NORTHERN LEOPARD FROG

Northern Leopard Frogs (Lithobates pipiens, formerly known as Rana pipiens) are one of the listed endangered species in the world found mostly in United States as well as in several parts of Canada. They are green colored with uneven skin over the body. These True frog family leopards are highly populous and one of the loving pets in States of America.

Northern Leopard Frog - Photo by AllieKF

In an average the leopard frogs grow approximately 11 cm in size. Not to be surprised that the female frogs grows larger than the males. The lovely looking species became popularly known as ‘Leopard Frog’ since they are having dark rosettes and spots with uneven form all over their legs, body along with its back. Several creamy stripes are seen on their backs. Leopard Frog got a pair of webbed back legs that has made them as amphibians. These small animals prefer to live in the wet places like brooks, pools, wet pasture or marshland.

Being a carnivorous group of animals they are usually in the habit of taking different kinds of insects and small creatures like crickets, small fish or frog, worms, and rats. They can even swallow the animals and birds about their own size with the help of their large sized mouth. The Hawks, Herons, Skunks, Bullfrogs and Snakes kill and eat these leopard frogs. As natural phenomenons of leopard frogs are adapted that helps them for their survival in their environment. The weeded back legs provide them a good speed by covering more than two meters in every jump. They are habituated to run in a crisscross manner that enables these animals to save themselves from there predators to catch them. In the similar way they can jump on their prey from beyond a long distant place. Their body color of dark green and brown facilitates them to hide and stay in disguise form their hunters. They can make a very shrill sound helping to puzzle the captor and get themselves free.

The Leopard Frogs have a tremendous popularity among the people of Unites States to keep as a very attractive pet.   As the Leopard frogs are habituated live in reasonably in a bigger space area so providing a specious place is the primary issue. A reservoir around ten gallon can provide them a comfortable movement. The half portion of the container is to be filled with water while the other half with soil. It is essential to use only chlorine-free water for keeping these frogs.  The water is to be changed in an interval of a fortnight. They need an average temperature of 20C throughout the day. The creature should feed with small insects like flies, crickets, worms or flies etc. They like to take different fruits or vegetables occasionally.  It is important for an individual for washing the hands properly after handling these creatures.

Author: By Tom White The Author is a plumber mill hill in London and also writes about various London refurbishment tips and advice for plumbing repairs. Articles Source: EzineMarc.com Northern Leopard Frogs

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Preventing Overpopulation - KOI Pond

Koi overpopulation is one of the hardest problems to deal with when it comes Koi ponds. Once you have too many fish in your pond, severe problems can occur, and potentially cause death among your fish.

There are a few ways to help prevent overpopulation. While you are never guaranteed that it will never happen to you, following a few simple steps will greatly reduce your chances.  

Koi pond with an extensive filtration, build by Kent Wallace (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Do Not Overstock

A common problem new Koi pond owners run into is over stocking. When you first go to buy your Koi, it may come down to deciding between a number of Koi that is equally beautiful and playful in the spirit of saving your pond from over stocking. 

Talk with your Koi dealer or Pet Store professional about the specifics of your pond. You should tell them information about what type of filtration systems you have, what total size your pond is, and where you are planning on placing your pond. With this information, a professional will be able to adequately predict the right amount of Koi you can have in your pond successfully. Do not worry if this number seems small because the professional will also be taking into account the fact that Koi grow fast and get rather large.

Some people run into the problem of not being able to turn down Koi from others. When accepting fish from sources such as other Koi pond owners, take into account why they are giving you the fish. Chances are they are giving away fish because they are having issues with over population as well. Turning down fish does not mean that you are causing any damage to those fish, it simply means that their owner will have to find a different person to take the fish.

Once Overpopulation Has Occurred

In the event that overpopulation has already occurred in your pond,  there are several ways of removing babies from your pond. 

One way is to stop feeding your Koi the minute you realize that spawning has occurred. You should stop feeding your Koi for no less than three weeks. Do not worry about your Koi starving, as they will focus more on natural foods if you are not feeding them daily. This “natural” diet includes their young. Koi are not cannibalistic animals by any means, but they will eat their young when they are still eggs or if they are small and resemble insects. Once the baby Koi actually resemble real fish, and the adult fish recognize this, they will no longer see them as food, so it is important to start this process as soon as you notice spawning or babies.

While this is a process of nature, you may still find this method to be cruel or unusual. Another way of removing unwanted babies from your pond is to give them away.

First, check with your local pet store. Many pet stores have programs in which they will accept unwanted animals and give them good homes. Some may even pay a certain amount for each fish since they sell them but do not count of this. Local Zoos may also have programs.

