-A blog is something private, and then again it is not, it is something shared, a moment or a thought, it need not be read by any to be needed by just one, this is my diary, my journal... this is my blog.-
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Friday, November 09, 2007
Froggie Notes for NovemberThis little guy is suppose to get the size of a fist and I can't wait.
He is a pig! Well actually he is an African Clawed Frog but still! He gets so excited at feeding time. Most that I have read recommends feeding once a day only what can be eaten in about 15 minutes time. Well that went out the window and I started giving him a frozen cube of bloodworms in the morning then the same in the evening. When I saw he was getting really fat fast, I started cutting the cubes in half for each serving.
I have added a couple more inches to his water level. The water depth is about 10 inches and I run a small whisper filter for 8 to 12 hours a day. I am very careful about the noise factor. Although he does not have ears, he is highly sensitive to water splashing. This means water changes go very slow. He sheds and when he does, the water gets a film like cover on the top. He doesn't have a tongue or teeth, but he has a suction when grabbing his food and he uses his front claws to guide the food in. He is fun to watch when he scavenges the bottom for left over morsels.
As messy as what an ACF can be, it is pretty easy to clean Clarity's tank. I use a dedicated turkey baster (for Clarity only) and bought new just for tank use. It does a great job at vacuuming the larger pieces to be removed. The filter helps a lot. And, I change 25 - 50% water weekly. I vacuum with the turkey baster about every day to help keep his tank clean. Usually he thinks it is a big worm and tries to eat it. Then he goes for my fingers! I wash my hands a lot before and after and although I love lotion, I am very careful not to have anything on my hands.
According to other documented information, ACF start making sounds or singing when they reach around 10 months of age. Well, Clarity is not close to being 10 months and he started making his music on November 6, 2007. My estimated guess is he is about 5 months max. The sounds that he make are those of a male so I now know for sure he is a boy.
I always wanted a lizard but from what I understand space is a good thing to have when homing them and that is one thing I do not have a lot of. The equipment seems like it could get to be an expensive interest. I am a hands on kind of care giver, and I do not think Erie would like that at all. If I did have a lizard, I think I would want to let it roam around a little. Yeah, I don't think I will be able to exactly cuddle up with Clarity, but he is really awesome and interactive. When I go to his aquarium he comes to see me. His singing is so cute and he will rest on my fingers. I do not take him out of his water, even so, Erie is always near by with a 'What in the world are you doing' sort of look on his face.
New photos added of Clarity
Labels: pets
:UP:
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Alright, to catch up... this past weekend I bought a 5 1/2 gallon tank with hood for Zar. I set up his new home on Sunday night (July 1) with a heater. I noticed the water was a little cloudy on Monday, but Zar seemed fine. The cloudiness continued to get worse and I did a partial water change on Tuesday that helped some. When I first set this tank up I added a small under gravel filter with air stone that came with his one gallon tank. On Wednesday, (July 4) I moved Zar to his vase with clean water that had been treated with Clor-Out and setting to the side for a few hours. The tank looked really white and I noticed a tiny white spot on Zar's head. My thought was, this is ick, so at the store I found Quick Cure for ick, Aquarium Salt, AquaSafe (a water conditioner and gets rid of chlorine) and Melafix. The Melafix is and antibacterial and although it will not cure ick, it will sooth him and also help fin rot, which I believe he also has from being cramped in that tiny container at the store and staying in dirty water. I used a small heater to warm the water to the same temperature as his tank and then moved him to the medicated vase with Quick Cure and Melafix.
While he was still in the vase, I gradually warmed the water more raising the temp to 86 degrees. This causes the parasites to become free swimmers and the medicine added kills them. While he bathed in his warm medicated vase, I tore down his tank and cleaned it with hot water, no soap and no bleach. Once clean and back together, I added 3 teaspoons of Aquarium Salt. The best way to do this is get some aquarium water into a small container and then add the measured salt to that, once dissolved, then pour into tank. I also added Melafix according to directions on bottle and the correct does of Quick Cure. When the temperature matched that of the vase, I moved Zar back to his tank. He is doing fine, swimming happily and eating his freeze dried blood warms very well. His tank is staying right at 82 degrees now and the water is crystal clear. The white spot on his head is gone. I am also noticing clear growth at the ends of his fins.
