Caroline

I'm a 14 year old girl, and I have recently been asked to babysit for several of my neighbors. I have experience babysitting my sister, cousins, and next door neighbor who has a 4 year old and a 1 year old. Since more and more people have been asking me to babysit, I though I should probably come up with a rate. Most of these jobs will just be for a few hours, not all day or everything. Like, a date night kind of sitter. I took the Red Cross babysitting class (I have the papers to show it to), which should bring my rate up. I was thinking anywhere from 6-10 dollars per hour, depending on the age. Is this a reasonable price? I would like to give the parents a good deal, but would also like not to be overly generous. Like maybe $6 for an 8-10 year old, $7 for a 5-7 year old, $8 for a 3-4 year old, and so on. Is this considered reasonable? Also, how would you add a second kid? I was thinking maybe add half the price for a second kid. Any advice is appreciated :) thanks for reading!

So soon I'm going to be getting a 55 gallons tank that comes with hood, lights, a filter (i will probably replace with a different one though, reviews aren't that good on it) and a 200w heater. I've read online that it's best to keep two heaters on opposite ends of the tank. So, my questions is could I put the 200w heater that it comes with kn one side, and my 150w on the other side? I'd prefer to not have to buy a second heater, since I already have the 150w and nice heaters are pricey. Would this heat the tank unevenly? Do I even need a second heater? Thanks for your time :)

I have a 20 gallon tank (planted) that currently has one mystery snail in it. I love him, and he does a good job eating algae, but I still have a good amount left even with him/her constantly working hard. So, my question is, how likely is it that if I added another snail, they would mate? I had a snail infestion once, and I would like to avoid that if possible. Also, is there any way to sex them so I don't end up with male and female? Should I take my chances with another snail, or just stick to the one? I would prefer people answering from experience, not just reading online. Thanks in advance.

I have a planted 20 gallon tank with a moss ball, Corkscrew Vallisneria Plants, and Java ferns (I also have an artificial cave). My dwarf gourami has recently started eating the Vallisneria plants in the tank, and I'm worried he is going to kill them. He pretty much just picks at them and leaves behind the wispy skeleton of the leaves. Is there any way to prevent this? As far as I know he is the only one in the tank doing it, I haven't seen any of my Cory's or hatchetfish peck at them. And he only goes after the Vallisneria plant, not the java fern or the moss ball. He gets fed once a day, with a mix of fish flakes, bloodworms, and brine shrimp, so he's not underfed. Any advice is welcomed! Thanks in advance!

I have one male dwarf gourami, two tetras (I think they are called color skirt tetras), two silver hatchetfish, and two peppered cory cats. Is this a good amount of fish for my tank, or should I add more Cory's, hatchetfish and tetras to make larger schools? Thanks in advance! :)

I'm planning on getting 2 female rats in a few months, but first I want to make sure I have a good setup for them so they can be happy and healthy! Here's a list of all of the supplies and stuff here that I plan to get, I just want to make sure these rats have the best home possible.

Cage I plan on getting:

Petco Rat Manor Habitat-

Dimensions: 16.5" L X 22.5" W X 32" H

1/2" bar spacing

Two half levels and two full levels. Do I need to cover the mesh/wire levels?

Hideaways: Petco Igloo Hideaways- Do rats like these? What size should I get?

Toys: Petco Munchies- Little pieces of dyed wood. Will scatter around cage.

Homemade hammock-

I sew a lot and am willing to make a new one when it get ruined

Petco Ceramic Food Bowls-

Weighted so they can't get tipped over.

Water bottles-

What size should I get?

Petco bend a bridge-

How long will this last?

Cardboard cereal boxes, tissue boxes, and lots of things in www.dauper.com. I plan on getting more toys, any suggestions?

I am currently feeding my dwarf gourami top fin tropical flakes and mixing in brine shrimp once a week or so. I noticed that his colors have been fading slightly and was wondering if any one had any recommendations of types of food I could feed him to help keep his colors bright. Thanks is advance! :)

I'm going to be getting a 55 gallon tank in the next few months and would like some ideas on stocking and things like that. I plan on it being a tropical tank with most likely some sort of gravel in the bottom. I would like it to be a planted tank, so what type of plants do best? I was thinking about anacharis, Java fern, cyperus helferi, and a few other options. Are these good plants for a tropical tank?

Fish options-

Angel fish (1-3)

A school of hatchetfish

A school of some type of tetra

A school of ghost catfish

A pleco

Is this a good arrangement? If not, what are some good options? Thanks in advance guys :)

I have a 20 gallon tank that is currently stocked with:

-one dwarf gourami

-two silver hatchet fish

-two neon tetras

I was wondering if it is possible for me to add maybe 2-3 peppered cory catfish and I could also use some tips on their care. I just want to make sure I don't overstock my tank. And yes, it is a cycled tank; and I have the appropriate substrate in the bottom to not harm the corys.