# Aquarium Talk: Fish/Reptiles/Lizards/Insectivoids...



## lesofprimus (Apr 22, 2007)

Decided to make a thread about Aquariums....

Ive had a wide variety of aggressive fish in all my years... I grew up with three 12 inch Oscars in my Dads 100 gallon tank, and I've never looked back....

Ive had Piranha, Gar, Devils, Terrors, Oscars, Paraya, Firemouth, Convicts, Salvini, Dempseys, Acaras, Severum, Black Nasty, Wolf Cichlids and Quetzals....

Currently, in my 30 gallon tank I have the following:

Green Terror
Red Devil
Salvini
Jack Dempsey, but maybe Juvenile Terror
Unidentified, but probably a Juvenile Managuense Cichlid
Pleco

Nothing better than droppin 30 feeders into the tank and watch them devour those poor little toughies....

Some pics and an older vid clip I took awhile ago... The vid includes a small Piranha, the last one who survived...


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## syscom3 (Apr 22, 2007)

GREAT IDEA LES!!!!!!!

I'm looking at getting an aquarium for my daughter. I havent decided to go for a freshwater or marine type.

All idea's or comments are welcome!


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Apr 22, 2007)

Well if you wish to get an aquarium for your daughter dont go with the Marine type. Marine fish are very sensitive and expensive. If you dont know what you dont have a lot of aquarium experience it is not recommended to go with Marine fish.

Right now I have the following:

1. Aquarium with about 20 different fish and 2 eels in it.
2. Auarium with 2 catfish and 4 beautful Mudskippers 
3. Terrarium with 4 1/2 foot Ball Python.

The house that me and my wife build has several built in large aquariums for marine fish. We want a few sting rays and moray eel.

Also there is a reptile room in the with about 10 to 15 terrariums for different snakes.


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## evangilder (Apr 22, 2007)

I just tore down my last tank in the house. I had three tanks at one time, but after moving a couple of years ago, I found the pH is much different only 7 miles away from where I was before. With 2 kids, work and a business to run, I didn't have time for tank maintenance anymore. Maybe when things settle down a bit.


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## lesofprimus (Apr 22, 2007)

Added some pics, check em out...


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## evangilder (Apr 22, 2007)

Nice looking tank, Dan.


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## lesofprimus (Apr 22, 2007)

Thanks Eric, but the tank pic is old and from my old house... The Mako jaw is from one that I caught several years ago and adornes my tank still...

My Green Terror rules the tank with an iron dorsal fin... Mean fish...


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## Matt308 (Apr 22, 2007)

I've always admired people who had aquariums. Guess I'm too lazy.


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## lesofprimus (Apr 22, 2007)

Freshwater is a piece of cake... Tropical or saltwater, however, is alot more difficult and expensive...


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Apr 22, 2007)

The bigger the fresh water tank is actually the better. If you put live plants in there it will actually make its own ecosystem and support itself.

Once the tank is properly set up, there is little maintenance involved. Sure you have to clean the filters and the glass, do water changes (20%) and everyonce in while put in tablets and liquid to help with the pH and everything but it really is not a lot of work. I enjoy it but then again I live with a Biologist and we love animals.

Eric there are special things you can buy to drop the pH. Were we live the pH is extremely high as well so whenever we clean the filters and do a water change (20%) we put a two capfuls of the liquid (I can give you the name later) and it controls the pH level and keeps it in tolerance. Also catfish and suckerfish help lower the pH. We had a problem with our mudskippers because they need salty water (not as much as marine fish) which raises the pH even with the liquid stuff that we use. My wife put a few catfish in there and it lowered the pH to a good level within a week.


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## evangilder (Apr 22, 2007)

I know there are things I can do, but finding the time lately has been tough, and I would rather be able to devote the time for a healthy tank than go at it halfway. Maybe one day, I will get back into it, but for now, it's kinda nice to not have to worry about one more thing to do.


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## comiso90 (Apr 22, 2007)

Nice photos Les,

Here is my tank. I really like African Cichlids... I need a few more fish.

BTW... The pottery is GENUINE antiquity from the Med

Anybody who has a tank over 20 gallons needs a python system... u just hook up one end to a sink, drop the other end in the tank and you can drain or fill your tank. No walking back and forth with sloshing buckets!

Aquarium Maintenance Water Changes: Python No Spill Clean 'N Fill


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## lesofprimus (Apr 22, 2007)

Very nice tank...


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## comiso90 (Apr 22, 2007)

lesofprimus said:


> Very nice tank...


Thanks, I like the natural look.. It reminds be of SCUBA diving in the Med or California...

I found the gold chain on a dive off of Northern Sicily... it's very heavy and worth over $1000.

I hate jewely, i thats a good place to keep it


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## lesofprimus (Apr 22, 2007)

Ive had some Africans, and the small vid clip of my tank has a couple of em swimmin around....

However, they couldnt keep up with the Terror and the Devil in the aggression dept.... Only the strongest survive...

They died quite viciously.... Sad as they got to be quite large and pretty....


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## comiso90 (Apr 22, 2007)

Yeah.. Africans need to stay with similar types. I like them cause they are very active and social. much more fun than a lame community tank filled with mollies and zebras

I'd like to have a salt water tank but I don't want one under 70 gallons and there is no logical place in my house for a tank that size.

I'm thinking about getting 2 more tanks.... One for "Hyper aggressive" like Oscars and terrors and another tank just to raise feeders.


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## lesofprimus (Apr 22, 2007)

I will be getting a new 55 gallon and a shoal of Piranha within the next 2 months, so Im lookin forward to that...


