Communal Terrarium Living

By Rachael Hanft

People are becoming interested in keeping naturalistic vivaria with communities of different species. While I would generally discourage this practice for the well being of the animals, if certain considerations are made, there are a number of smaller reptiles and amphibians that are suited to this type of vivarium. There are some things to keep in mind when designing a terrarium and selecting inhabitants:

1) The size of the vivarium~ length should be at least 5 times the total length of the largest animal and width 1.5 times the total length of the largest animal or the total length of all animals should less than 3/4 the length of the vivarium.

2) Requirements of each individual species in a temperate rainforest type of environment which is discussed below. Minimum set up for this type includes: Tank with well ventilated but securely fitted lid (ideal are ones with built in sliding screen top). Full spectrum fluorescent lighting for diurnal (day active) lizards and live plants. 

Incandescent spotlights or ceramic heat emitters (not recommended for amphibians) wattage depends on the size of the enclosure and the temperature of your house.

60~90 % relative humidity - Spray daily with hand mister. Use a substrate of peat moss and sand mixed together, or a fine orchid bark bedding. Decor like branches such as: fruit tree, manzanita, madrona, cork bark, bamboo are good for those arboreal species. Other landscaping tools are rocks, though make sure these are stable and will not fall and injure the animals

All the animals listed below are insect eaters (crickets, spiders, meadow plankton). Some animals like anoles and day geckoes are nectar eaters in the wild. A good concoction for a sweet treat is to mix an all natural fruit baby food (no sugar added) with some bee pollen and vitamins. Mix in some leaves and fruit. This treat should be given at least once a week.

Before deciding on what animals to put into this terrarium, please do some research on special requirements of each species, and make sure that all species will cohabitate. One rule a thumb is do not mix animals with a snout - vent length of less than 50% that of the largest animal.

By Bradley Helmholz

Cloudiness (milky appearance of aquarium water) is one of the most common afflictions in a newly set up aquarium. The typical response is a large water change. This seems logical, since the water looks "dirty". Usually this helps, but a couple of days later in come the clouds. Now we do an even larger change. Clears up for a few days, then BANG! he clouds creep back. Seems we keep taking two steps forward, then three steps back. The more water we change, the less fish we can see. Behold! here is a logical reason for this. Even better, there is a simple cure.

The cloudiness is not caused by dirt or filth of any kind. In fact, it is a free floating bacteria. Which to some extent, helps to keep some of the liquid wastes at bay, while the (nitrifying) beneficial bacteria is beginning to establish in the gravel and filter media. By doing huge water changes we perpetuate the problem by preventing these nitrifiers from establishing.

Instead of large water changes, the best thing to do, are small frequent changes. About 10-20% every five to seven days. Do this by siphoning out water with a "gravel vacuum." Just skim the surface of the gravel to lift waste and excess food. Any uneaten food will also add to the problem. Just be patient! Cloudiness will usually disappear within 2-3 weeks.

If this problem occurs in an established aquarium there is usually one of three reasons:

A. Too much food was added. (small fingers pour in half a can of flakes with the best intentions of making the fish full)

B. Something introduced to the aquarium that kills a significant number of nitrifying bacteria (medication, tap water that has not been dechlorinated, or possibly a household cleaner or chemical of some kind, etc...).

C. Too many fish added at once or a dead fish gone unnoticed. (check behind plants and under rocks).

The cure in this situation is the same as for new aquariums. There are water clarifying products on the market. Most of these are coagulators or binders. These products use a chemical that bonds the cells together so they are large enough to be picked up by filters, or sink to the bottom, out of sight. My personal opinion is that this hinders the natural process a little, the best thing to use is a bacterial additive. There are several good ones on the market. there are also enzyme additives. These work, but they do the job and then disappear.