:UP:
Thursday, June 28, 2007
My latest endeavor has been my fish. It has been a few years since my tanks have been set up. When I did have them working, they did great with Black Angels, Black Mollies, Sword Tails that were bright orange and black tails, spotted Pica Catfish that we always called algae eaters and a Betta.
Our Angels were awesome. The first pair we had ate from our fingers and seemed very interested in us. They were in the tank for well over a year and grew very large. Our entire family was attached to them. When the first one died, the second soon followed and we felt for sure it was that he missed his companion. We did get more Angels and they spawned. We just were not familiar with what to do and each time there were eggs, the process failed.
All of the fish we had during those years did live a very long time and the tank was thriving when we moved in 2004. We gave the fish and a tank to a friend along with supplies she would need. We still had 2 tanks, a 40 gallon and a 20 gallon. The 40 gallon is what I have set up right now and just recently lost over 20 fish. Most of them were guppies. Guppies like cool temps and I was working on a warmer water tank.
The only thing is when the other fish also died, it raised concerns and I think either my tank had not cycled properly or I brought home something from the pet store.
My very first fish this time around was a Betta. We just called him Fish. So Fish had the whole 40 gallons to himself. The week prior he was in a large vase. No plant or anything, just himself and some rock for decor. After the tank had been up for a few days I added him so that he would have the benefits of a heater. Bettas love the warmer temps. He did great for over a week. He did seem lonely so we decided to get more fish. That is when we hooked up our power filter which I already know that Bettas do not like moving water, but it's a large tank and the movement really was subtle and quiet. It didn't seem to bother him. He loved the mosquito larvae I bought frozen at the pet store and seemed to get along just fine with the 20 guppies and the 6 zebra Danios. A few days later, the guppies started to die and then I began losing the Danios. It was the worse for me when Fish died.
My husband and I both thought maybe he was old when we brought him home, then again it was hard to say because of us losing all the other fish. The frozen mosquito larvae could have had parasites or disease, something may have been wrong with my filter and the cycling of the tank, or possibly the water from the pet store was not clean. There are still 3 Danios in there going strong and eating like pigs. I am careful to not over feed, but I did start giving them flake food. I like to do a little bit several times a day. Every time I walk past they think it's dinner.
My newest friend Zar is a betta that I am keeping on my desk in a 1 gallon tank for now. He would be in the 40 gallon if I was more confident that it was working right. Anyway, I would like to get a 10 gallon for him so he can stay on my desk. This fish is really something else and why Bettas are so easy to fall in love with. His eyes change. He squints and literally makes expressions. I get such a kick out of watching him. I think he likes watching me too. All I have to do is wave my finger a little and he starts dancing around almost like crazy, maybe he thinks it's a worm. At first he would not touch the mosquito larvae which was so surprising since that is suppose to be their favorite. So, I tried the freeze dried blood worms and that was a winner. He absolutely loves them and they aren't nearly as messy to give to him.
There are more pics in the Photo Gallery, but forgive my inability to take great shots. My daughter is the photographer but she is not at home right now while she is serving in the US Navy. Maybe when she comes home for a visit she can take some better pictures of my fishies and tanks.
:UP:
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Taken October 11, 2006
After Christmas 2005, I noticed Erie was getting mats in his fur. His coat is usually very long and thick. In all of his seven years, I have never had to worry about grooming him. It really shocked me that he had stopped grooming.
When the mats first started I was able to clip them out, during December, but later it did get really bad. He would become very upset with me if I tried to help him. During our packing and our move, I think it only stressed him out more and made the situation worse. Unfortunately I had to have him shaved. I took him to the vet expecting them to use something to relax him. They didnt need to do that and he was just fine. I was so surprised and thankful to get him some relief.
:UP:
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Taken October 1, 2006
Grooming day with beautiful orange and black bows.
:UP:
Saturday, March 26, 2005
*Erie just jumped up on his window seat all by himself! Yes! Maybe we wont have to move it after all :)*
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Cynthia's Escape Cynthia E. Jones cynthiasescape@yahoo.com