?

I know these things are normally considered pests, but I also hear that mts stir up the substrate and keep it from going sour, and that pond snails eat dead vegetation and algae. I have a 5.5 gal with about an inch of MiracleGro organic potting mix and half an inch of fine gravel. If I add these snails, how should I control the population? Should I avoid them altogether?

The tank will become home to a betta when it is done cycling, and hopefully some shrimp down the road when it's fully mature.

I realize there may not be an exact translation. But I would like the word 'lionhearted' in French. Or the phrase 'brave as a lion.'

Thank you!

I'm in the process of gathering supplies to move my betta from a 2.5 gallon, unplanted, uncycled tank to a 5.5 gallon, cycled, planted tank. Obviously I still have a lot of time to figure things out since I'm soaking the dirt right now and have yet to obtain plants, let alone start the nitrogen cycle.

I know that some bettas never do well with tankmates and I'm fine with Blizzard having the entire 5.5 gallons to himself if he doesn't handle friends well. But if possible I would like to get some fresh new faces in my fresh new tank. What would be some good friends for him? From searching on Google, I've heard:

- Nothing

- One nerite snail

- A few shrimp

- A nerite snail and a few shrimp

- Some otos

- White cloud mountain minnows

Any recommendations?

I would like to add some plants to my betta's 2.5 gal, but I am unsure what plants I should add or how I should go about doing it. Or if it's even possible.

My tank is unfiltered and uncycled. I do 100% water changes on Sundays and 50% water changes on Wednesdays. My substrate is gravel with some larger pebbles on top. There is currently no bulb on the top of my tank.

So:

1) Can you even cycle a tank that small?

2) Should I cycle the tank before adding plants?

3) How would I plant the plants in my tank, and do they need different substrate?

4) How do you clean a planted tank? I assume 100% water changes would no longer be okay.

5) Can I use the ample natural light that makes it into my bedroom, or do I need a bulb of some sort?

Thanks :)

My rosy boa is 3 days into her shed and she has the milky eyes and blue tint to her skin. For the past 24 hours, she's been roaming around her tank like nothing is different. I made a humid hide for her and for a while she was hiding in that. Is something the matter, or should I not worry?

Hello all! I got my first snake, a rosy boa, in the mail on Thursday. She's a neonate and has only had one meal, which was given to her by the breeder. I only handled her on Thursday when I removed her from the box and today. The handling today wasn't really intentional; I reached in to reposition her vines which had started to slip and she came over to investigate and started climbing through my fingers. So I just let her check me out for a little while before convincing the stubborn thing to let go of me.

She was fed last Sunday (10/13), so it's been a week since she's eaten. I know that young snakes are usually fed every 5 - 7 days, so normally I would be feeding her today or earlier. I also know that snakes are usually given about a week to settle in, but here's why I'm here.

She's been really active last night and today. The temps are fine (88-90 F on the warm side, 75-76 F on the cool side) and she has a hide on each side, toilet paper tubes, and enough substrate to burrow in, so I know it's to restlessness from improper temperatures or a feeling of exposure. Rosy boas are usually pretty content to sit in a hide or under the substrate from what I've been told, but she's been doing laps around her enclosure almost nonstop for the past 16 hours, mostly focused on trying to reach the top of the enclosure.

I have a pinky in the freezer. Should I try to give it to her? I am a new snake owner, but it seems to me like hunger is the only explanation for her behavior.

I want to take up archery, but I have no idea what kind of bow I should/would like to learn with or even where to begin when it comes to learning how to shoot it. I only know one person who has shot with a bow and he would be able to give me some tips but he hasn't shot a bow in probably over a decade. No longer owns one.

I am a 105 lb girl starting from square one. I am not trying to reach the Olympics; this is just for a hobby. I'm also a bit paranoid, so I would like to know how to use a weapon in a SHTF scenario (something I feel is becoming more and more likely nowadays). My family are handgun people. I've tried it a few times and it wasn't my cup of tea. I add all that to say that I would like a bow that I could hunt with. I know, unlikely someone like me is going to end up bowhunting and bringing home the bacon but hunting has always been a dream of mine. Don't knock it.

TL;DR I'm looking for something more on the practical side and less on the flashy side.

I have heard that compound bows are easier to learn with, but you've also got a lot of additional equipment to mess with. They also seem to run more expensive, generally. I don't quite understand the difference between compound, recurve, and longbows. Apart from appearance, obviously. I think I heard once that compounds are easier to draw? I could be wrong.

Alright, assuming I've chosen which kind of bow I want, how do I choose my particular bow? Height, draw length, arrows? To learn, do I need to take lessons, or should I just hit the range? Do I need a particular permit? Am I allowed to shoot it in my backyard (probably not but doesn't hurt to ask). Any particular make or model you suggest?