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## comiso90 (Apr 22, 2007)

cool... i'll expect pics

be careful what u post.. i know in CA they are illegal.


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## lesofprimus (Apr 22, 2007)

I do more illegal things in a month than most do in a year so I think I'll be alright...


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## evangilder (Apr 22, 2007)

I had African Cichlids for a long time. They are very active and colorful. My first big tank was an 80 gallon with African Cichlids, lot's of natural rock for hiding places and plants. My last cichlid in my scaled down cichlid tank died late last year after 7 years. He was a Regani. Just watch out for the Auratus. Those things are perhaps the evilest of cichlids. I had 2 and they were fine cause they went after each other. When one died, the survivor savaged half my tank. Thinking I would teach him a lesson, I dropped him in with 2 Oscars twice his size. I figured my problem was over. Boy, was I wrong! The next morning, one oscar was dead, and the other had no fins and one eye! I couldn't believe it!

Great looking tank, Comiso. I love bow-fronts. The one I just tore down was a 46 gallon bow-front.


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Apr 23, 2007)

Pirranahs are legal over here in Germany. That is why I want to try another time with them and hopefully they will not die off on me after awhile.

Me and my wife want a few salt water tanks when we build our house. Sort of built into the house. I want a few sting rays and moray eels.


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## comiso90 (Apr 23, 2007)

DerAdlerIstGelandet said:


> Me and my wife want a few salt water tanks when we build our house. Sort of built into the house. I want a few sting rays and moray eels.



What size saltwater? The larger the easier it is to maintain and I cant bring myself to try a SW tank less than 100 gallons..

has anyone tried a small saltwater tank? Is it a pain in the arse?


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Apr 23, 2007)

I am not sure on what size I want, but I know I want them to be rather large. 100 gallons or more because the sting rays will get to a decent size and so will the moray eels.


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## Matt308 (Apr 24, 2007)

Help me out guys. I like the vertical tanks that have a small footprint. But I was told that they are not good for many fish as the fish need the horizontal space. Any truth to that? The vertical tanks are awfully pretty.


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## comiso90 (Apr 24, 2007)

My impression of vertical tanks is that:

They can look very cool but without specialized filtration, there can be dead spots in the tank with little or no current. You have to have current every where in the tank.

They are difficult to clean

Temperature control can be a problem... u don’t want thermoclines!

The wrong thing to do is just pick out a vertical tank with off the shelf filtration and heating... it is worth more planning


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## lesofprimus (Apr 24, 2007)

Agreed with comiso, his facts are correct....


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## evangilder (Apr 24, 2007)

Yep.Smaller footprints are great for other things, but not fishtanks. Having horizontal space for them to move around is very important. Plus, if you have aggressive fish, you need to have places where fish can hide. With Africans especially, you need rock with nooks and crannies for them to call their own territory, or something like the way Comiso has his set up. If it is tall with a small footprint, it is difficult to set up a system like that.


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## evangilder (Apr 24, 2007)

Here are 2 of my old tanks.


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## lesofprimus (Apr 24, 2007)

Nice set ups Eric, too bad u had to give em up...


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## comiso90 (Apr 24, 2007)

I've seen succesful 6 foot vertical tanks but they require customzation like a powerhead every 2 feet and a heating unit on the bottom. I never saw how they cleaned it.

Great tanks Evanglider.. My water just went VERY cloudy and I'm not sure why. I think i threw a hunk of cheese in the tank after a few drinks.


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## lesofprimus (Apr 24, 2007)

A hunk of cheese would do it u drunkard....


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## comiso90 (Apr 24, 2007)

Guilty as charged!

The fish love cheese... I just think i tossed too much in.

How much salt do u put in African Cichlid tanks? I've read different amounts


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## Matt308 (Apr 24, 2007)

comiso90 said:


> I've seen succesful 6 foot vertical tanks but they require customzation like a powerhead every 2 feet and a heating unit on the bottom. I never saw how they cleaned it.
> 
> Great tanks Evanglider.. My water just went VERY cloudy and I'm not sure why. I think i threw a hunk of cheese in the tank after a few drinks.



I actually was contemplating taking acquarium advice from this gentlemen.


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## lesofprimus (Apr 24, 2007)

LMAO Matt....



> How much salt do u put in African Cichlid tanks? I've read different amounts


Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganika are rift lakes. They formed when tectonic action produced a rift in the ground. Ocean water flowed into the rift and formed a salty lake. Over time rain and runoff diluted the lake down to the low salt content it has today. What this means is that the appropriate water conditions for a rift lake cichlid tank is effectively very very diluted sea water. Although the salt content is only a little higher than freshwater levels, I recommend adding salt because it kills freshwater parasites. 

There are several ways to create friendly water conditions. Perhaps the simplest one is to use 1 tablespoon of synthetic sea salt for every 5 gallons of water. Note that this is practically fresh water; marine aquariums use approximately 1/2 cup of synthetic sea salt for every gallon of water. So while synthetic sea salts are expensive, one small box will last you through years of water changes. If you use this method I recommend using Instant Ocean salt.

You can also duplicate these water conditions with a combination of 1 tablespoon of normal aquarium salt for every 5 gallons of water combined with a cichlid water conditioner such as Tetra Cichlid Vital or Rift Lake Vital. Note that salt does not evaporate so only add salt during water changes (not with top-off water).

Both of these methods assume the use of a gravel such as crushed coral or aragonite. If you are using normal aquarium gravel, you will need to add a buffer to increase the carbonate hardness. A slightly higher carbonate hardness will help you maintain the appropriate PH: between 7.5 and 8. 

