I thought it might be interesting to find out what the longest life spans for different pet animals are. Here are the results of my searching! Some of these ages may not be official, or the owner might might not have told the truth about their pet's age.
Dog: 29
Cat: 31
Budgie: 29
Cockatoo: 120
Box turtle: 123
Koi fish: 220
Red Eared Slider turtle: 85
Guinea pig: nearly 15
Rabbit: 16
Showing posts with label fish. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fish. Show all posts
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Monday, January 9, 2012
Exotic Amphibian and Reptile Center
In St. Louis City there is an interesting store. The Exotic Amphibian and Reptile Center a.k.a. ExoticARC, stocks a very large variety of reptiles and amphibians, and also has some crabs, arachnids, rodents, and tropical fish.
Before we even entered the ExoticARC, we instantly noticed the two displays in front of the store. One held bearded dragons, and the other held a reticulated python (the world's longest snake.) You can buy one of several reticulated pythons in the store for a couple hundred dollars.
Inside, we saw several more reticulated pythons, and some lizards. We instantly noticed the messiness of the store. It was full of empty, dirty aquariums.
There was a large cage full of baby iguanas, along with a warning that these lizards can be very big, give a nasty bite, and may never be tamed. There was no such warning on an (empty ) baby alligator tank. I was surprised that the price was only about 80 dollars.
There was a glass cage full of tiny plastic containers with hatching ball pythons, corn snakes, king snakes, and milk snakes of various morphs. There must have been hundreds of tiny snakes! Below the snakes there were several baby pac-man frogs, and there was a smaller case with scorpions and tarantulas.
A nearby display housed rattlesnakes and copperheads. They were not for sale!
My mom and I quickly noticed the Halloween Moon Crabs. They were pretty little crabs, with black and orange markings.
Along one wall there were lots of reptiles, especially ball pythons and bearded dragons, but also geckos and small monitors.
A very large (and expensive) Sulcuta tortoise was in a plastic container.
A tiny tank housed tiny Red Eyed Tree-frog froglets.
I then saw a cage with several rabbits in it. There was no price written on the cage. For some reason I instantly thought of the reticulated pythons.
There were many tanks with fish, including some very beautiful, large ones.
Behind the counter, there were live mice, rats, and hamsters for very cheap (apparently for feeding to large reptiles) but, since they were live, they could also be bought as pets.
At the very back of the store, the was an enormous vivarium which held... (as far as we could see) two small chameleons.
The ExoticARC store had lots of very interesting animals (many of them relatively rare) at mostly reasonable prices. It is a fun place to look around, even if you don't buy any animals (we didn't.)
My dad said it was better than the reptiles at the zoo!
Before we even entered the ExoticARC, we instantly noticed the two displays in front of the store. One held bearded dragons, and the other held a reticulated python (the world's longest snake.) You can buy one of several reticulated pythons in the store for a couple hundred dollars.
Inside, we saw several more reticulated pythons, and some lizards. We instantly noticed the messiness of the store. It was full of empty, dirty aquariums.
There was a large cage full of baby iguanas, along with a warning that these lizards can be very big, give a nasty bite, and may never be tamed. There was no such warning on an (empty ) baby alligator tank. I was surprised that the price was only about 80 dollars.
There was a glass cage full of tiny plastic containers with hatching ball pythons, corn snakes, king snakes, and milk snakes of various morphs. There must have been hundreds of tiny snakes! Below the snakes there were several baby pac-man frogs, and there was a smaller case with scorpions and tarantulas.
A nearby display housed rattlesnakes and copperheads. They were not for sale!
My mom and I quickly noticed the Halloween Moon Crabs. They were pretty little crabs, with black and orange markings.
Along one wall there were lots of reptiles, especially ball pythons and bearded dragons, but also geckos and small monitors.
A very large (and expensive) Sulcuta tortoise was in a plastic container.
A tiny tank housed tiny Red Eyed Tree-frog froglets.