Thank you! :)

I had this tattoo drawn up for me. It's not just a random design it actually has a lot of meaning for me. Snow leopards symbolize faith, loyalty, humility, fearlessness, hardiness, and taking risks, all things that I value. I was planning on getting the design on my stomach, between my belly button and hip. So lower stomach but not low enough to be trashy. Not below the pant line. I'm thinking it will be roughly three to four inches long. And I won't be having kids for a WHILE, if at all. Here it is:

http://s987.photobucket.com/user/WildSpiritDesigns...

I ordered some temporary tattoo paper and I'm going to wear the design for a bit before I make my final decision. But what do you guys think of it?

After shaving, wearing tight pants for more than an hour, or even showering, my legs itch like mad. Some times are worse than others, but in all cases the itching persists until I slather my legs in Cortizone. Even then I'll still itch a bit for a day or two, but it's bearable.

I'll itch in random locations on my legs. Upper thigh, calf, shin, back of my thigh, it will happen anywhere. Usually in two or three spots but on worse days more. The itching is really deep, and prickly. It's the worst feeling. If I'm not careful, I'll scratch until I bruise and draw blood. I'm pretty sure this is related to my scratching and not the source of the itch itself, but the irritated area becomes a bit raised and lumpy after I scratch a bit. The itching usually starts almost as soon as I step out of the shower. I can hardly get dressed it's so bad.

My skin is not dry, and I get the itching in all sorts of temperatures and weather. I'm not aware of any allergies to shaving cream or soaps.

I plan on getting:

- a 20 gal tank

- aspen bedding

- Zoo Med repti-therm under tank heater

- Zilla thermostat to regulate the heater

- a hide log on the hot side and the cool side

- a little branch for crawling

- Thermometers for each side

- A shallow water dish that I'll put in the tank once or twice a week

Would that work for a rosy boa? The main problem I'm facing is how to heat the tank without wires going everywhere. At first I was planning on using heat tape, but I would have to solder ad connect wires and I'm not comfortable with all that. My grandpa is pretty good with stuff like that but he said he might have to put a little hole in my wall to connect the heat tape directly to such and such and I was like forget that.

Also, would anyone know where I could find a Morongo Valley Axanthic? I would love one of those, but I can't find them for sale anywhere.

This is going to be my first snake. I've always kinda wanted one, and I've decided to go for it. However, I can't decide between these three.

I like the corn snake for its good price (around $25 at my local store), their smaller size, their good appetite, and all the colors they come in. However, I've heard that they can be nippy and are very fast and don't sit still when held.

I like the ball python for its muscular look. It's just got that nice, strong, constrictor look. It would also be nice to be able to just set the snake on my shoulder every once in a while and not have to worry about it darting off. They're a bit on the pricey end and I've heard that they are quite picky eaters and get stressed easily.

I like that rosy boas seem to be the best of both worlds. They don't get very large, don't zip around, and don't seem to go off their food that often. However, I don't know of anyone who sells them in my area, so I would have to get them shipped. That adds up fast.

So here are what I would like to see in my snake:

- docility (not biting and not squirming whenever I pick it up)

- appetite (I don't want it not eating for weeks because I changed its tank location)

- size (not a huge factor, but the less space it takes up the less money I have to spend)

- overall ease (which is easiest to take care of?)

Obviously they don't need to meet every single one of the above, but if you could tell me which one fits the most criteria, that would be awesome. :)

If you have any experience with these snakes, please give me any advice you have. So far the rosy boas seem the best, but they are very hard to come by so far.

I want a tattoo similar to this:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/angelstat2/4884637819...

or this:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28035373@N03/49144064...

I do like the top, filled-in one the most.

However, I would rather have a tattoo that is not quite so large, as it will be my first and it is likely that I will have to cover it up at some point in my life. I would really like to get it on my wrist/forearm, and I was wondering how small I could get a design similar to the ones above without losing detail. I know there isn't much, but I am curious as to how small I could get it. If it's better to keep it that size then I would get it somewhere else.

Thanks! :)

I'm writing a short story, and my main character is a vampire. I want to give her wings that grow out of her back at will. At first I was going to go with the usual bat wings. But then I started thinking about how wings with feathers would sound. Like black angel wings.

If you want to get into the technical stuff, bat wings would allow her to take off from the ground easier, but feathered wings would allow her to fly silently and do faster turns and stuff in the air.

Any thoughts? Just a random question since I can't decide.

