A couple of questions

[Raylene]

Is it better to take some tank water to a pet store to be tested or do in-home testing kits work just as well? Are they expensive and can someone recommend a brand that is good?

Also, when doing partial water changes are you suppose to remove the fish first to not stress them or can they remain in the tank? Please let me know as I am clueless.

Here is a little background on me: I decided to breed guppies for my turtles so I set up a 10 gallon tank with the necessary equipment (filter, heater, etc.) and purchased 10 guppies on August 2nd. I have three guppies with pretty big bellies. I think I must have been given some already pregnant. I found one little fry on the 13th (perhaps the others were eaten, I don't know), but anyway, Small Fry is all by him/herself. Oh dear, I'm in trouble now since I have named him/her. *lol*

At the end of July I had purchased six guppies and put them in with the turtles. I saw Feisty Boy eat one and I assumed all were eaten. A couple of days later I found three guppies in the tank so apparently they are now friends. It was hard at first giving them live mealworms but I'm okay with that and I thought maybe they would like the fish. But doesn't seem so.

So looks like maybe I'll be just keeping the fish and not feeding them to my turtles. I have a male guppy (I'm assuming male because he is developing some very pretty colorful spots on him). Maybe I just have the one male, I don't know. Anyway, sorry this got long. Looking forward to your comments/suggestions.

 

[reg2k2]

Hi Raylene.

Moving the fish wd. stress them more.
Better to buy ur own; if a prob. arises, you'll have them on hand. I use Aq.Pharm. myself, but I'm sure most will do.
Liquid said to be more accurate, but some prefer strips for ease of use (also safer for kids).

 

[Raylene]

Thank you so much Reg2K2. I figured moving them would be more stressful so I'll leave them in the tank when doing changes.

And I'll pick up some strips next time I'm in the pet store (which has become my home away from home. *lol*)

~smile~

 

[mrV]

Is it legal to feed animals by giving living vertebrates to them in usa?

Anyway... Fish and turtles shouldn't be kept in a same tank. Metabolism of turtles is harmful for fishes, products are quite strong and they spoil water easily.

 

[fuman_chica]

Is it legal to feed animals by giving living vertebrates to them in usa?

As far as I know it is. Is it illegal elsewhere??

 

[mrV]

As far as I know it is. Is it illegal elsewhere??

At least in here, where I live. You are not allowed to feed animals with living vertebrates, it's illegal. So you can't give living mouse to snake, feed other fishes with fish etc.. Only thing, when it's allowed, is that, when it is the only way to keep animal alive. As you know, sometimes some animals don't eat anything dead and if you want to get them to eat something, you need to give living animals to them or they will die.

But, this is only for vertebrates.

 

[CFC]

Illegal here in the UK too,i keep mainly predatory fish and sometimes it has been impossible to get them to take anything but live fish or large live shrimps,since a diet of nothing but shrimp would not be good for the fish i have been forced in the past to give them the occasional live fish or two but i have had shops refuse to sell me fish that they believe i am using for feeders and goldfish have been made unreasonalbly expensive to put people of using them (usually around £1 to £1.50 each).

 

[gadazobe]

It is? Well, well, well, you've taught me something new cfc )

 

[juliethegr8t]

Wow, I'm in shock about the whole feeding vertebrates thing. It's such a common practice around here that it seems absurd that other places wouldn't accept it. And the prices for the fish CFC mentioned, sheesh! Pop a few cents on the counter and you've got a fish, in the US! My friend keeps snakes and also works at a pet store, so she's constantly bringing home mice and rats of all sorts to keep her reptiles happy. Also, all the lfs around here have large tanks full of feeder fish - goldfish, guppy fry, etc. Actually, the other day I was lucky enough to get to watch a marine puffer get fed. The employee dropped some goldfish in, and he went WHAM! I was in awe.

 

[mrV]

all the lfs around here have large tanks full of feeder fish - goldfish, guppy fry, etc. Actually, the other day I was lucky enough to get to watch a marine puffer get fed. The employee dropped some goldfish in

Lucky me, I don't live in usa.. Otherwise I would probably be standing in front of that petstore with a huge sign "They are k*llers!" B) Well, maybe not, but writing alot of articles..

goldfish have been made unreasonalbly expensive to put people of using them (usually around £1 to £1.50 each).

That's cheap! For 1,5£ ~2,15 euros and with that money you get only 1 neontetra They are usually 2-2,5 euros. When you buy a goldfish here, small, really small goldfish is about 5 euros (~3,5£) usually more, haven't checked prices lately. And if the goldfish is bigger, the price is more naturally..

but i have had shops refuse to sell me fish that they believe i am using for feeders

I don't remember if he was english or american, but he was somekind of "artist" who uses goldfish in his show.. Like swallowing them etc.. So, he went to our local store and try to buy a goldfish. The shopkeeper knew him and refused to sell him goldfish or any fish So, he didn't get his fish, lucky!

(And another artist, was it in Denmark?, put a goldfish into the mixer and turn power on!! So, what kind of art is that??)

 

[Alien Anna]

Here in UK, feeding live animals to other animals is considered animal cruelty (quite rightly). In the zoo, they don't even feed live fish to the conger eels or marine sharks they keep, so I can't see why live food is a requirement for more mundane captive fish.

I actually reported a pet shop a few years back - for feeding live rats to a boa. They were fined and banned from keeping animals for several years.

 

[Raylene]

Hmmmmmm. My post has been hijacked.

If you think about it. In the wild animals eat other animals. Thats all I'll say.

Have a great day everyone.

 

[mrV]

Couple url about danish artist:

http/www.goldrush.com/~events/messages/199.html
http/news.bbc.co.uk/1/3040891.stm

I think the judge (and the artist too) was stupid and should be put into mixer

 

[mrV]

Is it better to take some tank water to a pet store to be tested or do in-home testing kits work just as well? Are they expensive and can someone recommend a brand that is good?

They use same test in petstore too. Liquid test are the best (if we are not talking about electronic devices). I use Tetras and JBLs test.

 

[Raylene]

Thank you mrV about the water test reply.

If its all the same, if that article is about animal abuse, I prefer not to look at it.