Tuesday, May 13, 2014
New blog!
As most of you who check out this blog may have guessed by that fact that I haven't done a post in 2 years (wow!) I have pretty much retired this blog, however I decided I would like to get back into blogging so I now have a new blog: The Bunny Beat dedicated to all things rabbit :). If any of you who read this blog are bunny lovers then be sure to check it out! The web address is www.thebunnybeat.blogspot.com
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Update
For a while now I have had two blogs (Critter Corner and this one), and I have decided it would just be simpler if I just combined them. It is confusing trying to keep track of two blogs, so Critter Care is going to be moving to Critter Corner.
Here is the link to Critter Corner:
http://crittercorner-emily.blogspot.com/
Here is the link to Critter Corner:
http://crittercorner-emily.blogspot.com/
Friday, May 11, 2012
Introduction to Syrian Hamsters
Since I now have a syrian hamster, I am going to do some posts about how to take care of syrian hamsters.
So here is a little bit about syrian hamsters:
Syrian hamsters, also known teddy bear hamsters, are the largest breed of hamster usually being 5 to 7 inches long.
They can be a variety of colors and coat types. Some of the colors include black and white (panda bear), black (black bear), white, golden (golden bear), and brown among others.
Syrian hamsters can be short haired or long haired. They can also have satin coats which are more shiny than most hamster's fur.
Syrian hamsters are generally friendly and easy to handle, but they may be grumpy when first woken up.
Syrian hamsters have a lifespan of 2 to 3 years.
Next Post: What you supplies you need for a syrian hamster
So here is a little bit about syrian hamsters:
Syrian hamsters, also known teddy bear hamsters, are the largest breed of hamster usually being 5 to 7 inches long.
They can be a variety of colors and coat types. Some of the colors include black and white (panda bear), black (black bear), white, golden (golden bear), and brown among others.
Syrian hamsters can be short haired or long haired. They can also have satin coats which are more shiny than most hamster's fur.
Syrian hamsters are generally friendly and easy to handle, but they may be grumpy when first woken up.
Syrian hamsters have a lifespan of 2 to 3 years.
Next Post: What you supplies you need for a syrian hamster
Friday, March 9, 2012
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Saving money on rabbit food/ hay
For nearly a year I purchased all of my bunny's food at the pet store. Eventually I grew tired of the high price and the low quality. I never found a hay that Munchkin really liked, and I found a good pellet brand, but it was very expensive.
When I began planning on getting a second rabbit, I wanted to look for cheaper alternatives, and hopefully in the process find a hay that suited Munchkin's picky tastes.
Eventually I came across to Internet-based businesses: Sweet Meadow Farm's and Kleen Mama's Hayloft. Both sold hay at a fraction of the cost of the pet store, and Sweet Meadow also sold cheaper pellets.
I decided to try them out. The pellets from Sweet Meadow are essentially the same as the most expensive high-quality pet store pellets, but at about half the cost.
I tried hay from both Sweet Meadow and Kleen Mama's. My picky hay eater loved them both. I preferred the Kleen Mama's hay but both were much better than the pet store hay.
I did some calculating and found out about how much I am actually saving by my switch:
I used to spend about $2.40 per pound of Oxbow pellets.
Sweet Meadow pellets are only $1.40 per pound.
I estimated that by switching to Sweet Meadow, I save about $150 ever year on pellets.
I used to spend $6.40 per pound of hay.
With Kleen Mama's I only spend $1.92 per pound.
I estimated that by switching to Kleen Mama's I save about $340 dollars a year on hay.
(and that is even with the fact that I actually buy more hay per bunny than I used to because Munchkin actually eats a lot of hay, now that I feed them Kleen Mama's)
Note:
My calculations include the cost of feeding both my bunnies.
My calculations for the yearly hay cost, is far from exact as I am unsure of exactly how much hay my bunnies eat in a year since they get unlimited hay every day.
The cost of shipping from Kleen Mama's and Sweet Meadow is pretty expensive, but I included the shipping in my calculations. So even with expensive shipping they are WAY cheaper than the pet store brands.
here are links to Sweet Meadow Farm and Kleen Mama's Hayloft:
Friday, March 2, 2012
New video
Here is a video about bonding bunnies:
Hope you enjoyed! I will be getting back to doing some more posts on here soon, and I am planning on doing a "rabbit care" video series soon. And if I think up some good questions I will put up some new quizzes soon too. :)
Hope you enjoyed! I will be getting back to doing some more posts on here soon, and I am planning on doing a "rabbit care" video series soon. And if I think up some good questions I will put up some new quizzes soon too. :)
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Dental Hygiene for Dogs
Lacey has had some rather unpleasant breath lately, which has made me think a little more about dental hygiene for dogs, which has prompted me to do a post on how to take care of your dog's teeth:
Taking care of a dog's teeth:
Step #1:
Make sure they toys available for chewing, such as bones and rope toys. Bones help keep a dogs teeth clean and healthy, and rope toys help clean and floss their teeth.