Keep in mind that ammonia becomes much more toxic at high PH values. When cycling a tank, keep the PH at 7 and then slowly work it up to 7.5 over a week, or your fish will not survive the cycling process. I recommend keeping the PH at 7.5 for beginners and breeding tanks. If you plan to sell your fry, you should raise the babies in a PH of 7.2 to 7.5 so they will be accustomed to the lower pet store PH levels.


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## comiso90 (Apr 24, 2007)

Matt308 said:


> I actually was contemplating taking acquarium advice from this gentlemen.



hey now...I have Roman artifacts in the tank... I may as well act like a Roman..

u see how clean the tank is pre-cheese. I've had tanks since i ws 10

Maybe I should sue... there wasnt a warning label on the cheese!


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## Matt308 (Apr 24, 2007)




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## comiso90 (Apr 24, 2007)

lesofprimus said:


> LMAO Matt....
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I 've read other sources that recomend more than that...

good to know..

BTW... I'm sorry I mentioned the cheese!


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## Matt308 (Apr 24, 2007)




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## lesofprimus (Apr 24, 2007)

The advice I use is from an MIT geek whose knowledge in Cichlids, in my opinion, is unmatched....

Too much salt and u run into problems introducing new fish IMO...

And for the record, I love the pottery u got in ur tank comiso... Its given me ideas for my new 55 gallon Im getting ready to set up...


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## lesofprimus (Apr 24, 2007)

And remember, use a buffer if u need to, as its very important...


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## comiso90 (Apr 24, 2007)

lesofprimus said:


> And for the record, I love the pottery u got in ur tank comiso... Its given me ideas for my new 55 gallon Im getting ready to set up...



Thanks for saying so. I'm a history nut and they make great converstaion pieces. people trip when they find out they're real.


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## comiso90 (Apr 24, 2007)

lesofprimus said:


> And remember, use a buffer if u need to, as its very important...



I have lava rock and natural sand in the tank


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## lesofprimus (Apr 24, 2007)

OK good...


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## Matt308 (Apr 24, 2007)

lesofprimus said:


> And for the record, I love the pottery u got in ur tank comiso... Its given me ideas for my new 55 gallon Im getting ready to set up...



I have to agree, comiso. Your tanks are moving works of art. Very beautiful.


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## comiso90 (Apr 24, 2007)

WOW,... THANKS MUCH GUYS ..

The Tank helps me meet ladies too...

Date over for the first time:
_"Gosh Frank, such a beautiful tank."

"Thanks, u should see it with the house lights off."

"Wow, it is great"

"Well lets watch it and pretend it's our own, private undersea garden. Want some Wine?"_


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## Matt308 (Apr 24, 2007)

In your dreams...


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## evangilder (Apr 24, 2007)

You know, after looking at the pics of my old tanks, and everyone else's, I will at some point get back into it. I love the ambience of a tank, and it's very relaxing to sit and watch the fish.

I had cichlids for 6 years, and never added any salt to the tank. They seemed fine without it. I did however, feed them frozen brine shrimp 2-3 times a week, which might have helped the salt level. I also used spirulina flake, which really brought out the color in the Africans.

Do you guys do the nitrogen cycle with, or without fish? I did one without fish once and it was the healthiest tank I ever had. It's a real simple way to do it. You set up the tank and get all your filtration running, etc. Then without fish, add a little ammonia (amount depends on water volume) to the water and let it sit for 2-4 weeks. Check the levels. The ammonia will start to drop and when it normalizes and your other levels stabilize, you are done with the cycle and you won't have stressed fish from the cycle. It worked great and after introducing the fish into the tank, they all thrived. I didn't lose any.


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## comiso90 (Apr 24, 2007)

great tip on the cycle.. next time i need to start over... I'll give it a shot.

BTW.. Salt promotes gill health helps keep the algae under control.

it also leaves a pesky salt residue on the top of the tank


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## Matt308 (Apr 24, 2007)

For a 55 gal tank without saltwater, how often do you guys clean yours? Or does it depend upon the types of fish/snails/etc?


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## comiso90 (Apr 24, 2007)

Matt308 said:


> For a 55 gal tank without saltwater, how often do you guys clean yours? Or does it depend upon the types of fish/snails/etc?



The conversations above about salt pertain to specialized freshwater fish that benefit from salt added. No one has mentioned a saltwater marine tank yet (except Adler) I don't have one. all the photos are of freshwater fish.

The larger the tank, the less u have to clean it. IMO, 55 gal is too small for salt. Although it can be done, it will be a lot of work for a starter tank.

Get African Cichlids! 

NEVER GET SNAILS


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## Matt308 (Apr 24, 2007)

So let's say a Dumb*** novice like me wants a freshwater 100 gal tank. What type of fish, treatment and special items would I need to minimize my cleaning and still enjoy a beginner's tank? How often would I have to completely remove the water and replenish? And what is involved in cleaning the sand medium?


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## lesofprimus (Apr 24, 2007)

And I say get New World Cichlids, they are more aggressive and prettier...


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## comiso90 (Apr 24, 2007)

Matt308 said:


> In your dreams...



Nuff said!


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## evangilder (Apr 24, 2007)

Matt308 said:


> So let's say a Dumb*** novice like me wants a freshwater 100 gal tank. What type of fish, treatment and special items would I need to minimize my cleaning and still enjoy a beginner's tank? How often would I have to completely remove the water and replenish? And what is involved in cleaning the sand medium?



Start with a good filter setup. You will also need at least one heater (I always use 2, just in case one craps out). Depending on a number of things, you may or may not want or need an air pump and air stone. Visit a local fish store, they have a wealth of knowledge and experience and can be very helpful getting things started.