Bacteria establishes and remains in the aquarium, reproducing and releasing their own enzymes. Another trick to prevent or shorten the "cloudy period " is to use either gravel or a bit of filter material from a healthy, already established aquarium. Add it to the new aquarium at the same time the first fish are put in. So be patient! Do not panic, and in about six weeks you will have an established aquarium that should be relatively hassle free.

By Jamie Salter & Sean Stever

Keeping an argentine horned frog (Certophrys ornata) has been an interesting experience. We purchased a baby about a year and a half ago. We thought the frog was cute and were told that it is semi-low maintenance to keep. By low maintenance we mean that these frogs only need to be fed once or twice a week. Like most amphibians they do not need to be handled unless you are cleaning the tank or feeding them in another container. The tank set up is pretty easy and not too fancy. Ours is set up with a fine grade sand as the substrate with about an inch of water constantly in the container. Argentine horned frogs (AKA Pacman frogs) are not too picky about what they eat. In the wild they just sit and wait till something moves into their path then they leap with their stubby little legs, mouth gaping open; the prey has nowhere else to go but into the depths of the frog’s gut.

Now back to my tale. Our Argentine was an agreeable eater until one evening in December of 1998. On this evening we were cleaning his tank. We noticed when we put him into the convalescent home that he was not looking as tormented by his new surroundings. His normal behavior is to jump around hopelessly. Instead he just sat there looking numb. This is not his normal protocol. We watched him for awhile as he sat watching us back. We decided to put him in his original tank and thought nothing of it. After that night the frog’s behavior began to change. He was not hopping around and rearranging the tank from the design that we thought he would like. Instead he just stayed in one spot and would not eat. I began to worry, so I nudged at his back legs. He moved, but it looked like he could not move his back legs. He was also making strange jerking motions from around his sides. At this point we knew that there was something wrong.

The next morning I found myself on the phone trying to locate a veterinarian that will see amphibians. This was not an easy task. Luckily in Ballard there is a vet clinic called the Bird and Exotic animal clinic. The vet’s name is Dr. Tracy Bennett DVM. We got the frog an appointment on Christmas Eve. The appointment was canceled due to snow. We were able to get her in a week later. Once Dr. Bennett examined the frog, her thoughts were that there was blockage in the frog’s stomach. Though we were not sure from what. Dr. Bennett sent the frog home with an oral antibiotic and instructions to hopefully remedy the frog’s problems.

Our sick frog was in need of us to give him oral antibiotics, a drop of cod liver oil, and a soak in clean warm water everyday. The other side of this is that Argentines have rows of little razor sharp teeth, then throw in a bad attitude. This posed some trying times for all of us involved. Our ritual was each day we head into the kitchen, and on the counter we gently pry open his mouth with a plastic spatula. Drop in the drugs with a little cod liver oil to chase them down. The soaking in the warm water with the cod liver oil sloshing around in his intestines proved to help him pass whatever was caught inside him.

After the accomplishment of defecation we contacted the vet and she said to feed the frog smaller goldfish and only pink mice for awhile. Still to this day we are not sure what caused the blockage. Though we will now only feed small prey items to our Argentine horned frog. This has been a harrowing experience but we are grateful of all the help we were able to receive from Dr. Bennett. We are relieved that everything has worked out ok for our frog, but we thought that we should share our story. This problem seems to be a common occurrence with this species of frogs. Though if kept well Argentine horned frogs are full of personality so when something seems wrong with your frog’s behavior keep watching, and call a veterinarian.

By Sharon Wright

Swordtails are native to the rivers and some lakes of Mexico. There are several different wild forms of these fish. Xiphophorus Helleri was first collected and described in 1848. The males of this type measure up to 14 centimeters . Not including a sword length of 4 to 8 centimeters on the males. Females of this type may have a body length of up to 16 centimeters. On the opposite end of the scale is the Xiphophorus Xiphidium first described in 1932 with males measuring 2.5 centimeters and females up to 4 centimeters.