Step #2:
Feed a good quality food. A food with all-natural healthy ingredients will help keep your dogs mouth healthy and keep their breath smelling better than a food with bad ingredients like by-products, and dyes.
Step #3:
If you are finding that your dog's teeth needs a little more help to stay as clean you would like, and their breath is not smelling so great, it might be time to pick up a toothbrush.
Here is how to properly brush a dog's teeth:
Step #1:
Find a toothbrush and tooth paste meant for dogs. Toothpaste meant for humans is toxic if swallowed, and you can't teach your dog to spit, so you need specialized canine toothpaste.
Step #2:
Find a toothpaste with a flavor your dog will like such as peanut butter, or beef. This will make the experience more pleasant for your dog. Lacey loves the peanut butter flavor.
Step #3:
Find a dental kit that contains a toothbrush, and a finger toothbrush. This way you can see which one is easier for you and your dog. I prefer using the finger toothbrush, and Lacey likes that better too, but I like using the actual toothbrush to get at the teeth in the back of the mouth.
This is what the dog toothbrush looks like
This is a finger brush
Step #4:
Now you can brush your dog's teeth. First let them taste the toothpaste, then if they like it you can put some on the brush (I recommend starting with a finger brush, most dogs prefer the feel of the finger brushes) and start gently brushing your dog's teeth.
Remember, with most dog toothpastes you don't need to use water or rinse their mouths, dog toothpastes are perfectly fine for the dog to swallow.
Step #5:
Now you can decide how often you want to brush your dog's teeth. Most people do it every one or two weeks but you can do it daily if you wish.
Recommended brand:
I recommend using the Nylabone brand dental kit. Lacey seems to like it a lot, and it gets a lot of good reviews. It was also cheaper than some of the other brands I looked at, and the more expensive brands did not get as many good reviews.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Quiz Answers!
I am finally putting up the quiz answers!!!
TRUE OR FALSE: THE LONGEST EARS RECORDED ON A RABBIT ARE FOUR FEET LONG.
The answer is: false. The longest rabbit ears recorded are about three feet long, not four.
WHICH OF THESE IS NOT ANOTHER NAME FOR SYRIAN HAMSTERS?
The answer is: polar bear hamster.
FUN FACTS:
The name "Teddy bear hamster" refers to any syrian hamster.
The name "Black bear hamster" refers to black syrian hamsters.
The name "Panda bear hamster" refers to black and white syrian hamsters.
New quizzes and posts will be up after the holidays!
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Tips and Tricks: Fish Medications
If you read my other blog, Critter Corner, you will probably have heard that Squirt has a fungal infection. Basically he got a little hole in his tail fin, probably from flaring too much, causing it to split, and a fluffy white fungus started growing in it.
So I have now with all of Squirt's fin rot issues, and his new fungus issues, had a lot of experience in giving fish medications.
So I have some tips, tricks, and recommended brands for you:
Tip #1:
ALWAYS carefully read the instructions that come with the medication! You don't want to overdose or under-dose.
Which brings up Tip #2:
NEVER overdose! It can kill your fish! And avoid giving less than the dosage, because that could actually result in the bacteria/fungus becoming immune to the medications.
Tip #3:
Don't skip doses, this can also result in the bacteria/fungus becoming immune to the meds.
Tip #4:
Most of the time instructions will tell you either to remove activated carbon from your filter, or not put in fresh activated carbon while using the medication. The reason is that the fresh activated carbon will remove the medication from the water, which would defeat the purpose of the medication being there in the first place. So if the carbon already in your filter is really old, you probably don't have anything to worry about. However if it is newer, you will want to remove it while medicating your fish.
Sometimes, like with my filter, the carbon is inside the filter cartridge, so you have to take out the whole filter cartridge, but then there is nothing to filter the water. So here is my tip:
Replace the filter cartridge containing carbon with either a filter sponge or an algae scrubbing pad. Most fish-keepers have an algae scrubbing pad to clean the tank, so this is an easy fix. It works the same as the filter without the carbon removing the medications.