In my years of tank ownership, I have never had to completely remove and replace all of the water. A typical cleaning , which includes using a gravel vacuum (to clean the sand/gravel in the bottom of the tank), you will replace about 10-20% of the water in the tank. I use old sparkletts bottles to prep the water with the water prep that removes the Chlorine, chloramine and the heavy metals. 

It's certainly not rocket science, but you will learn a lot about water chemistry and the like. My helpful son one day decided to feed my cichlids...about a full container of food! That was about enough food for 6 months. That will make the water brackish and smelly. In that instance, I was doing 50% water changes daily for about a week to clear it up again. That also included daily filter cleaning and gravel vac too. AND that also had me relocate the food to a higher position!

Cichlids are great fish, hearty and active. They are also pretty colorful and a lot of fun to keep. Just make sure that your local fish store knows cichlids well. They can advise which ones will cohabitate well together. If you get cichlids, I think a number of us can give you plenty of advice on them.


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## comiso90 (Apr 25, 2007)

Matt308 said:


> So let's say a Dumb*** novice like me wants a freshwater 100 gal tank. What type of fish, treatment and special items would I need to minimize my cleaning and still enjoy a beginner's tank? How often would I have to completely remove the water and replenish? And what is involved in cleaning the sand medium?



You'll want to visit your local fish store for a frame of referance but here are some thoughts:

The most common types of freshwater tanks are Tropical Community Tanks and Cichlid tanks.

Tropical Community Tanks: Very inexpensive fish-- (sword tails, black mollies, zebra danios, neons, Grommies etc... etc) can be very nice looking fish but i find them boring and fragile. They get diseases easy... and well.. they just don't do much... they seem stupid

Cichlid Tanks: They're South American and African Cichlids. Like Les said the south americans tend to be more aggresive and do better in smaller numbers... cause they try to kill each other. 

African Cichilds are aggressive too but seem to fair better in numbers.

All Cichlids are cool because they are MUCH more social then community fish. They're much more fun to watch... they're more like a pack of excited dogs. It has been my experience that they are more hardy too... very tolerant fish that you have to _try _and kill... I've NEVER seen a Cichlid disease (fingers crossed) I've seen tons of tropical community fished diseased. They will soldier on.

all tanks need bottom feeders (plecostomus, catfish, algae eaters)

40 gallons is a good size for a beginner. Check the Python link I post earlier... it is a MUST have!

I do a 20% water change once every 2-3 weeks

there is a ton of info out there... Lord *Google *will help thee

A Guide to Cichlids: the beginner :: FishGeeks :: Tropical fish - Marine Fish - Aquarium Fish - Pond Fish - Aquatic Plants


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## comiso90 (Apr 25, 2007)

Evan..
Have you tried useing gold fish to get the cycle started in a new tank? It's my impression that they are too dirty even for that purpose.

They crap faster than it can decay


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## Soundbreaker Welch? (Apr 25, 2007)

In les's tank, I like the black and grey fish, with the big jaw and a grumpy man's face. 

He just looks like a character.


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## lesofprimus (Apr 25, 2007)

Which fella u talkin about Welsh???? Is he in the pics or the vid clip???


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## evangilder (Apr 25, 2007)

comiso90 said:


> Evan..
> Have you tried useing gold fish to get the cycle started in a new tank? It's my impression that they are too dirty even for that purpose.
> 
> They crap faster than it can decay



Nope, never used a goldfish for that reason. They are really dirty fish and I'm not particularly crazy about goldfish anyway.

I have had tropical and cichlid tanks and I think you are right about diseases with cichlids. All of mine were either attacked by other fish, or died of old age. But then again, Africans have a tendency to go after the weak too, so maybe that helps keep the disease from spreading.

My community tank had platys, swordtails and tetras. The platys thrived in our old house and were breeding regularly. Occasionally, I would get a platy with dropsy, which, fortunately never effected the other fish. I usually quarantined them in a hospital tank anyway. It usually was a female that had recently had babies. They get real prone to that after having them.


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Apr 25, 2007)

Matt308 said:


> For a 55 gal tank without saltwater, how often do you guys clean yours? Or does it depend upon the types of fish/snails/etc?



About every two weeks we clean out the filters and do a 20 percent water change. You dont want to change the whole wather just about 20 percent.


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## Matt308 (Apr 25, 2007)

comiso90 said:


> Nuff said!



Oh c'mon. That's your gorgeous daughter.


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## Matt308 (Apr 25, 2007)

...and thanks for all the insights. I've always wanted a tank, but have been afraid it would either be too much maintenance or $$$.


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## comiso90 (Apr 25, 2007)

Matt308 said:


> Oh c'mon. That's your gorgeous daughter.



Fortunately not

She just turned 42!


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## comiso90 (Apr 25, 2007)

Matt308 said:


> ...and thanks for all the insights. I've always wanted a tank, but have been afraid it would either be too much maintenance or $$$.



It can be as cheap or expensive as you want.

I prefer to think of an aquarium as an expensive piece of furniture/art. It's not for everybody but I really like to see the look on peoples faces when the sit down and take a look.


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Apr 25, 2007)

I agree it is the same for me. Fortunaly both me and my wife love animals and our zoo is starting to grow. Eventually we litterally will have an exotic animal and fish zoo in our house.


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## Soundbreaker Welch? (Apr 25, 2007)

> Is he in the pics or the vid clip???



In the video clip, next to the Piranha.


Don't know the species.