Live-bearers such as swordtails prefer a water hardness of medium to medium hard. (10 - 20 DH in general). A pH value of between 6-8 is also preferable. The hardness rating of the tap water in Seattle varies depending on the area of town you are located in, due to the two major sources of water we use. The eastside, south end, and parts of central Seattle has 2.9 per liter sodium carbonate rating while north Seattle, Bothell Woodenville have 5.5 litter rating. In order to increase the hardness of your tank water for these fish you should add aquarium salt to your tank. Whenever water changes are being done salt should be added. If however water is being added to compensate for evaporation salt should NOT be added. Salt does not evaporate along with the water. Checking water every week or two is recommended.

Swordtails are omnivorous, so tropical fish food would serve as a fine basic diet. They should be fed live food at least once a week . ("Live" food means animal matter rather than plant matter.) Such foods include: Brine Shrimp, Mosquito Larvae, Dadhnia, and Fruit Flies. Most of which should be readily available at your favorite pet store, in at least one or more forms. Only feed your adult fish once a day. Never feed in the late evening. Food will not be eaten after the lights are turned off.

When setting up your tank for these fish a temperature of from 75 to 79 degrees would be ideal for them. The hardness of the water should also be kept in mind. Not all plants will fair well in these conditions. The following is a list of a few plants that should more than tolerate this specialized water: Hornwort, Water Sprite, Moneywort, Corkscrew Vallsneria and Java Moss. There are others as well.

The river bottoms where these swordtails are located are lighter in color. Their colors as a rule will be best accented by a lighter colored sand or gravel. A well planted tank not only looks great but also provides hiding locations for weaker and young fish.

Swordtails are one of a small group of fish known as live-bearers. Unlike the majority of fish live-bearers fertilize the eggs while still contained within the female. From one mating females can store milt (sperm) to fertilize at least five successive batches of eggs. Gestation is approximately 4 weeks in length. Refertilization is possible immediately after giving birth. Unlike most fish the sex of a swordtail is not determined immediately. This is decided by whether the male or female reproductive organs develop first. The PH value of water can also be a factor in determining sex of offspring. A lower pH 5-6 will produces a higher number of males. Where a PH of 7 or more will produce more females. A single brood could be from 20-200 young.

Swordtails are one of the few fish that have been known to change sex as adults. Females have been known to become males. Male to female are changes are rare if not non-existent.

Hermit Crabs: An Easy Low-Maintenance Pet

There have been no documented cases of this to my knowledge. Crabs are safe pets for children. Still, I would recommend monitoring small children so that they do not put the crabs in their mouths. The crabs might possibly carry small parasites, so just to be safe you should probably wash your hands after handling them.

By Phaedra Dunko

As kids we tend to dream of what exciting and amazing job we will have when we "grow up". Though the question is how many of us have our dream job? The answer is not many. That is why it is refreshing to meet someone still following their childhood fascinations. He is still like a little kid in the way he gets serious all of the sudden when someone shows him an insect and he says, "You know what this could be?" His face brightens up with excitement, then he rattles off some multi-syllable Latin words. Don was one of those kids that ran amuck in the backyard collecting bugs to show at the science fair his school held once a year. Now as an adult, Don puts on his own show he calls the Insect Safari. Still to this day he is doing science fairs and other demonstrations at local schools and libraries. He talks to kids about the important roles that insects play in the way of the world. Then shows them his stunning collection of preserved insects that he has been gathering ever since he was a kid. Don once invited me to a bugs and beer party that he and his friend were throwing. This was the first time that I had encountered his collection. It was much larger than I expected and notably varied. There were moths as large as my lunchbox, and spiders that resembled crabs with antennae. The rows of beetles looked like hundreds of elegant oil glazed water droplets on Styrofoam. His labeling details for every insect included the name and local of where it was found. Specifics like these sometimes lose the interested party, but Don has such an animated personality he brings out the experimental creativity in scientific research. I always end up leafing through my Entomology book at home after talking to Don about bug phenomena and thank him for the inspiration.

