New quizzes!

Don't forget to check out the new quizzes and vote for the answer you think is best!

Quiz answers are here!!!!!

Here are this week's quiz answers:

HOW LONG DOES A PET SUN CONURE TYPICALLY LIVE? (A SUN CONURE IS A BIRD)

A Sun Conure typically lives for 20 to 30 years.

Here is what a sun conure looks like:

A sun conure is a type of conure which is a type of parrot. Aren't they pretty? (sun conures are my favorite bird) (I like watching the ones at petsmart and I love their orange heads) Apparently they are pretty friendly birds.

WHAT SHOULD YOU FEED A PET AFRICAN DWARF FROG?

This was almost a trick question. Most of you guessed gut loaded crickets, which most pet frogs should be fed, however an african dwarf frog is a fully aquatic frog. Most pet frogs live outside of the water, but these little frogs live underwater, and if kept out of water for to long they will die. So since they live underwater, they do not eat crickets. The answer to this quiz question is that you should feed these frogs live, frozen, or freeze dried bloodworms or brine shrimp. (just a fact here: bloodworms are mosquito larvae, but only use ones from a pet store, ones you find outdoors may be contaminated with pesticides that could kill the frog)

African dwarf frog information:

African dwarf frogs are small aquatic frogs. They typically live for five or more years and grow up to one and a half inches in length.

Oh, and I forgot to mention in my last post about what I am going to be feeding my betta fish, that I will also be supplementing his diet with some freeze dried bloodworms. Bloodworms are a favorite of bettas and very healthy for them because it is what they normally eat in the wild.

responding to comments

The tank looks so nice. Now a few questions: what kind of food will you have to feed your betta and how much and how often?
-Goldfish Granny 


(This comment was posted on my How to Set Up a Fish Tank Post)




I will be feeding my betta floating betta pellets. They are made with fish and shrimp meal and other meats. I am not sure what brand yet, it depends on what the pet store has. I would like to feed my betta the Aqueon brand of betta pellets which is made with all natural ingredients and has pretty good reviews. It depends on what my betta likes though, they can be a bit picky sometimes. I would probably feed my betta once or twice a day, the amount of pellets that they can eat in a minute, which is usually two to four pellets a day.

Fish Care: The Nitrogen Cycle

For new fish keepers the nitrogen cycle can be intimidating. It can seem quite complicated and confusing, but it is actually pretty simple. It all has to do with bacteria and your fish's waste.

Basically:

Fish produce waste. This fish waste produces ammonia. Ammonia is toxic to fish if the levels are too high. So good bacteria breaks down the ammonia into less toxic nitrite. However nitrites are still toxic to fish at high levels, so bacteria will break down nitrites into even less toxic nitrates, which plants use for nutrients.

That is the nitrogen cycle for fish. 

Now in the wild, fish live in what is called an "open" system. Basically, when the water becomes unsafe, they can flee to safer waters. But, in an aquarium/fish tank, the fish live in what is called a "closed" system, meaning they cannot flee when the water becomes unsafe for the fish.

Therefore it is a fish keeper's responsibility to monitor the nitrogen cycle. A fish keeper needs to regularly test the water (weekly is recommended), to make sure the levels of ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate are at safe levels and won't harm the fish. This can be done either using test strips for fish tanks or a liquid test kit.

Another responsibility of a fish keeper is to start the cycle. In a new tank, their won't be enough bacteria to successfully convert ammonia into nitrites and nitrites into nitrates. The cycle can't start by itself in a closed system. Not starting the cycle in a fish tank is the leading cause of deaths of new pet fish. 

So here is what to do: You need to start the bacteria, which can be done in a number of ways. Basically you need to feed the bacteria.

Sometimes fish keepers put hardy fish such as danios, tetras, and sometimes barbs, into the fish tank first. The waste from these fish will encourage the bacteria to start. However, I do not recommend doing this for a few reasons: it is extremely stressful to these fish because the bacteria will not have built up enough to eliminate the fish's waste so ammonia levels will get pretty high. You also might not even want any of these fish, so this might not even be an option. There are easier ways that don't involve stressing out the fish.

You can use water from another (established)  tank in your new one, or gravel from an established tank. This is very easy, because the water or gravel will already have an established amount of bacteria, and the tank will be cycled pretty quick. The downside to this is that you need an already established and still running tank.

In my opinion the best way to cycle the tank, is to use bacteria supplements and fish food. You can buy a liquid bacteria supplement at the pet store for just a few dollars and this will feed the bacteria and encourage bacteria growth. To help, add a few fish flakes to the tank. The food will produce ammonia for the bacteria. You can also go to the grocery store and get a shrimp (a dead shrimp obviously) and put that into the tank. The bacteria will LOVE it.

Here's a tip: When you see a bottle of stuff at the pet store labeled "LIVE BACTERIA" it most likely is mostly dead. Bacteria need oxygen to survive so if it is has been in the bottle for a long time odds are a lot of that "live" bacteria is dead. However it is still good to add to the tank to encourage bacteria growth, just keep in mind it isn't really "live" bacteria, it is basically just a bacteria supplement.

