Search results

When I was raising lots of tadpoles I set up an 'algae farm'. I filled a clear tupperware container with old tank water and covered the bottom with medium-sized rocks (about the size of the palm of my hand), added some algae-grown leaves from a pond, and set the container on a sunny windowsill...

Oh sure, and your stops at Graceland and the Country Music Hall of Fame are just incidental... Just be sure to call ahead. They don't actually have an open storefront.

Of course, if you live 25 miles from Glass Cages, like I do, it's nice and cheap to pick the tank up... :D

No, not hissing roaches. These guys: http://www.blapticadubia.com/ They're smaller than hissers, comparable in size to crickets. They're cheap and easy to breed, so if you're willing to set up a little breeding tank you can have plenty of bugs to feed whatever animals you settle on, and can...

Cypress is great in tanks. Just be aware it gives off a lot of tannins. Avoid pine (toxic) and palm (rots quickly). Ordinary hardwoods like oak, hickory, maple, and gums are fine. Just use well-seasoned pieces, not fresh green wood. I've heard white cedar is good in tanks too, but have no...

Specifically White's treefrogs should not be kept with anything that could possibly fit in their mouths-which includes green treefrogs and many anoles. There has also been some earlier discussion here about anoles in paludaria, and the consensus seems to be- don't do it. If you want more than...

Pogiebate- how do you feel about roaches? Tropical roaches are a great substitute for crickets (silent and nearly odorless) and are easy to breed (just ask Vicious). If you are willing to go with them instead you could keep a wide array of insectivorous lizards, frogs, etc. in that tank.

Most of the critters that would do well in there are insectivores. Is it crickets in particular you have a problem with, or bugs in general?

You could just let it float, the way nature intended... It's actually very pretty as a floater- it forms clumps about .5-1" high and 1-3" or more broad. I've seen huge sheets of it in some limnocrene-type springs.

C. v. hubbsi is, but C. variegatus by itself is an abundant species up and down the East Coast. They're supposed to be mean little buggers.

Ah, you must keep your tanks filled to the brim. I always keep my water level a little bit low, so my filters drain when unplugged. As far as CO2 goes, the atmosphere contains a far higher concentration of CO2 than your water does (if you are not injecting it), even if the tank is heavily...

Like I said, your plan won't work due to the limitation of the equipment; any other details are superfluous at this point. You can also attach a piece of filter foam to the HOB's outflow to diffuse the water and minimize surface disturbance. If you want some night-time oxygenation, add an...

I don't think that will work. When you turn off a filter, the siphon is still in effect, so the water in the filtration chamber drains out. The filter must be primed before being turned back on; it cannot pull water from the tank with no water in the chamber. This will also quickly damage the...

I've had the same experience, including the ineffectiveness of carbon. I assume this is due to the great quantity of tannin being released. There's no need to take the wood out, just increase water changes to keep the tannin at an acceptable level. Tannin release will eventually slack off...

Darts and hylid treefrogs should not be kept together. Most hylids are too big, and none of them have quite the same care requirements as darts. Even when mixing different species of darts together or different species of hylids together you have to be careful. Simple solution: build two...

No, it isn't (two pumps with the same GPH may have different maximum head heights). But most pumps will have head height listed somewhere on the packaging. If you're lucky you can find the curve showing flow rate at any given head height. Try your local home improvement store; at least at mine...

Nah, my pygmies take frozen bloodworms, mysis, and brine shrimp, and crushed krill pellets. They appreciate occasional live food, but it's not the only thing they'll eat.

There are a number of North American natives that would work. Sunfish: these are colorful sit-and-wait predators, kind of like cichlids. Most species are too large and piscivorus, but the following smaller and smaller-mouthed species will work in your tank: Lepomis marginatus L...

I'll throw in another "it'll run its course". What happens is that when you put the relatively sterile wood in the water, aquatic fungus spores and bacteria settle on it and start growing. The fungi can grow faster and get an initial advantage, but after a while the bacteria catch up and start...

I haven't been able to learn what the black sealant in those old tanks is, but I have some suspicions. I'm gonna do some testing and see if I'm right- I'll let you know! Does the tank have a slate bottom? If so, you'll have to replace the bottom, because silicone does not bond to slate.