I then saw a cage with several rabbits in it. There was no price written on the cage. For some reason I instantly thought of the reticulated pythons.
There were many tanks with fish, including some very beautiful, large ones.
Behind the counter, there were live mice, rats, and hamsters for very cheap (apparently for feeding to large reptiles) but, since they were live, they could also be bought as pets.
At the very back of the store, the was an enormous vivarium which held... (as far as we could see) two small chameleons.
The ExoticARC store had lots of very interesting animals (many of them relatively rare) at mostly reasonable prices. It is a fun place to look around, even if you don't buy any animals (we didn't.)
My dad said it was better than the reptiles at the zoo!
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Three More Pets!
Yesterday I got three more additions to my menagerie! I got Two hermit crabs and a Betta fish. The hermit crabs are named Portia and Foster. Like my other crabs, they are named after characters in the books Gone away Lake and Return to Gone away Lake. The Betta is named Victory.
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| The hermit crabs are still too scared to leave their shells. Portia is the one on the right. |
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| This is my female betta Victory. Isn't she beautiful! Update: Sadly, Victory died of Swim Bladder Disease not long after I got her. |
Monday, December 19, 2011
Keeping coldwater fish
You've probably seen goldfish and rosy red minnows at pet stores. They only cost a few cents, so why not buy some? Fish keeping can be expensive, but cold-water fish are relatively cheap pets. You don't need to buy a heater.
You need the following equipment to keep cold-water fish:
Tank: At least five gallons for anything other than a Betta.
Filter: My five gallon tank has this filter http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753028&lmdn=Fish+Filtration+%26amp%3B+Circulation
Gravel: I use some stones and gravel I found. Anything you put in your tank must be very clean!
That's pretty much it, but you can also add decorations and toys.
My goldfish and minnows play with small toys in their tank!
What kind of fish can live in cold water?
Goldfish: Comet or Common goldfish are very cheap. Goldfish are one of the more long lived fish. They have a reputation for being very messy!
Minnows: You can keep the cheap Rosy Red minnows, White Clouds (they look like neon tetras), or minnows that you catch your self.
Bettas: Beautiful fish! They are short lived unless you buy them as fry or breed them your self. Males must be kept separately! They can live in a fish bowl. Bettas can also live in heated water.
Danios: The Zebra Danio is very popular and cheap. Many other species are available as well. Glo fish glow under certain lights.
Guppies: Cheap and beautiful! They are also short lived. They breed very easily. They can also be kept in a heated tank.
Rosy Barb: Not all species of Barbs can be kept in cold-water, but the Rosy Barb can. They may be aggressive. They can also live in heated water.
Minnows and other small fish that you catch in creaks, ponds, or lakes can also be kept in your tank. Koi can be kept in aquariums when they are young and small, but they will soon need to live in a pond.
You need the following equipment to keep cold-water fish:
Tank: At least five gallons for anything other than a Betta.
Filter: My five gallon tank has this filter http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753028&lmdn=Fish+Filtration+%26amp%3B+Circulation
Gravel: I use some stones and gravel I found. Anything you put in your tank must be very clean!
That's pretty much it, but you can also add decorations and toys.
My goldfish and minnows play with small toys in their tank!
What kind of fish can live in cold water?
Goldfish: Comet or Common goldfish are very cheap. Goldfish are one of the more long lived fish. They have a reputation for being very messy!
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| A Common Goldfish and a Bubble-Eye Goldfish |
Bettas: Beautiful fish! They are short lived unless you buy them as fry or breed them your self. Males must be kept separately! They can live in a fish bowl. Bettas can also live in heated water.
 |
| A male Betta |
Guppies: Cheap and beautiful! They are also short lived. They breed very easily. They can also be kept in a heated tank.
Rosy Barb: Not all species of Barbs can be kept in cold-water, but the Rosy Barb can. They may be aggressive. They can also live in heated water.
Minnows and other small fish that you catch in creaks, ponds, or lakes can also be kept in your tank. Koi can be kept in aquariums when they are young and small, but they will soon need to live in a pond.