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## lesofprimus (Apr 25, 2007)

That is a very VERY large African Cichlid, or he was until my Green Terror killed his ass dead inside of 6 hours....

He killed every African I had in there, which was 4 of em....

Rule to remember, dont mix South Americans with Africans....


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## Matt308 (Apr 25, 2007)

That was the most rascist aquarium quote I think I have ever heard.


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## Matt308 (Apr 25, 2007)

comiso90 said:


> Nuff said!



Uh oh. Get in hot water, Comiso?


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## comiso90 (Apr 25, 2007)

Matt308 said:


> Uh oh. Get in hot water, Comiso?



Nahh....

I thought it was best not to post her photo..... it was good for a laugh


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## Matt308 (Apr 25, 2007)

comiso90 said:


> Nahh....
> 
> I thought it was best not to post her photo..... it was good for a laugh



Good for you. I thought long and hard before I posted my oldest son's pic during a soccer game. The internet is both fun...and scary.


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## syscom3 (May 19, 2007)

Glass or Pexiglass.......

Give me some pro's and cons you guys have experienced.


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## comiso90 (May 19, 2007)

IMO glass is the way to go

*Acrilyc*
Pros:
Less weight
No seems on edges of tank, nice rounded corners (look at the photo I posted earlier. Mine is glass, you can see where the different panels are joined)
Often available in cool shapes

Cons:
Scratches easy (algae can get inside the scratches)
More expensive

*Glass*

Less likely to scratch. Some people can't get over the visible seems... it doesnt bother me..


NOTE: Always use flourescent lights.. The fish look better and they won't overheat the tank. I think they are less likely to promote algae growth too. If you buy a pre-made kit, you may have to ask to trade the incandescent for the flourescent. They're a little more money but worth it.

..


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (May 19, 2007)

I have only used glass and nothing else. I dont have a problem with the seams either.


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## comiso90 (May 19, 2007)

DerAdlerIstGelandet said:


> I have only used glass and nothing else. I dont have a problem with the seams either.




Do you use incandecsent or flourecent lights?

which do you like better? Did i miss anything?


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (May 19, 2007)

I have flourecent in both my tanks at the moment.


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## Matt308 (May 25, 2007)

For those who can relate...


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## syscom3 (Jul 3, 2007)

I know some people like to have a piranha or two in a tank.

"Vicious" piranhas are really wimps

Sun Jul 1, 7:17 PM ET

LONDON (Reuters) - Despite their fearsome reputation, piranhas are wimps that gather in large shoals to protect themselves from predators, scientists said on Monday.

Rather than aggressive killers, research shows piranhas are omnivorous scavengers, eating mainly fish, plants and insects, Anne Magurran of Scotland's University of St Andrews said.

"Previously it was thought piranhas shoaled as it enabled them to form a cooperative hunting group. However, we have found that it is primarily a defensive behavior," she said.

Piranhas face constant attack from predators including river dolphins, caiman -- a relative of the crocodile -- and bigger fish, such as the giant piracucu.

"Their cautious behavior is crucial to avoid being eaten," Magurran said.

Her work with the Mamiraua Institute in Brazil shows how shoal sizes increase in relation to predation risk, especially when water levels in the Amazon basin are low, giving piranhas less room to escape attack.

The research is featured at the Royal Society's summer science exhibition in London.

"Vicious" piranhas are really wimps - Yahoo! News


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Jul 3, 2007)

I still think they are fascinating creatures.


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## Gnomey (Jul 3, 2007)

DerAdlerIstGelandet said:


> I still think they are fascinating creatures.



Yeah and even though it says this, their reputation will still exist.


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## syscom3 (Jul 3, 2007)

Gnomey said:


> Yeah and even though it says this, their reputation will still exist.



I have no desire to prove the researchers wrong


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## Gnomey (Jul 3, 2007)

I'm sure no-one does.


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## lesofprimus (Jul 3, 2007)

Ive seen a single Red Belly kill a much larger Green Terror in the matter of seconds, and it wasnt cause the Red felt terrorized....

That being said, it is basically true what the researcher is saying, but different species of piranha act and feed differently...


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## syscom3 (Sep 12, 2007)

I just saw this video today.

It looks real........ but I dont know........ comments anyone?

A google search showed nothing.


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## syscom3 (Oct 13, 2007)

This guy didn't take getting bit by an Anaconda too well.


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## lesofprimus (Oct 13, 2007)

The Jimmy Kimmel clip is a fake, and theres no sound with the Anaconda clip...


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Oct 13, 2007)

Yeah the Jimmy Kimmel one is a fake. It was planned that way. The snake was fake anyhow. You could tell by looking at it.

On the actual show the band goes with him in the ambulance and he continues the show from the hospitle and his guests were the doctors from Grays Anatomy.


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Oct 13, 2007)

As for the second one. That was not a Anaconda but either a Rock Python or a Tiger Python.

But what the hell does that guy expect! For the way he was handling that big snake he deserved to be bitten. I mean that is not how you handle one. Even my pet python which is extremely docile and friendly would not take that for very long and would have bitten me if I were to try that.

Fricken idiot!

Check this one out below though. I had to laugh. Steve was awesome in this one and look at his eyes when it bites his neck.


_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnfn6rV4sL0_


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## Aggie08 (Dec 12, 2007)

Saw the topic of the thread and had to stop in. I don't do fish, but I've had a variety of insects and scorpions. Fish are cool but seem like a lot of work. Arthropods are extremely easy to care for and fascinating to own.


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Dec 12, 2007)

I would not mind having a scorpion but I think I will stick to snakes and fish. 

We kept several Scorpions of different color and sizes in Iraq as well as Spiders and Camel Spiders (which are not really spiders by the way).


