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Live Plants for Your Aquarium

Live plants look great in the tank and give your fish places to hide and explore. There are different types of plant you can include: stem plants, rooted plants, floating plants, and specialty plants. Tank plants will generally do well if you have a nutrient-rich substrate at the bottom of your tank and a layer of gravel to keep debris away. And don’t forget a light source! Plants need sunlight in order to survive. Place large, heavy objects like rock and driftwood before you plant your plants — if you try to add heavy objects last, you may damage your … Continue reading →

Paludariums: Overview

If you’ve ever been to an aquarium, you’ve probably already seen a paludarium — though you may not be familiar with the name. The word comes from Latin: paludal (relating to marshes) and arium (a place). A paludarium is a tank set up like a marsh — with land and water portions. This kind of aquarium is an interesting alternative to the usual water-only tanks that are so popular. Paludariums are also popular teaching tools in science classes — teachers, take note! With a paludarium, you have the opportunity to create the habitat you want. Maybe you’d like to recreate … Continue reading →

International Year of the Frog

Just in time for Leap Year! (Har har.) 2008 has been declared the International Year of the Frog. The idea is to address the problem of amphibian extinction — including frogs, toads, and salamanders. Zoos, aquarium, government agencies, and volunteers are making 2008 a year of a major public education effort. The bad news for frogs, toads, and salamanders: Nearly one third of all known species of amphibian are in serious decline. There are approximately six thousand known species — that means about two thousand species are in trouble. Within the next five years, we could lose nearly five hundred … Continue reading →

Aquarium Electrical Safety

Water… and electricity. Sounds like a bad combination, right? But in your aquarium — if you have a filtration system or a heater or lights or other nifty gadgets — you probably have electricity and water living in close quarters. Here’s a scary fact: the amount of current needed to give a person an electric shock is low. Only ten milliamps can give you a painful shock. Fifty milliamps and above can be fatal. And your filters and heaters and lighting may be using something like eight hundred milliamps. That’s more than enough to be dangerous. RULE ONE: Turn off … Continue reading →

The Pets Blog Week in Review for Jun 25-Jul 1

Last week Aimee and I wrapped up June and ushered in July here in the Pets Blog. From Jacques Cousteau to chinchillas, I guess you could say we again covered the gamut. If you missed a day, reference the handy recap below to catch up with what we covered on: Monday, June 25 He took us to the depths of the ocean and paved the way for other animal activists. To him we pay tribute in In Memoriam: Jacques Cousteau. Providing a suitable living environment is important for your sensitive-skinned amphibian friends. Aimee looks at three types of tanks for … Continue reading →

Fire Bellied Newts

Easy to find and easy to care for, fire bellied newts are a great choice for a first amphibian pet. There are two types of fire bellied newts that you may encounter in your local pet shop: Chinese fire bellied newts (Cynops orientalis) and Japanese fire bellied newts (Cynops pyrrhogaster). Both types are dark brown or black on most of the body, with bright orange and red markings on the stomach — hence the name! The Japanese variety has an average length between three and a half and five inches; the Chinese variety is slightly smaller with an average size … Continue reading →

Tank Care For Newts and Salamanders

Salamanders and newts have very porous skin — it makes them very sensitive to changes in environment (just like frogs and other amphibians). If you aren’t careful in your tank care, your pets can become seriously ill or injured. First things first — all tanks need water. Even terrestrial tanks have water trapped in the mossy substrate and/or in shallow pools. Don’t use distilled water to fill your tanks. You can use tap water or rainwater — but either one may need to be treated or left standing to allow chemicals to dissipate. Tap water should be treated with dechlorinating … Continue reading →

Three Types of Tank For Salamanders and Newts

There are three different kinds of environments for your pet salamanders and newts. Like other amphibians, salamanders and newts have sensitive and very porous skin that can make them very sensitive to changes in the environment. Land dwelling salamanders will need a terrestrial style tank. That doesn’t mean your salamander doesn’t need water! The moss used for the tank substrate will provide most of the moisture your salamanders will need. You should also provide a shallow container of water to help maintain humidity — just don’t make the water too deep. Terrestrial salamanders are poor swimmers. Place sticks or stones … Continue reading →