Tip #5:
Most medications make the water cloudy or discolored. Once you are no longer medicating the fish do a 25% water change and put fresh activated carbon into the filter, this should clear the water up fairly quickly.
Tip #6:
Unless the directions specifically say not too I usually mix the medications with some water before adding to the tank, that way there aren't spots of highly concentrated meds in the water that could harm the fish.
Now I have some recommended brands:
The BEST brand of any fish medications in my opinion is Aquarium Pharmaceuticals. They have great reviews, there products are really good quality but not expensive, and they do there job really well.
The other brand of medications I sometimes use is Mardel. They have a wide range of medications. They literally have a medication for everything. What I like about Mardel brand is that their products are easy to use and found pretty much everywhere. I find that their Maracyn 2 medication works really well getting rid of fin rot. However when it comes to anit-fungal medications I would recommend going with Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Anti-Fungal Medications instead of Mardel's Maroxy Anti-Fungal.
The Maroxy uses chlorine to kill the fungus, which I think is odd for two reasons. Chlorine is very toxic to fish, and unless you have no chlorine in your water, you are probably putting dechlorinator into your fish tank, so the medication would be useless.
Oh I also have a tip about a medication called Bettafix. It is a natural remedy for fin rot and it is meant specifically for bettas. It is great, except really meant for small bowls, if you have a tank larger than one gallon you will go through one bottle really fast.
And this is important to know if you have a betta fish. There is a medication for fin rot called Melafix. NEVER use this with a betta fish, it is actually quite toxic for them, which is why the company also makes Bettafix as an alternative. If your betta has fin rot I would recommend using Maracyn.
So I have now with all of Squirt's fin rot issues, and his new fungus issues, had a lot of experience in giving fish medications.
So I have some tips, tricks, and recommended brands for you:
Tip #1:
ALWAYS carefully read the instructions that come with the medication! You don't want to overdose or under-dose.
Which brings up Tip #2:
NEVER overdose! It can kill your fish! And avoid giving less than the dosage, because that could actually result in the bacteria/fungus becoming immune to the medications.
Tip #3:
Don't skip doses, this can also result in the bacteria/fungus becoming immune to the meds.
Tip #4:
Most of the time instructions will tell you either to remove activated carbon from your filter, or not put in fresh activated carbon while using the medication. The reason is that the fresh activated carbon will remove the medication from the water, which would defeat the purpose of the medication being there in the first place. So if the carbon already in your filter is really old, you probably don't have anything to worry about. However if it is newer, you will want to remove it while medicating your fish.
Sometimes, like with my filter, the carbon is inside the filter cartridge, so you have to take out the whole filter cartridge, but then there is nothing to filter the water. So here is my tip:
Replace the filter cartridge containing carbon with either a filter sponge or an algae scrubbing pad. Most fish-keepers have an algae scrubbing pad to clean the tank, so this is an easy fix. It works the same as the filter without the carbon removing the medications.
Tip #5:
Most medications make the water cloudy or discolored. Once you are no longer medicating the fish do a 25% water change and put fresh activated carbon into the filter, this should clear the water up fairly quickly.
Tip #6:
Unless the directions specifically say not too I usually mix the medications with some water before adding to the tank, that way there aren't spots of highly concentrated meds in the water that could harm the fish.
Now I have some recommended brands:
The BEST brand of any fish medications in my opinion is Aquarium Pharmaceuticals. They have great reviews, there products are really good quality but not expensive, and they do there job really well.
The other brand of medications I sometimes use is Mardel. They have a wide range of medications. They literally have a medication for everything. What I like about Mardel brand is that their products are easy to use and found pretty much everywhere. I find that their Maracyn 2 medication works really well getting rid of fin rot. However when it comes to anit-fungal medications I would recommend going with Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Anti-Fungal Medications instead of Mardel's Maroxy Anti-Fungal.
The Maroxy uses chlorine to kill the fungus, which I think is odd for two reasons. Chlorine is very toxic to fish, and unless you have no chlorine in your water, you are probably putting dechlorinator into your fish tank, so the medication would be useless.
Oh I also have a tip about a medication called Bettafix. It is a natural remedy for fin rot and it is meant specifically for bettas. It is great, except really meant for small bowls, if you have a tank larger than one gallon you will go through one bottle really fast.
And this is important to know if you have a betta fish. There is a medication for fin rot called Melafix. NEVER use this with a betta fish, it is actually quite toxic for them, which is why the company also makes Bettafix as an alternative. If your betta has fin rot I would recommend using Maracyn.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Responding to comments
What is the life expectancy of the hamsters? And what is their natural habitat?