If you know of a local Koi society, you may let them know that you have unwanted babies. Alternatively, you can find a message board or group online and post messages there. Who knows, you may even start another person on a Koi keeping hobby.

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SEA ANEMONE

Sea anemones are a very common offering in the marine aquarium trade. All types of species are brought in from carpet anemones, filter feeding tube anemones to rose bulb tip anemones.

Sea Anemones at California tideppols.
Sea Anemones look as plants,
but they are animals and they are predators.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

While most people think they are corals, sea anemones are actually under the phylum Cnidaria, which strangely enough, includes the jellyfish. They do share a common trait with corals, however. Within their bodies are contained symbiotic algae called zooxanthellae which extract energy from light and feeds the sea anemone with their by-products.

Where they differ spectacularly from corals are their ability to move from location to location. This behavior is commonly seen in captivity where the sea anemone will move around the aquarium until it has found a suitable spot.

Unfortunately, this behavior is undesirable mainly because their tentacles contain stinging cells used to capture prey and as a defense mechanism. As they move around the aquarium, they may come into contact with and sting any corals that are present.

The sea anemone shares a symbiotic relationship with a number of creatures in the wild. The most famous of their hosts are the clown fish family. They also play host to damselfish, certain crabs and a variety of anemone shrimp that rely on it for protection from predators.

They are a tricky species to care for in a marine aquarium as they require strong water flow and very strong lighting to do well in the long run. Should they die, they literally begin to melt. Which can really foul up the water?

Unfortunately, the great number of these creatures end up dying in captivity due to improper conditions. This is a shame because in the wild they are known to reach a lifespan of a hundred years or more. Some experts have pointed out that they may not even die if conditions remain good.

The family of Sea Anemone also contains a number of pests. Among them, the infamous Aiptasia and Majano anemones. Unlike their prettier cousins, these pests thrive in captivity and can quickly take over the entire aquarium.

By Indran Manickam - Article Source: EzineArticles

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Know Your PROTEIN SKIMMER Before You Buy It

Photo: Wikimedia

1. The protein skimmer can remove the organic wastes almost as soon as they are formed in your aquarium. That means you are able to eliminate them before they are disintegrated by the bacteria in the tank into a nitrogenous matter. Nitrogen in the tank can be harmful, as it will interfere with the properties of the water and even get converted into toxic forms that could be life-threatening to the inhabitants of the aquarium.

2. If you are continuously removing the organic protein wastes from the aquarium with the skimmer, it is obvious that the aquarium will not require frequent water changes.

3. Apart from the protein wastes, the protein skimmers are also capable of removing fatty substances that collect in the tank and some carbohydrates. Even organic molecules containing elements like copper can be eliminated.

How do you choose a Protein Skimmer for your Aquarium? But, though a protein skimmer is a very essential device, it is also one of the most expensive additions that you will make to your aquarium. That is the reason why you should buy the most suitable skimmer, as it will be a one-time expense you will make. A good protein skimmer will also be durable and will be with you for a long time.

Here are the different types of protein skimmers that are available in the market. You can decide what to buy after understanding the types available.

1. Co-current Protein Skimmers – Co-current protein skimmers are called so because here the water from the aquarium is made to move only in one direction (upwards), and the bubbles move along with the flow of the water. The exchange of wastes is done between the water and the bubbles as both moves towards the top, side by side.

2. Counter Current Protein Skimmers – In counter current protein skimmers, the bubbles move downwards for a while as the water moves in the upward direction. The bubbles move downwards for some time, till the exchange takes place and then they take the waste matter to the cup on the top. The advantage is that the counter current mechanism facilitates for better contact between the dirty water and the bubbles and hence more effectiveness.

3. Circulating Current Protein Skimmers – These are a new development, in which the mechanism is the same, but the water is made to enter into the protein skimmer a number of times through a circulating device. This increases the time of contact and ensures a high degree of purification of the water.

Your choice of a protein skimmer will certainly depend upon the type of aquarium and the budget. The co-current protein skimmers are the cheapest, and they are quite effective for small size freshwater and saltwater aquariums. Prices are high for the counter current variety, and the circulating ones are the costliest. But it you have a very large aquarium, like the ones they keep in commercial places, you will need a powerful protein skimmer. In such cases, counter current and circulating current protein skimmers become essential.

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RED DEVIL CICHLID - Amphilopus labiatus

Red Devil Cichlid - Amphilopus labiatus

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The Various CICHLID DISEASES

Cichlids are a fairly hardy fish and their upkeep is reasonably simple supplied you stick to several simple principals. As hardy as they’re the cichlid fish can suffer from several diseases so with this write-up I have set out to clarify what they’re and what you are able to do about them.