Friday, October 7, 2011
The Feeder Fish Experiment or Why I Shall Never Become a Farmer
I decided to do something I have wanted to do for a long time: feed small goldfish and minnows to Yertle and Myrtle. I bought five comet goldfish and five rosy red minnows. They were 13 cents each. I put the fish in a five gallon tank (it used to be for the turtles but I moved them into a ten gallon).
After a short time I put the smallest fish into the turtle tank. Soon the chase was on! We all crowded around to watch. The fish was caught and eaten. I felt sorry for the fish.
Since I didn't expect the fish to live long, I had no filter for the fish tank. In order to aerate the tank, I poked holes in a container, filled it with water, and placed it on the top edge of the tank. When the water drips into the tank, it mixes air into the water.
That evening I dropped another fish into the turtle tank. I left the room for a minute and when I returned, the fish was gone.
Before this, I had been watching the fish. They each seemed to have a different personality, and I was learning to tell them apart.
The next day my brother found the minnow in the turtle tank. It was unharmed. The minnow had been hiding somewhere in the tank. The turtles ignored it, so I returned the minnow to the fish tank.
Today I fed another minnow. There was not even one lunge at it. The minnow eventually found a hiding place. When I put this minnow where the turtles could see it they still ignored it.
It looks like the fish have taken up a longer residence here than I thought. I have gotten attached to them. I like one red and white goldfish with orange on its long tail best. My brother likes a black and gold fish. I have even gone so far as to give them names!
After a short time I put the smallest fish into the turtle tank. Soon the chase was on! We all crowded around to watch. The fish was caught and eaten. I felt sorry for the fish.
Since I didn't expect the fish to live long, I had no filter for the fish tank. In order to aerate the tank, I poked holes in a container, filled it with water, and placed it on the top edge of the tank. When the water drips into the tank, it mixes air into the water.
That evening I dropped another fish into the turtle tank. I left the room for a minute and when I returned, the fish was gone.
Before this, I had been watching the fish. They each seemed to have a different personality, and I was learning to tell them apart.
The next day my brother found the minnow in the turtle tank. It was unharmed. The minnow had been hiding somewhere in the tank. The turtles ignored it, so I returned the minnow to the fish tank.
Today I fed another minnow. There was not even one lunge at it. The minnow eventually found a hiding place. When I put this minnow where the turtles could see it they still ignored it.
It looks like the fish have taken up a longer residence here than I thought. I have gotten attached to them. I like one red and white goldfish with orange on its long tail best. My brother likes a black and gold fish. I have even gone so far as to give them names!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
About the Zookeeper
My name is...The Zookeeper.
I am 11 years old. I’ve loved animals all my life and I got my first pets when I was nine.
I do not have a dog or cat – yet - but I currently own three adorable animals: a budgie named Kiki and two baby turtles named Yertle and Myrtle. I also volunteer with cats at a rescue. I have kept numerous reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates. I love to write and take pictures so I decided to write a blog all about animals!
I know a lot about animals from personal experience with my pets and with those belonging to others. I also read books and do research online.
On this blog you will find:
Videos about animals
Pictures of various animals
Informative articles
Tips for pet keepers
Money saving ideas
And more!
If you have pets (or love them) this is the perfect place to find out more about animals of all kinds!
I am 11 years old. I’ve loved animals all my life and I got my first pets when I was nine.
I do not have a dog or cat – yet - but I currently own three adorable animals: a budgie named Kiki and two baby turtles named Yertle and Myrtle. I also volunteer with cats at a rescue. I have kept numerous reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates. I love to write and take pictures so I decided to write a blog all about animals!
I know a lot about animals from personal experience with my pets and with those belonging to others. I also read books and do research online.
On this blog you will find:
Videos about animals
Pictures of various animals
Informative articles
Tips for pet keepers
Money saving ideas
And more!
If you have pets (or love them) this is the perfect place to find out more about animals of all kinds!
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