Cycling a new tank takes a while. Cycle  it with bacteria supplements for at least a few days (for instance I am waiting at least five days before I add my betta fish (bettas are hardy fish) before adding fish. It is best to only add hardy fish at this time. They should be fine because there will be some bacteria in the tank by now. Just be sure to test the tank first and make sure the ammonia levels are at zero before adding the fish. And only start with one to three fish. This way the ammonia levels won't get to high. After about four weeks the cycling should be fully finished an you can add whatever fish you want. Save less hardy and more sensitive fish for when the cycling is done and the bacteria is fully established.


Just a note: Cycling the tank without fish by using bacteria supplements is usually quicker than cycling with fish and can take as little as two weeks. I forgot to mention but you can buy liquid ammonia from pet stores to cycle the tank with. 

How to Set Up a Fish Tank

Here is a a step by step guide on how to set up a freshwater fish tank.


Step 1: Rinse your tank out thoroughly. They often collect dust in the store, so you want to rinse it out before putting your fish and the water into it.

(if you have a large tank that cannot be carried/transported, or doesn't fit under a faucet, you can simply wipe the tank down with a damp cloth) (a terry cloth works best for this)


You do not need to dry it off or anything, since it is going to be filled with water anyway.


Step 2: Thoroughly rinse out your gravel, being careful not to rub or grind the gravel together. Rinse until the water comes out clear. (this may take a while for colored gravel)

Step 3: Place the desired amount of gravel in the bottom of the tank. Usually one to two inches is a good amount. (when you buy gravel plan on buying one to two pounds of gravel per gallon of water in the tank). 

If you have any leftover gravel, you can dry it and store it in a plastic bag.

Step 4: Rinse your plants out thoroughly and make sure none of the color is coming off.

Step 5: Rinse off any ornaments (rocks, driftwood, caves, etc.)

Step 6: Place the decorations into the tank. Place the weighted base of the plants underneath the gravel to secure the plants.

Step 7: Install the filter. Make sure your read the instructions for your filter. Rinse out the filter cartridge and any sponge inserts and place into the filter. IMPORTANT: DO NOT PLUG IN THE FILTER YET!!! Filters are only meant to be run in water, so plugging them in (most filters turn on when they are plugged in, there is no on/off switch usually) will break them.

the filter cartridge

this is the filter intake (the water get sucked up through this part)

Step 8: Rinse off the thermometer (I recommend getting a glass thermometer as opposed to a stick on strip, the glass ones are more accurate and easy to read)

Step 9: Place the thermometer in the tank. The particular kind I have can be free-floating or it can suction to the tank. It is best to suction it to the tank because you will get a more accurate reading. Also make sure you position it on the opposite side from where the heater will be, and do not position it directly in front of the flow from the filter, you will not get accurate readings.

Step 10: Put the your light bulb in the hood of your tank and switch it on to see if it works. (if you have live plants in the aquarium, make sure it is a fluorescent light bulb, this grows plants better than incandescent ones)

(the rest of the room isn't really dark, the camera would only pick up the light from the tank's bulb though.)

Step 10: Rinse off your heater. Be careful! Only rinse parts meant to be wet!!! 

Step 11: Carefully read the instructions for your particular heater. 

Step 12: Place the heater in the aquarium using the included suction cups. IMPORTANT: DO NOT PLUG THE HEATER IN YET!!!! Most heaters are not meant to be operated out of the water, like the filter, if you plug it now with no water in the tank yet, it will break.

Make sure that the max/min water level of the heater will be in the right place. And make sure nothing is directly right in front of the heater, or touching the heater.

Step 13: Now you can fill the tank up with water! But first, if you have tap water from a city, you need to use chlorine remover to remove the chlorine and chloramine that is toxic to your fish. (If you have well water, you probably don't need to do this). 

Use the measuring cap normally included to measure out the correct amount according to the instructions on the bottle.

Step 14: Fill up a bucket with water, add the chlorine remover (water conditioner) (if needed), to the water and pour into the tank until the tank is full. (So that you don't displace the plants and gravel pour the water slowly onto an ornament such as a cave or rock. You can also use an upside down plate and pour the water on to that. (just remember to remove the plate when you are finished.

Step 15: Now you can start the tank's cycling process (I will do a post to explain nitrogen cycle, and how to cycle a new aquarium soon). I chose to add a bacterial supplement to start the process. (the supplement helps start a colony of bacteria needed to break down fish waste). If you used water conditioner, make sure the let the water sit for about fifteen minutes before adding the bacteria supplement. (I can't explain why, I have no idea. But that is what all the bottles of water conditioner and bacteria supplement say you should do.) Measure out the correct amount according to the instructions and add to the tank. 

Bacteria need ammonia to breakdown, so you can add a few fish flakes to the water. The flakes will eventually produce ammonia, which the bacteria should breakdown.