Cichlids are a fairly hardy fish and their upkeep is reasonably simple supplied you stick to several simple principals. As hardy as they’re the cichlid fish can suffer from several diseases so with this write-up I have set out to clarify what they’re and what you are able to do about them.

Diseases in cichlid fish might be caused by parasites within the body, fungi on their exterior and also poor bacteria inside the tank water.

Issues that you simply wish to look out for are cloudy or puffy eyes, sores on their bodies, loss of color, restricted movement, bloating of stomach or internal organs. Any of these symptoms are normally caused by some sort of bacterial infection.

If you observe any strange looking growth around the face location or sporadic behavior in the tank like darting about in a crazy manner you could be looking at some sort of fungal infection.

If you see any weak breathing, impaired movement, mucus growth on the skin, loss of appetite, spots, intense scratching. These are typically the sign of parasite infection which could contain leeches, worms or lice.

Just concerning the most typical cichlid illness is Hole inside the head disease. Hexamita, normally results in rapid weight loss and a main loss of appetite, and also you will also notice small indentations on and around the head area.

Ich or Ichtyophthirius is also an additional widespread cichlid disease. With this distinct ailment whitened crystal marks show up on the head first, after which propagate over the whole body. Inhaling and exhaling is quickly, the fish scrapes a great deal, and also the eye balls and fins all turn into cloudy.

When the belly is enlarged, and also you uncover reddish scales encircling this location, it can be achievable that the cichlid is really struggling with Dropsy. This may possibly be because of germs, parasites, or even cancer. The most effective method to cope with this is saltwater therapy.

In case you neglect their water conditions then your fish may possibly end up with Fish Pox, Fin Rot or even Ammonia poisoning.

Columnaris or Cotton Wool Illness is one you must be quite wary of because it is very contagious. Symptoms is going to be a grey/white layer on the skin, fin harm, ulcers and sores, loss of color in the gills. You must treat this quickly having an excellent antibiotic kind therapy, and you may have to treat the complete tank. The exact same goes for Fish Tuberculosis which too is really contagious.

Yet another parasite sort infection is Slime Disease which causes a white coating of the skin, sporadic movement, reddening about the gills and also folded fins. You have to treat this straight away with a good parasitic medication and also by raising the water temperature a degree or two.

Cichlids may also endure from constipation which will cause a swelling of the stomach, loss of appetite, and erratic swimming. The fish might even have feces hanging off of them. The very best approach to fix this would be to starve them for two days then commence them on a various diet.

On the topic of diet plan should you over feed your fish they might wind up with Swim Bladder illness which will cause difficulty in swimming, swimming upside down, floating. Flip Over illness is also achievable with these symptoms.

One well-known way of dealing with diseases is salt treatment, but this should ideally only be done in a quarantine tank as other fish may be negatively affected. Plus it’s going to not guarantee a remedy for all diseases.

Now since an aquarium is such a modest closed atmosphere, with out proper monitoring and treatment can become a disease incubator. Typical cleaning of one’s tank and water will likely be your greatest weapon against disease in your aquarium.

It’s finest to spot these things as early as feasible so as to implement a remedy method before it can be too late….Excellent Luck

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When LIZARDS will not eat, they have to eat

Like any animal, lizards at times in captivity will need to be force fed. There are situations and conditions which will result in a lizard not eating on their own.

Some diseases lizards can get will result in seizures or a similar condition. It is imperative not to feed them during an incident like this. They will most likely not be able to swallow the food. It is best to seek the help of a veterinarian at this point. 

Fistful of lizard - Photo by jurvetson 

The animal will need to have a tube placed into their stomach to feed. If the animal shows no signs of seizures, they can be fed using a syringe. It is tricky to get their mouth open but should be possible using the syringe itself. 

Using the syringe, squeeze the processed food into the back of the throat, taking great care to avoid the trachea at the back of the tongue. Make sure to only offer as much food as the animal can handle. Larger lizards can obviously handle more food. 

It may also be possible to force-feed feeder insects. If the lizard is having digestive problems, however, the liquid substitute is much easier to digest, as much of the work is already done. Another advantage of liquid feeding is the fact that you control exactly what the lizard is getting into its diet.

For the vegetable part of the liquid diet, vegetable baby food works very well. This food is high in vitamins and can easily be digested by the lizard. Make sure to add in a calcium supplement to the food. Younger lizards need to be fed more often but in smaller quantities, while larger lizards will need to be fed less often, but with higher quantities per feeding.

You have to follow the natural way your lizard eats its food, as not to upset their natural metabolism. If your lizard eats both insects and vegetables, you can use a type of cat food (used for sick cats) if they will eat it. You can also try to add insect matter (use fresh insects) into the liquid mix.

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