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## Aggie08 (Dec 12, 2007)

Camel spiders are class Arachnida, order Solifugae- related to true spiders, but much, much cooler. I've seen lots of videos from bored servicemen in Iraq. These things are absolutely vicious and there are lots and lots of rumors about them that are completely untrue.


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Dec 13, 2007)

Aggie08 said:


> Camel spiders are class Arachnida, order Solifugae- related to true spiders, but much, much cooler.



No the are not.

*Solifugae are not true spiders*, which are from a different order, *Araneae.* Like scorpions and harvestmen, they belong to a distinct arachnid order.

They are distant relatives of spiders.



Aggie08 said:


> I've seen lots of videos from bored servicemen in Iraq. These things are absolutely vicious and there are lots and lots of rumors about them that are completely untrue.



No they are not aggresive at all. I lived with them in Iraq for 14 months and was never attacked by them once. We would catch them and keep them as pets. If they run after you they are just trying to get in your shadow to keep cool. 

No one was ever bitten by one in the 14 months or attacked by them.

The rumors of them being aggresive are all tall tales of soldiers trying to scare people, scare new soldiers or just act tough.

Also no camel spiders have venom (except for a possible species that lives in India) nor do they have an anaesthetic.


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## lesofprimus (Dec 13, 2007)

100% accurate Chris.... Ive also had Camel Spiders as a pet in the desert on several occasions.... They served a useful "down time" filler, dueling them with other desert inhabitants....


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## Aggie08 (Dec 13, 2007)

Related as in they are arachnids, from the order Arachnida. Not everything in Arachnida are true spiders.

I meant in the videos I had seen, where they are forced to fight scorpions or other critters. The opponent doesn't even have a chance. They have no interest in bothering people. 

There were rumors going around soldiers that they had an anaesthetic and ate you while you slept and other ridiculous things which are of course not true.


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Dec 14, 2007)

Aggie08 said:


> I meant in the videos I had seen, where they are forced to fight scorpions or other critters. The opponent doesn't even have a chance. They have no interest in bothering people.



We would put them in tanks with Scorpions and the Camel Spiders never won. The Scorpions allways came out on top. 

The only thing the Camel Spiders were able to defeat were crickets, that we fed them....


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## Aggie08 (Dec 14, 2007)

Hmm, I guess I've only seen one half of the story then.


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## lesofprimus (Dec 14, 2007)

I have seen a Camel Spider beat a Black Scorpion, but we took out his stinger so.....

Who said Mother Nature was fair???


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## Aggie08 (Dec 15, 2007)

The bigger the scorpion, the less potent the sting, I don't think it would have mattered. Dude was screwed from the get-go.


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Dec 15, 2007)

Most the scorpions we put in there were about 2 inches long with the tail curved. The Camel Spiders were about 3 to 4 inches across. 

Scorpions allways won.


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## Aggie08 (Dec 16, 2007)

Ooh, the little ones are nasty. Poor camel spider.


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## AVRoe (Jan 3, 2008)

My tank. Around 15 different species
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## wilbur1 (Jan 3, 2008)

Very nice


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## AVRoe (Jan 3, 2008)

Thanks Wilbur


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## comiso90 (Jan 3, 2008)

Nice..
very healthy plants.

Is that a Knife eel in the same tank?


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## AVRoe (Jan 3, 2008)

No mate it`s a Striped Peacock Eel


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## wilbur1 (Jan 3, 2008)

One of these days i will get some pics of my tank up here,gotta break down and buy a digital cam though. i have a55 gal with 3 dempseys 1 tiger oscar 2 unidentified yet cichlids and a pleco thats about 12 inches long the thing is huge wish i could have live plants, the plastic ones only live for a daay or 2 then they get destroyed


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## lesofprimus (Jan 3, 2008)

My Red Devil has finally killed everything off in my 30 gallon.... He ate the last occupant, a Pleco, just recently.... He is freakin huge now, eating whole goldfish in one gulp.....

Mean SOB.....


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## wilbur1 (Jan 4, 2008)

Les i mean no offense hes a third of my tiger. the damn thing is only a year and half old freak of nature i swear


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## lesofprimus (Jan 4, 2008)

No offense taken Wil, but I dont think the pics convey just how big he is.... He is as large as my hand, and my hand aint small....

I really like ur tank as well...


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## wilbur1 (Jan 4, 2008)

After i got done here last night caught my girlfriend feedin the oscar the thing loves steak ate 3 big peices right outta my hand! she feeds him all the time from her hand i didnt even know!!


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## wilbur1 (Jan 4, 2008)

gotta figure out how to blow this up

I edited the one shot and blew it up-- les


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## lesofprimus (Jan 4, 2008)

What size tank is that he's in???

Very cool about ur gf feedin him like that.... Ive had several Oscars in the past.... Great fish, mild aggressive...

This Red Devil is responsible for the deaths of atleast 10 other fish, including a Pleco and 3 Oscars (Red, Tiger and Albino).... 

What kinda fish kills a Pleco???

He finally had enough of the Green Terrors terrorizing, turned on him, locked jaws with him, and the duel began, swimming back and forth with each other....

After awhile, the Terror decided the Devil was too strong and turned tail....

His entire tail was gone within 6 hours....

I fished him out in the morning....

This Terror was Mean, and I mean *MEAN*.... He killed another 6 fish before his demise... The Devil is alot worse.... I cant put anything else in there with him..... I put a smaller Pleco in there with him 5 days ago and his tail is already beat to sh!t....