Have some of them developed as a result of humans breeding them for certain
characteristics or are these 'natural' types?
-Animal Gram
For Syrian hamsters, the life expectancy is 2-3 years. For dwarf hamsters the life expectancy is 1-2 years.
In the wild hamsters live in central europe and northern asia. Most commonly in Russia, Siberia, Syria, China, and Mongolia.
In that range they inhabit pretty much anywhere including, deserts, mountains, and forests.
The only really big difference between pet and wild hamsters is that pet hamsters have more coat colors, patterns, and types other than the natural coat type and color.
-Animal Gram
For Syrian hamsters, the life expectancy is 2-3 years. For dwarf hamsters the life expectancy is 1-2 years.
In the wild hamsters live in central europe and northern asia. Most commonly in Russia, Siberia, Syria, China, and Mongolia.
In that range they inhabit pretty much anywhere including, deserts, mountains, and forests.
The only really big difference between pet and wild hamsters is that pet hamsters have more coat colors, patterns, and types other than the natural coat type and color.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
How to tame/handle a hamster.
When you get a hamster, odds are they haven't been handled much, so you basically need to tame them. Here's how:
1. Let them get used to your scent.
A good way to do this is to:
let them sniff you
handle their toys a lot before putting them in the hamsters cage
2. Let them get used to your voice.
To do this just spend some time talking to them, though try to do it quietly; not loudly!
3. Feed them treats!
The way to most animals hearts is through their stomach. Give your new hamster some treats. A good treat to try is sunflower seeds, hamsters love them!
tip! You may not want to feed them the treats through cage bars, this can teach them the habit of biting anything that comes through the bars, which could be your finger one day! So just open the door of the cage to give them their treat.
4. Pet them!
Now you can gently stroke them. Most hamsters seem to like being stroked down their back. My hamster, Pipsqueak, likes being pet behind her ears.
5. Time to hold them!
When your hamsters is comfortable with you petting them, you can try holding them. There are a few different ways you can do this. If your hamster is like mine and doesn't particularly like being picked up you can:
see if they will crawl into your hand
coax them into your hand with a treat
let them crawl into something like a toilet paper tube to be transported to your hand (this is Pipsqueaks favorite way!)
If your hamster is okay with being picked up then the best way to do this is to cup your hands around your hamster and lift them up gently.
Once they are in your hand you can let them crawl on you and you can pet them and give them treats to keep them happy.
caution! Make sure to be careful not to let your hamster escape. If you have a roborovski hamster (the really tiny ones!) you may want to just skip holding them or only do it somewhere where there is no chance of them escaping. They are fast!
Once holding them is successful your hamster is tamed!
REMEMBER! Hamsters are nocturnal and many are grumpy about being woken up. When you are taming them it is best to not wake them up and wait till they are awake. Syrian hamsters especially can be very grumpy about being woken up.
1. Let them get used to your scent.
A good way to do this is to:
let them sniff you
handle their toys a lot before putting them in the hamsters cage
2. Let them get used to your voice.
To do this just spend some time talking to them, though try to do it quietly; not loudly!
3. Feed them treats!
The way to most animals hearts is through their stomach. Give your new hamster some treats. A good treat to try is sunflower seeds, hamsters love them!
tip! You may not want to feed them the treats through cage bars, this can teach them the habit of biting anything that comes through the bars, which could be your finger one day! So just open the door of the cage to give them their treat.
4. Pet them!
Now you can gently stroke them. Most hamsters seem to like being stroked down their back. My hamster, Pipsqueak, likes being pet behind her ears.
5. Time to hold them!
When your hamsters is comfortable with you petting them, you can try holding them. There are a few different ways you can do this. If your hamster is like mine and doesn't particularly like being picked up you can:
see if they will crawl into your hand
coax them into your hand with a treat
let them crawl into something like a toilet paper tube to be transported to your hand (this is Pipsqueaks favorite way!)
If your hamster is okay with being picked up then the best way to do this is to cup your hands around your hamster and lift them up gently.
Once they are in your hand you can let them crawl on you and you can pet them and give them treats to keep them happy.
caution! Make sure to be careful not to let your hamster escape. If you have a roborovski hamster (the really tiny ones!) you may want to just skip holding them or only do it somewhere where there is no chance of them escaping. They are fast!
Once holding them is successful your hamster is tamed!