Step 16: Now you can plug everything in! (the filter, heater, light, etc.) BUT FIRST: You must install drip loops. Drip loops are simply a loop in a cord, making  the cord go down, then up before it goes to the outlet, so that if the cords get wet (since it is an aquarium that is a pretty good possibility!) the water won't run into the outlet (which is super DANGEROUS!!!)

Because some of mine went into a power strip, I used tape to create drip loops, and I made sure the power strip wasn't anywhere near where it could get wet. If they are just going into a regular outlet you probably don't have to use tape, most cords will be long enough that they will automatically make a loop. 

Step 17: Done!!! And almost ready for fish. Just let the tank cycle for a few days to a week and then you can add hardy fish (danios, tetras, etc.) (or a betta). If the fish you are going to put into the tank is not a very hardy fish, then you should let the tank cycle for about 4 weeks to fully establish the bacteria. Before you put the fish in you also need to test the water to make sure the ph, ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, hardness, and alkalinity levels are at safe levels for your fish.

Click this link to my youtube channel to see the finished tank:http://www.youtube.com/user/critterlvr6

responding to comments

I've got some comments to respond too, so here goes:

Are you almost ready to get your fish? Will it be one or more? Also was wondering, although you've probably already told us, how big/small is a betta?

I, too, agree that pricey isn't always better. You sure do your homework!

-Animal Gram 

(this comment was posted under my fish tank heater post)

Yes, I am probably going to get my fish an a week or two. The only thing I have left to get is food, which I will get when I get the fish. 

This week I am probably going to set up the tank (I will try to do a post or video on how to do that) and get it running for a few days to a week. I am waiting for a water test kit I ordered to come so I can test the ph levels, ammonia, etc. in the fish's tank. Once that comes and the tank has been running for a few days I will get my fish.

I am just getting one fish. Since it is my first time owning a betta fish it is better to not try to put it into a tank with other fish, since I am getting a male. The reason is that males will fight other bettas, and some other types of fish. If I wanted to put other fish in the tank I would probably do cory catfish because bettas tend to get along with them fairly well, but you need more than one cat fish otherwise the betta might target it for fighting, and to put more than one in, I would need a bigger tank. And some fish really enjoy eating betta fish fins.

Male betta fish usually grow to be 2 to 3 inches in length. Females are usually around an inch to an inch an a half but may grow to be two inches.

I didn't know it took so much stuff to have a pet hermit crab! I always thought they were simple pets that didn't need very much attention. Are the land ones easier to keep than the marine ones? Also, what do hermit crabs eat?
Sarah :) 

(this comment was posted on my hermit crab care post)

I am not sure what wild hermit crabs eat. And I am not sure what marine hermit crabs eat. But pet land hermit crabs are generally fed dry or canned hermit crab food which is usually a blend of fish, shrimp, grains like wheat (which I am pretty sure they wouldn't eat in the wild) , and vegetable matter like carrots or seaweed, and added vitamins and minerals. For treats they LOVE LOVE LOVE coconut!!!

It is hard to say which is easier. For a marine hermit crab you need a saltwater marine aquarium. Which means it needs to be large (saltwater aquariums are difficult to do in small tanks), so you would probably have lots of fish and things in there. For someone who already owns a saltwater aquarium, a marine hermit crab would be simple. The only thing really difficult about it is that you need to have a whole saltwater aquarium ( and they get very, very, complicated) (not to mention pricey). Which is why they are not very popular in the pet world.

So if you were a person who already had a saltwater aquarium and wanted to add a marine hermit crab to it, that would be incredibly simple and very easy to care for, but to do that you would obviously have to be already maintaining and caring for a whole saltwater setup,which is a lot of work.

So in a way land hermit crabs are easier in their setup, but if you already had a saltwater set up, a marine hermit crab would be easier.

Tips and Tricks

I am really bad about remembering to do my "tip of the week" each week. So now I just call it "tips and tricks" and do it whenever I remember. I just thought of a good one to do so here goes:


Tips and tricks: How to reduce that musky ferret odor!


Now, some people don't really mind that ferret smell (I don't really mind it), but sometimes it can get a little out of control and then EEEWWW!!!! It REALLY STINKS!!! Ferrets should pretty much just have a mild musky odor. It will always be there but it shouldn't be so bad you want to wear a gas mask around your ferrets. If you notice that mild odor of your ferrets is starting to be not so mild anymore, that is telling you something needs to be cleaned. (either the cage, the ferrets beds, blankets, and hammocks, or the ferret itself)


So to keep that ferret odor from becoming out of control and just plain icky, here's what you need to do:


Regularly clean the cage. Each day remove any droppings and urine from the litter box (or the cage bottom if you don't use a litter box) and weekly completely change all the litter and wash the cage. (either use vinegar or a specially deodorizing cleaner meant for small pets)


Each week wash your ferret's hammocks, blankets, and beds (these become quite stinky since the ferrets spend most of their day in them).


Every couple of months give your ferret a bath. For in between baths you can use ferret deodorizing spray. You can buy this to spray on the ferret, or you can get the kind that you spray on the cage and beds, etc.