I put together a small 20 gallon for my Bride in the bedroom.... Basic set up with a bad choice in gravel.... Just threw 3 red eye mollys and 3 tiger barbs to check the enviornmental filter and what not, all is good....


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## wilbur1 (Jan 5, 2008)

Cool les like the idea of small tanks. my boy is in a 55 gal tank that peice of wood is 17 inches long to give you an idea my pleco is huge he smacks the oscar all the time for gettin too close


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## syscom3 (Feb 24, 2008)

This is interesting.

Mouse was dead after three hops.

Breitbart.tv BBC Crew Captures First-Ever Video of Wild Rattlesnake Hunting Prey


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## wilbur1 (Feb 24, 2008)

Thats badass man that mouse didnt know what hit him


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## Wayne Little (Feb 24, 2008)

wow, that was quick!


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Feb 25, 2008)

wilbur1 said:


> Thats badass man that mouse didnt know what hit him



I get to watch that every other week. Granted my snake is not poisonous but it strikes fast as hell and kills the thing pretty quick. Infact tonight is feeding night.


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## syscom3 (Feb 25, 2008)

Deradler, would be fair to say that at least for small animals (like mice and rats), the fangs cause fatal damage to the animal even before the toxins can kick in?


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Feb 25, 2008)

syscom3 said:


> Deradler, would be fair to say that at least for small animals (like mice and rats), the fangs cause fatal damage to the animal even before the toxins can kick in?



Depends on the size of the animal but most of the time no. There are some species of small rodents and squirrels in the United States that are immune to the venom of Rattlesnakes.

I just watched a neat documentary on it the other night. The rattlesnake was trying to get into a squirrels nest and the mother fought the snake off. The rattlesnake did get a bite on her and you could see the fang marks and all and she just shrugged it off.

Researchers in the United States are trying to figure out why it is immune and trying to possibly make a stronger anti venom by doing this research.

I just got finished feeding my snake (granted she has no venom or fangs, but several rows of needle sharp teeth). It was rather quick. It only took her about 30 seconds to find the prey, strike at it and kill it (by constricting it) and then about another 5 minutes to eat it. She is haning out in her tree now relaxing all fat and happy.

I will have to shoot some video next time and post it.


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## wilbur1 (Feb 26, 2008)

That would be great adler


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## Wayne Little (Apr 23, 2008)

Took this shot of my son's (Aaron) Long neck Tortoise...his name....drum roll...LUCKY.!!
IIRC.... a batch of them was brought to my wifes school to give away, somehow one got out of the box unnoticed and finished up in a box of books.
It should have been crushed when the box was moved and sometime later was found in the box of books unharmed..... my wife said I'll take 'him' and thats how he got his name... 

He lives alone because he eventually catches and eats anything that is put in the tank!


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Apr 23, 2008)

That seems like a very small aquarium for a turtle of that size.


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## Wayne Little (Apr 24, 2008)

The tank is about two and a half time wider than what you can see...


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## syscom3 (May 6, 2009)

Does anyone use a light for their tank that gradually turns on and off that simulates the real sunrise and sunset, rather than instead of instant on/off?

Do they improve the health of the critters you have?


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (May 6, 2009)

syscom3 said:


> Does anyone use a light for their tank that gradually turns on and off that simulates the real sunrise and sunset, rather than instead of instant on/off?
> 
> Do they improve the health of the critters you have?



I do. I have one for both of my aquariums and for snakes terrarium. I do however not know if it actually improves anything. At the pet store that I use, it was recommended however. I have them set on a timer and it takes about 45 minutes to an hour for them to fully turn on and turn off.


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## comiso90 (May 6, 2009)

DerAdlerIstGelandet said:


> I do. I have one for both of my aquariums and for snakes terrarium. I do however not know if it actually improves anything. At the pet store that I use, it was recommended however. I have them set on a timer and it takes about 45 minutes to an hour for them to fully turn on and turn off.



An incandescent light i presume? The technology exists fluorescent lights but they are pretty expensive.

I prefer fluorescent lights for aquariums cause the dont add to the heat as much but I can see how the heat would be better for reptiles.


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (May 7, 2009)

The aquarium lights are like fluorescent lights. At least they look like them. They were not expensive either. I paid 9 Euros for each light. There are 2 of them per aquarium.

The ones in the Terrarium for the snake I have are not flourescent though.


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## syscom3 (Nov 28, 2009)

Catalina Island rattlesnake may be a new subspecies -- latimes.com

By Louis Sahagun

November 28, 2009

Could the rattlesnakes on Santa Catalina Island be a subspecies new to science?

DNA studies underway on five specimens -- four females and a male -- at Loma Linda University's Department of Earth and Biological Sciences aim to determine if they are distinguishable from the Southern Pacific rattlesnakes found in Southern California.

Naturalists have long suspected that the island's rattlesnakes behave differently, suggesting adaptations to evolving in isolation 22 miles from the Southern California coast.

For example, they are stouter and require more provocation to coil up and strike, said Carlos de la Rosa, chief conservation and education officer for the Santa Catalina Island Conservancy, a nonprofit organization that manages 88% of the 76-square-mile island as wilderness.

"In addition, the scale patterns on their heads are different, possibly indicating that they arrived thousands of years ago," he said. "Perhaps these differences are enough to justify declaring the Catalina rattlesnakes a new subspecies."

The rattler is the only venomous reptile on the island.

Conservancy naturalists suspect that the island also has several still-unclassified insect subspecies that adjusted to the peculiar landscape.

So far, scientists have identified 60 plant and animal species found on Catalina and nowhere else, including a tiny flowering rock cress and the Catalina Island fox.