PD: What are your first memories of insects?

DE: I think fear. When I was four I remember being terrified to enter the front door of my house, because there was a spider on one side of the door, and a beetle on the other. Thinking back now I am shocked that I was able to tell the difference between them.

PD: What kind of inspirations did you have when you were a kid?

DE: My mother used to read to me a lot when I was younger, one year she gave me a book called The Golden Guide to Insects. We would pour hours into this book. I remember someone else giving me a butterfly net. I used to wander through the yard sweeping up any bug that I could find, and try to identify it in my book. My father who is a carpenter made me a suitcase that when opened up had a pane of glass on each side. I would use this to pin up some of the insects that I was collecting for the school science fairs.

PD: Have you always shown interest in insects?

DE: Throughout elementary and junior high I was involved with the science fair shows. This was about the only time that I demonstrated my interest in insects. Most of my peers thought I was strange because I liked bugs. During high school I was not doing much to further my physical interest in insects. It was not until I was in college and my roommate and I took a road trip to the Badlands in South Dakota. I had found a beetle ( a Carabid beetle very common around here) and I picked it up and there my insect collection started. I still have that beetle in my collection. During the summers while I was still in college I would go and visit a friend that lived in New Mexico. While I was there I would spend a few weeks camping. This is when I started watching and collecting insects. After a few trips down to New Mexico I decided to move there.

PD: What are your Insect Safari shows like?

DE: I often begin with a discussion about the taxonomy of insects and compare their differences. I try to get the kids involved by asking them questions. I always thought that being lectured was boring. Kids seem to have a better understanding if they feel like they are a part of the discussion. I explain some of the relationships between people and insects, such as mosquitoes. I ask what if there were no mosquitoes? What would happen? A lot of kids howl that it would be a good thing. Though there are always a few that will say the earth needs mosquitoes. This is when I try to get these kids to think about why mosquitoes and other insects are such an important role in the our food web. After our talk I ask would anyone like to see some bugs? The kids get all excited. I try to catch their attention at this point because this is when the chaos begins. A kid may lean on the glass top of one of the bug boxes and it breaks, or something may fall into a pocket of a an impressionable child. I inform them that someone could get hurt so be very careful, and that I have been collecting these since I was their age. This is my collection so if something goes wrong I have to replace it if I can. After a few rotations around the insect boxes I start the light show with the scorpions. With first showing how the scorpions look during the middle of the day, then I ask someone to turn out the lights and I turn on the black light and shine it over the scorpions which glow a fabulous fluorescent color. I explain to them that this is how I go and hunt for them in the wild. I think most kids have this need to touch something, so then I pull out some of the walking sticks which always get a thrill.

PD: Tell me about the highlights of your road trips?

DE: I have been going to Arizona for a couple weeks, once a year for about five years now. The first few years I was only looking for insects during the day, and at night I would nap beside the car in a sleeping bag. It was not until I started doing nocturnal hunts that I realized I was simply crazy to sleep exposed like I did. I am terribly grateful that no unwanted guests ended up in my sleeping bag to my knowledge. Nocturnal hunting has become a mainstay, all I do is plug the black light into the cigarette lighter in my car. Then throw a tarp over the side of the car and turn the light on and wait to see what is bound to come my way. One night a friend and I were out using the black light and it seemed that millions of moths were attracted to the light. At one point there were so many moths hovering on and around the light that we had to wipe the moths off so that we would be able to see each other. While I am down in Arizona I attend the Insect Symposium which is held once a year. I have been able to meet a lot of good people and made a lot of connections for things that I have been looking for. Next week I am going to San Francisco to the insectarium where one of the people that I met last year works. They invited me to come down and help pin insects. This also gives me the opportunity to go through their collection for data on emergent times of insects that I have been working with.

PE: So what are you planning to do now?