REMEMBER! Hamsters are nocturnal and many are grumpy about being woken up. When you are taming them it is best to not wake them up and wait till they are awake. Syrian hamsters especially can be very grumpy about being woken up.
Quiz Answers!
CREPUSCULAR ANIMALS ARE MOST ACTIVE AT:
The answer is: dawn and dusk.
RABBITS ARE:
The answer is: crepuscular.
FUN FACT! Guinea pigs are diurnal, meaning that they are active during the day and sleep at night just like humans.
FUN FACT #2! Because rabbits are crepuscular, they prefer to eat at dawn and dusk so in the morning and evening is a good time to five them their food.
New quizzes will be up soon after I think of some good questions!
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Five Most Common Hamster Breeds
The Syrian Hamster:
The Syrian hamster (also known as the golden hamster) is the most popular hamster to keep as a pet. They are also the biggest hamster growing up to seven inches long.
Syrian hamster are fiercely territorial with other hamsters so they need to be kept by themselves. However, these hamsters are generally fairly friendly and easy to handle with humans. They generally have a lower energy level than dwarf hamsters.
Syrian hamsters come in a variety of coat types, patterns, and colors. They can have short fur, long fur, rex fur (curly), and satin fur (shiny). Their are too many colors to even name, the most popular being golden, and some other common colors being cream, cinnamon, black, white, and grey. There are many patterns of colors including banded, spotted, calico, roan, and more.
The Campbell's or Russian Dwarf Hamster
The Campbell's or Russian hamster is also called the Djungarian hamster. However since that is not the easiest to pronounce it is usually just called the Campbell hamster or the russian hamster.
The russian hamster is the most popular dwarf hamster, if handled frequently they can be very friendly and outgoing.
The russian hamster comes in many different colors. The above coloring and pattern is the natural or "wild" coloring with a dark brownish grey strip on its back, grey-brown fur, and white to cream undersides. Other colors are mostly just variations of this with the fur being lighter or darker grey. They also come in cream, black, and white. The coat pattern usually remains pretty much the same, although the coat type can be regular short hair or satin.
My hamster, Pipsqueak, is a russian dwarf. Her coat coloring is one of my favorites. Her coloration is called "black silver".
The Chinese Dwarf Hamster
The Chinese Dwarf Hamsters is, in my opinion, the most unique out of the dwarf hamsters, as it doesn't really look like most dwarf hamsters. The chinese dwarf has a long thin body with a pink tail that is longer than most hamsters, making it look like a mouse.
Like Syrians, chinese dwarfs are generally very territorial and should not be housed with other hamsters. Females are generally more aggressive than males.
The coloring of chinese dwarfs doesn't vary too much. They have a brownish-grey stripe down their back and the rest of their fur is usually a grey-beige color.
The Winter White Dwarf Hamster
You might be thinking right now that the above picture looks an awfully lot like the russian hamster. That is because the Winter White hamster's coloring is basically exactly the same as the natural, or wild coloring of the russian hamster. At one time these two hamsters were thought to be the same breed.
However there is one big difference. As its name suggests, the winter white turns white in the winter!
They are much like the russian hamster in other respects such as temperament and size.
The winter white does not have many different coat colors. They are usually all the same, however you can find a few dark grey or black ones. And in the winter you can find white ones.
The Roborovski Dwarf Hamster
Roborovskis or robos for short, are the smallest of all hamsters. They are generally just under two inches long, and may even be smaller!
Robos are the newest pet hamster out there. They are very gentle and docile however it is best not to handle them because they are FAST! Think of them as little blurs. They never stop moving so they are hard to pick up and catch. They are more of pet that you just watch, and they are very entertaining to watch since when they are awake they are constantly moving and doing crazy things!
Robos have only one coat type, one patter, and one coloring that I know of which is: short hair, with fur that is a cream color with white undersides and feet. Robos also have unique white "eyebrows", which are super cute!
Quiz Answers!
Quiz answers are here!
HAMSTERS ARE:
The answer to this question is: omnivores.
FUN FACT! Hamsters mostly eat grains, which leads to the incorrect belief that they are herbivores, but they are really omnivores, they like to include some protein in their diet in the form of insects such as mealworms.
FUN FACT! A fun treat for hamsters is a little piece of dog biscuit occasionally. Hamsters like dog biscuits a bit and it gives them that little bit of protein from meat without you having to deal with icky insects.
FUN FACT! My hamster, Pipsqueak, LOVES dried mealworms!!!! It is her favorite treat! (I think they are pretty gross though!)
TRUE OR FALSE: GERBILS HAVE CHEEK POUCHES.
