anna. Charles D. Black, Olathe, KS. November 6, 2006 How long are you wanting me to talk? Any specific topic or just in general? Any idea as to how many people? Do you want me to bring along stock for sale or just display? I'll bring along the Randy May Prints as they are major crowd pleasers. I'll also bring along the freeze-dried mounted stock as well. A: Right now we're expecting 20 to 25 people. We have in store posters, we put you on our web site home page plus our Q&A page which more people read. We sent Faxes to the media. We'll send out invitations to our list of tarantula buyers this week. And we sent out 1,550 announcements to our regular customers. Now that I think of it, we better alert the Nebraska Tarantula Enthusiasts Club. Can you speak 20 to 40 minutes? Then allow 20 to 40 minutes for questions? We'd like you to assume everyone already knows the basics. These will nearly all be current tarantula keepers. We covered the basics on Tarantula Night 2006. Bring display items and items for sale. Some of the attendees will be looking for unusual tarantulas. We'll have a better handle on potential attendance late next week. LA Dan Choe, November 6, 2006 May I have your permission to use some of your pictures on my website? A: Sure. Just put the little LA next to it. LA Derrick Andrews, OH, November 8, 2006 Hey man, have you ever heard of an African cichlid called a Black Calvus?? I've heard there's a white calvus too, but I saw a picture of a black calvus on a website awhile back and no petstores in like a 60-mile radius have been able to find me this fish! LA A: Give your LFS the name Altolamprologus calvus or Neolamprologus calvus. The A. compressiceps looks very similar. I shot this guy this afternoon (for you). He's under two inches, very slow growing, a shell dweller, and plenty pricey. They come in black, red, white, and gold. They usually arrive at about half an inch and all look alike at that size. LA Whoops. After trying to decide what color he is, I realized he's a compressiceps. LA Sam Saeteurn, November 5, 2006 I used Kordon AmQuel Plus. My arowana is very active now. I have my arowana in a 10 gallon tank with a pleco. The pleco produces a lot of waste. I feed the pleco one wafer twice a day. Is that too much food for the pleco? He really, really produces a lot of waste. I clean my tank once a week on Thursdays. After I use an underwater gravel vacuum I put in water from my sink. Before I use the sink water, I add in Kordon NovAqua Plus to clean the water. Then I place it in the tank. My arowana seems very eager to eat now. Whenever I open the lid to feed it, the arowana swims right up top to wait for the food. It's really amazing. Thanks for all the advice Larry. A: As long as you give your tank a weekly vacuuming and you're past that critical first couple of weeks, I wouldn't worry about the pleco waste. However, you may want to break those wafers in half. The fact that your arowana's up looking for food is a very good sign. LA Derrick Andrews, OH, November 10, 2006 I was thinking of adding my electric blue dempsey to my African cichlid tank. Will the higher pH level mess with my dempsey? I keep the ph between 7.8 and 8.4 A: Your African cichlids will kill your dempsey before the pH will present a problem. LA PS You're only supposed to get one question per month. Trevor Worthington, November 10, 2006 Hey Aqualand,I was browsing your site when I decided to check to see if my favorite fish was there. Sure enough, it was. I have a Black Ghost Knife and he's not aggressive at all. Actually, he seems to think all the fish are his friends. He hides behind our almost 3 ft long plecostomus and plays in the bubbles with our neons and tiger barbs. The PetSmart store where we got him said that he was the best Ghost Knife they've had so far. Apparently, he'll eat right out of your hand, and he'll play with you too. I think your description of the little guys is a bit harsh. I've never, EVER, seen my Ghosty make any attempt on another fish's life, and we still haven't lost any fish since we got him (almost half a year ago), not even our neons. I just hope that you'll have a use for my little report. Thanks, A: Alright. I'll add your info to my ghost page. Thanks. LA KJ Vezino, Bellevue, NE, November 11, 2006 RE Tarantula Speaker Botar on November 19 LA, Thanks, I'll let my group know about it. We've got our monthly meeting the day before that. We had Botar up here a couple months ago. It was a great meeting. I'm sure yours will be as well. As far as that graphic goes, are you talking about the rose hair? That's not mine. It's been used on the web for as long as I have been into Ts (6 years). It's been used so much all over the place, I don't think anyone knows whose it is either. Good luck with your meeting. A: Thanks for the info. LA Charles Blount, November 12, 2006 Dear Aqualand: I am very impressed with the fish index you have put up. But it would be a great help if you could send me a list of all of the fish that are compatible with a black ghost knife fish in a 35 gallon tank. I have had a black ghost for around six moths, and it looks to be a 10 months old. But it is kind of hard to find a site with a good compatibility list. I would appreciate the help. Sincerely, A: I doubt that such a list exists. Just stick with fishes too large to be swallowed and too small (or aggressive) to eat or beat your ghost knife