That number is expected to grow.

"We've barely scratched the surface in terms of the variety of endemic species living on the island," De la Rosa said. "There's a lot of depth on this island left to explore."

Of particular interest is a species of Jerusalem cricket that is distinct from those on the mainland.

It hasn't yet been scientifically described -- or even named.

A year ago, researchers at USC examined genetic material extracted from Jerusalem crickets collected on the island and discovered two distinct groups within that subspecies, said Suzanne Edmands, an associate professor of biological sciences at the university.

"While finding a new subspecies of insect wouldn't be a huge surprise," she said, "finding two subspecies within 22 miles of the mainland is unusual."

A final determination will require studies of the "songs" the insects make when searching for a mate.

"Jerusalem crickets drum the ground with their legs," Edmands said. "So we really want to get more song data to see if they are drumming differently than those on the mainland, which would argue in favor of reproductive isolation."

[email protected]

Copyright © 2009, The Los Angeles Times


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Nov 29, 2009)

Very beautiful rattlesnake there.

Here is a few new pics that I took of my snake.


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## beaupower32 (Nov 29, 2009)

Beautiful snake there Adler.


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## merlin (Nov 30, 2009)

I bought a pair of Odessa barbs awhile ago - beautiful fish I thought. Unfortunatley one by one they or at least the male killed off all of the Black Ruby Barbs I had!
However, in the spring they bred - two baby fish. These have grown over they six months - can tell they are brother and sister.
Anybody know what happens later - when they get bigger, i.e. the young male can't breed with his sister, let alone the mother, or will the 'father' get uptight about another male odessa fish in the tank (won't know it is his son)??
Anybody, any ideas please?


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## Butters (Dec 1, 2009)

Odessa barbs, like most of the nippier barb sp., do best in a small school. That way, their aggression is generally reserved for each other.

The familial relationship between the barbs is not a matter of concern to them. However, if you have a only small number in a small tank, the larger male(s) will harrass the smaller ones unmercifully.

How big is your tank?

To Wayne: Your son's turtle requires at least 4-6 hrs/day of intense UV-B if it is to avoid the metabolic bone disease that results from an inability to properly metabolize calcium. Vitamin D3 supplements are not usually sufficient in themselves to maintain good health in a turtle, esp a young one. Living in Australia, you should be able to keep it outside for a few hrs each day so it can receive the UV-B it requires. Just remember to make sure that there is also a source of shade so it does not overheat.

If you plan to keep it inside all the time, you should pick up a one of the high UV-B mercury vapour bulbs that are now available. The flourescent UV bulbs are essentially useless as far as I'm concerned. I have found that the 'Power Sun' brand bulbs to very effective in helping to maintain good health in my chameleons (And the juvenile snapping turtles I used to have before someone stole them from my back yard...)

BTW, if you make a habit of placing the turtle in a small tub of warm water to feed, it will probably defecate very soon after eating. They make quite a mess as I'm sure you know, and doing this can save you (or your son) a lot of work, and keep the aquarium a much healthier place for the turtle.

JL

PS: Very nice looking snake, Adler

EDIT: Those cheap plug-in timers that people use to turn their lights on and off when they're away, do a good job of timing the UV light exposure. And those cheap, easy-to-wire electric baseboard thermostats (usually $8-10) are all you need to prevent terrarium overheating.


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## merlin (Dec 1, 2009)

Butters.

Appreciate the info.
Used to have a 3 foot tank - where the pair of Odessas bred. Only other fish were a Lemon about four Glowlight Tetras. The Lemon would swim in company with the 'baby' Odessas!
Now have a 4 foot tank - taller to, and have added four more Lemons, and four more Glowlights. The young male has over the last few weeks become more 'colourful'. Doesn't seem to be any problems between the parents and young - not that I thought the parents would know they are the parents! But what happens when the 'twins' get bigger and older??

Don't want to dispose of any of them, but appreciate comments of likely behaviour, besides the adults may breed again!


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## parsifal (Dec 2, 2009)

seeing adlers snake reminds me of when I was a kid...living in tropical queensland. My mother had a large bird aviary, with all these exotic, and expensive birds. We lost a lot to marauding, and wild, carpet snakes that used to get into the cage all the time. Drove my mother nuts all the time. 

One particularly large fellow we measured after we had extricated him live from the aviary. He measured just over 11 feet long....which was very near an Australian record I believe.

Carpet snakes are considered quite harmless, but on the very rare occasions that they have bitten people, they levae a nasty, infected bite....no venom but these nasty looking barbs on the roof of their mouth, that are usually full of bacteria and crap. 

One old timer said to me as a kid that people bitten can lose the limb from the resulting infection.

I dont know if any of this is true, but I have see snakes that are cornered get agressive. The ones in the wild have to be restrained at the head, and if they are bigger than about 7 feet, you really need a second guy to hold the tail

As rat catchers they scare the living bejeesus out of every rodent that lurks in your house. In the tropics and living right in the middle of a national park, we had to periodicallyclear out the carpet snakes that used to hide in our attic

I had an intersting childhood.......


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Dec 2, 2009)

parsifal said:


> seeing adlers snake reminds me of when I was a kid...living in tropical queensland. My mother had a large bird aviary, with all these exotic, and expensive birds. We lost a lot to marauding, and wild, carpet snakes that used to get into the cage all the time. Drove my mother nuts all the time.
> 
> One particularly large fellow we measured after we had extricated him live from the aviary. He measured just over 11 feet long....which was very near an Australian record I believe.
> 
> ...



Carpets are actually beautiful snakes. There is a nice one for sale at the store here in my town.


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