The answer is: false.
New quizzes will be up soon!
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Quiz Answers
I am once again late with my quizzes. Which was partly because I am having trouble thinking of good quizzes!!!! Anyway here are the latest quiz answers, sorry for being so late:
FROM WHICH COUNTRY DID AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD DOGS ORIGINATE?
This was a tricky one. The answer is the U.S. The breed was developed in the west United States, as a herding dog. But yes, for some reason it is called the Australian Shepherd.
FUN FACT! The Australian Shepherd is often called an "aussie" for short.
FUN FACT! #2 Many aussies are born with a naturally stubbed tail.
FUN FACT! #3 The Australian Shepherd's ancestors were dogs that originated in the Pyrenees Mountains.
WHICH OF THESE FISH WOULD BE THE BEST TANK MATE FOR A BETTA FISH?
Most of you voted for clownfish, but the answer is: corydora catfish.
Here's why:
Corydora catfish are small catfish (about 1-2 inches). They make great tank mates for betta's because corys are generally very peaceful fish, and bettas and corydora catfish generally swim at different levels of the tank, the corys staying at the bottom most of the time. Corys are also not brightly colored, which is good because bettas often attack colorful fish mistaking them for another betta.
A clownfish would not be an appropriate tank mate for bettas mainly because clownfish are saltwater fish, and bettas are freshwater fish. They could not survive in each other's habitats.
Another betta fish is not an appropriate tank mate for a male betta, because male bettas fight to the death. (Which is why they are often called "fighting fish")
And tiger barbs are not good tank mates for bettas because.... no one seems to know why. They just don't get along well. Tiger barbs tend to be nippy and unfriendly with bettas.
NOTE: Corydora catfish are great tank mates for bettas, but you shouldn't put any other kind of catfish with a betta. Corydora catfish are small being the size of a betta, but most other catfish will grow large and may eventually eat the betta.
New quizzes will be up as soon as I think of some good ones. I've got quiz writer's block.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
A warning about buying live plants for fish tanks
I was compelled to do this post because I have been shopping for live plants for Squirt's tank. So far he has one live plant in there. It is a "marimo moss ball" He LOVES it. It is like the easiest aquarium plant to care for. It is literally a ball of moss and all you really have to do is put it in the tank and enjoy it. It just looks like a fuzzy green ball. I'll have to put a picture up of it later.
Anyway, Squirt loves his moss ball. He likes how soft it is, and he likes to take naps up against it. It is so cute!
Live plants are great for aquariums because the fish love them, they are softer than plastic plants, more real looking, and they help keep the water clean. Plants use the ammonia and nitrites which are toxic to the fish and turn them into nitrates.
So yes, I do have a warning about buying live plants. I learned this the hard way. You have to check to make sure that the plant really is AQUATIC. For some bizarre reason, pet stores like Petsmart and Petco apparently sell plants that are not aquatic and label them for use in fish tanks. However they will die quickly because they aren't meant to be submerged in water.
I bought a cool plant called a "white ribbon plant". It didn't have any instructions with it, so I looked up on the internet about how to care for it and found out that it is not aquatic! So fortunately I hadn't put it in the tank yet, so I will be returning it tomorrow and getting a plant that really is aquatic.
So the moral of this is, it pays to do your research first, make sure the plant is aquatic, and (this may become my new motto!): not everything a Pet store sells is safe pets, or in this case not all plants that they sell are meant for fish tanks!
Anyway, Squirt loves his moss ball. He likes how soft it is, and he likes to take naps up against it. It is so cute!
Live plants are great for aquariums because the fish love them, they are softer than plastic plants, more real looking, and they help keep the water clean. Plants use the ammonia and nitrites which are toxic to the fish and turn them into nitrates.
So yes, I do have a warning about buying live plants. I learned this the hard way. You have to check to make sure that the plant really is AQUATIC. For some bizarre reason, pet stores like Petsmart and Petco apparently sell plants that are not aquatic and label them for use in fish tanks. However they will die quickly because they aren't meant to be submerged in water.
I bought a cool plant called a "white ribbon plant". It didn't have any instructions with it, so I looked up on the internet about how to care for it and found out that it is not aquatic! So fortunately I hadn't put it in the tank yet, so I will be returning it tomorrow and getting a plant that really is aquatic.
So the moral of this is, it pays to do your research first, make sure the plant is aquatic, and (this may become my new motto!): not everything a Pet store sells is safe pets, or in this case not all plants that they sell are meant for fish tanks!
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