fish to death. LA Eric Jamieson. November 12, 2006 Great site. A couple of months ago I wanted an interesting fish that would do a good job of eating algae, and based on your site's recommendation I bought a bristlenose pleco. What a cool little fish. I'd never even heard of them until I found your site. Unfortunately I live about 1500 miles away from Des Moines, so probably won't be bringing you guys much business, but just wanted to thank you for the great web site! A: No prob, Next time you're in the area, drop past and buy us all lunch at a Chinese buffet. LA Sam Saeteurn, November 13, 2006 Will my arowana get along with a red volitan lionfish? I really want to get a lionfish. Thanks A: No. Volitans are salt water. LA George Sobhy, Egypt, November 13, 2006 Hi. I adore fish. I can't live without my tanks. My *Pangassius hypopthalmus* does not eat well, while another smaller one eats very well. I don't know why. Can you give me some helpful ideas? Thanx plz plz plz reply thanx very much. PS If I want to buy a fish from you, how can I get it? And I want to know the prices, please. Thanx very much A: Normally the larger fish intimidates the littler fish, so you would separate them. However, pangassius are schooling fish. They do better in a group. So, add two more pangassius. LA PS We don't sell fish thru the mail. Laura Kiely, NC, November 13, 2006 Hi, I have a Horned Lizard and love your site. I saw that you do not ship live animals. I wish you did. I live in North Carolina. I was wondering if you know a breeder I could contact for another one. Thank you A: As far as I know, these rascals are probably all captured from the wild. The main sticking point in keeping them is their food. Email me back if you need a carpenter ant source. LA George Sobhy, Egypt, November 13, 2006 Hello, do you sell fish and lizards?? A: We sell fish and lizards, but we do not ship fish or lizards. LA Tabitha, November 13, 2006 Hi! My Ramshorn Snail is sick. It is like the water is soft in the aquarium but it isn't. It is very hard, over 200. His shell is how you have explained it on the Ramshorn Snail site, how the soft water disintegrates it. But like I've said, I only have hard water in the aquarium. I tested the water using a 5 in 1 test kit and the nitrate is b/w 80 and 160, the nitrite is b/w safe and caution, alkalinity is low, and the ph is 6.2. With the snails I have 2 Neon Tetras and 2 adult Cory Cats and babies. And the temp. is about 70 degrees. If you have any advice I would appreciate it. Thank you. A: Once the shell dissolves, I haven't found any way to repair it. You could possibly dry the shell and color it in with a brown permanent marker? Maybe try a brown fingernail polish? In any event, your snail is not really sick, he's just losing the calcium in his shell -- sort of like osteoporosis. You could add a vacation feeder block? They contain lots of calcium. LA Tabitha, November 14, 2006 Will he die? I'm just concerned about how that will affect him. Thanks A: He will, of course, die, but no sooner than any other snail. LA Dee Mondiy, November 14, 2006 Hi, I asked my local pet store to get me another African knife which I had for a while and wanted to add another one. But to my surprise, I noticed when I got home that the fish is a hybrid -- a cross between the clown knife and the African knife. I have never seen or heard of such a fish. Have you any information on this fish? Regards A: I don't see how they could be hybridized, but I've been surprised before. Take care of your new knife based on his mouth size. If he has a small mouth, treat him like an African knife fish. If he has a big mouth, treat him like a clown knife fish. LA Stacey, November 14, 2006 LA, Over the summer I kept my 2-inch black moor goldfish in a pond with some goldfish, minnows, and 2 other moors (who were all only 3 inches, except for my 4-inch gold comet). When I went out in the morning at feeding time, his EYE WAS MISSING!!! I quickly scooped him out and transferred him to a hospital tank. Then he caught ich! I put some ich cure in and he recovered over a few weeks. His eye is better now (there is skin covering it) and I would like to know if you have any ideas of what happened. Thank you for your time. A: Likely a bird tried to snag him and only got a taste. Your moor was lucky. His eye should heal but will never work again. Luckily, he only needs one to survive. LA Alex Potter, November 15, 2006 Hi, I need your help. I have a black ghost knife fish. I got it a few months ago. It's around 3 or 4 inches long. I was looking at it, and it has a brown spot on both sides of its body. Have you ever heard of this? And is it something I should be concerned about? A: I haven't heard of the brown spots, and you should be concerned about them. Without seeing them, I would suspect a bacteria infection. If you treat him in the tank he's in, try MelaFix. If you have a quarantine tank, try one of the Furan drugs. LA Vickie Richman, November 15, 2006 I have done a lot of research and I heard that you guys sell horned lizards (toads). I can't get them until Christmas, but I would really want to buy one. I can get a good supply of ants. A: We sell them from time to time -- but not always. We'll probably have them more often now that we can get mass quantities of carpenter ants. Make sure your ants are carpenter ants. 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