A few days ago I noticed that my right ring finger was feeling a little uncomfortable, like it was being twisted slightly towards my middle finger (do it to yourself and you'll know what I mean). I flexed my hand a bit and ignored it. I've been occasionally feeling this sensation ever since, usually for only a few seconds, and today I took a good look at my hand. Sure enough, my ring finger is ever so slightly twisted towards my middle finger. It's barely noticeable, but it's definitely there. It may just be the power of suggestion, but it might be a little stiff too.

I'm 17 years old, a bit early to be getting arthritis or something. I have been playing video games a lot more than usual lately, and although my ring finger does not seem to be bent at an odd angle while I hold the controller, that might be the cause of it. So I'll lay off the games for a few days and see if that clears it up.

Any ideas what this could be? I'm stumped, and slightly worried.

If I wear jeans for more than an hour or two, my legs will be itchy after I remove them. The longer I wear them, the worse the itch. When I scratch, my skin gets red, slightly flaky, and bumpy. The bumps get worse the more I scratch. It gets so bad that my scratching can leave bruises or draw blood.

I usually itch around my thighs, but it can my anywhere on my legs. I thought my jeans were too tight, but there isn't really any difference between looser jeans and my skinny jeans. Taking a shower makes the problem much worse (something with the heat, I guess).

Any ideas?

I really like the 'feel' of the bully breeds, particularly the Dobe, Pit, and Rot. I'll be moving out of the house soon, and I would like a dog that could and would protect me if necessary. I'd like a dog that is relatively smart (as in it doesn't take me months to train it to sit, stay, etc), and while I can exercise the dog a few times a day, I'm not the kind of person who goes out and runs a marathon or swims a river. I'm also very slightly allergic to strong shedders.

Obedience is also a key trait. I know how to be the 'alpha dog' (I was the only one our 70 lb Olde English Bulldogge would obey, and I'm 5'6 and about 100lbs), but I want a breed that will listen to me no matter what is going on. I know that a dog has to be trained for that, of course, but some breeds are naturally predisposed to be obedient.

I have researched Dobes, Pits, and Rotts a bit, but I want to hear opinions from normal dog owners and not people who make a living off of breeding and selling these breeds because they're obviously very biased.

So which dog is the best combo of smart, obedient, protective, and not mega hyper? It would also be great if the dog wasn't too dog-aggressive.

At first I thought he was a cellophane, but once I got him out of that cup, he began to brighten up a bit. I can still see through his fins and his body (his stomach, swim bladder, and arteries are easy to see), but his scales are starting to turn a pearly white, and his tail is getting some iridescence. He also has one or two scales on his face, which I've never seen in a betta before, and one black scale. He's not quite a dragon, not quite white, and not quite cellophane.

Anyone know?

My little fish has taken to nipping his fins. At first I thought that he was doing this because he was stressed (I've had him for almost two weeks), but it's getting worse, not better. He only does this when I'm gone for a few hours, so I've come to the conclusion that he does it out of boredom. Any tips to keep him occupied? I tried floating a bottle cap in his tank, but he shows no interest. Mirrors scare the crap out of him (literally). He'll play with my finger (nipping, chasing it, etc), but I can't have my hand in the tank all day.

What should I do? I'm afraid that his torn fins are going to get infected. :(

I've been toying with getting a naval piercing for a while now, but I have a few questions:

* I'm a pretty active person (I practice parkour; if you don't know what that is watch some vids on Youtube and you''ll see what I mean). Would a belly button ring be irritating when I'm moving around that much?

* My ring will only be showing when I'm in a bathing suit. Would it be worth it?

* I'm not a slut. Is that the message that a naval ring would send? People's opinions are important to me, so no 'Who cares?' answers please.

* Does it catch on things easily?

* How long does it take to heal, how long should I wait to swim, and what is the pain level?

Thanks in advance! :)

I won't be getting one for a while, but I've been thinking about where I'd like one lately. I want to get faith, hope, love in French (foi, l'espoir, amour) in cursive or some sort of script with some kind of small, swirly design encircling it (like a vine). I'm pretty pale, so I think just plain black ink will do. I don't want it to be very big at all.

There are four areas I would consider getting it: my left shoulder blade, my right or left ribcage, to the right of my bellybutton, or on my right shoulder (about where Sheva from RE5 has hers).

Where should I get it? I don't want it anywhere I would roll over it (I do parkour), and I would like if it didn't show when I wore evening gowns, but if it turns out looking really nice, I might change my mind about that.

I have a pretty nice stomach, but seeing as this isn't a sexy tattoo, I'm not sure if that's the appropriate place for it. The shoulder blade is a popular place, but I would like to be able to see my tat easily.

The ribs seem like a nice place, but I'm not sure how awkward it would be to read text sideways.

Any thoughts? Will it hurt? How should I treat the area after tattooing?

Thanks bunches! :)