MVPaquatics

Here is a shot of my 71 Chevy stepside pickup...Has a nice little stout 350 and 4 speed. She looks good in snow! Notice the motorcycle in the back? I was redoing the forks after rebuilding it... Here is a shot of me during the rebuild...which was in the spare bedroom of my apartment in college. They had a policy of working on your vehicles in parking lot, BUT not one for in your own home! take in a rolling chassis and 4 boxes of parts and roll out a running motorcycle! I EVEN got all my deposit back haha! Here is the finished bike...91 kawasaki ninja 500...purchased for $100 I also have a 93 ford explorer (work horse), and a 2008 honda element

Nice setups! Very professional! Glad to see another frogger! Haha. When is a good time to call/get them? I would love to try some tads!

Cactus probably wont like that enclosed setup. However, I would recommend any tropical species. They usually require much less light and thrive in room temps or slightly above. As far as a light of plants they prefer, they dont really care. These are the "rules" I follow. I setup the tank for the plants with the frogs as an after thought. These frogs could technically be kept on damp paper towels haha. The frogs require no light at all, no uvb or anything as in the rain forest it never reaches the forest floor (supplement D3 for that) I use a false bottom. I have normal aquarium style tanks, and specifically made ones for frogs with doors. I prefer tanks with doors for a few reasons. First they are much easier to setup and maintain. It is so nice never to have to lift lights or hoods or anything. Also, the frogs seem to have an instinctive survival tactic to scatter when things come from above, but with doors the come to greet you. To make a false bottom, I make an island of eggcrate and raise it about 3 inches above the bottom using PVC legs. This is where you can get creative with ledges and slopes and water areas. All mine have a water area in the front left corner about and inch deep. No water area is needed, but I find it looks more natural. If you choose you have one, you need to make sure it is easy to get out of! Frogs can drown easily, they really only come across puddles in nature. The eggcrate is then covered with screen (like for home windows) and then I add sterilized peat on top of that. I use small gravel for the water areas as slope, and the goal here is to not let the water and peat be in contact. Three inches or so gives you about an inch or 2 of water that will be used to create humidity and not be soggy. ONLY RO WATER!!! TAP water will kill frogs, I wont even use water conditioner! AND RO water leaves no water spots for misting. Spray foam backgrounds are the ticket for vivariums. I use the black color and add driftwood ledges, stumps, and places for airplants to attach. Plants are then added. Anything tropical that is not toxic to the frogs. I use earth stars, bromeliads, prayer plants, philodendron, tillandsia, ferns, etc. I avoid carnivorous plants. With air plants they need to be misted daily. RO ONLY! The frogs create the fertilizer for the plants. The absolutely have to have a sure fitting lid. In our climate I would go 80% glass, 20% screen for vents. You want 70-100% humidity. Foggers are also cool to look at. I will fire mine up and get some pics! They will escape if they can and are so fragile I think of them like fish in that regard. They will break something from a fall, and pet will attack a hopping frog, their skin absorbs EVERYTHING! so no telling what toxins they will ingest. And their skin is like tissue paper, NEVER handle them! Cost is all over the board. Shipping is worse than fish. It has to be over night and if it is outside their temp zone in any of the area they are traveling through most people wont send them (shipping dies around Dec-Feb and June-Aug= too cold or hot) A froglet of blue or yellow might run 50ish. Some can be kept in groups, others pairs or trios. Some expensive ones like my blue jeans might run $125+ each. Adults and proven pairs go up from there. I have a pair of blues I wouldnt sell for less than $250+, and a colony of 6 yellows for $800+. They can have a long lifespan, world record is 21 years at a zoo. I prefer to buy locally but supply is limited. I know a few breeders and a few shops. Sadly, the frogs are so delicate and expensive, and probably rare to sell that they dont stock many types, and the ones they do, they only have one frog = LAME! Reptile shows are always in town also, Between Seattle, Portland, and Salem/Eugene their is always one coming up soon. Co-inhabitants. I am gonna go with my zoologist instinct here and just say no. It is a hot-topic, kind of like the tang/clam police, for people to keep multiple species of darts together. They are too limited in the wild, and hybridization is frowned upon by serious keepers. Others think its cool, and no doubt there are cool varieties but I dont go there! Also, I have known people to keep other animals with them. It is russian roulette. Some people think small lizards and such, anoles and geckos. You are just asking for it. I usually see it in HUGE setups like many hundred gallons or full rooms and there is so much money invested that they simply dont worry about it. I dont go there either. I am a purist in that regard. These animals are one of my favorites but aren't for everyone. They arent for handling, and are just as fragile as corals/fish. They can also be expensive and time consuming to setup properly. Trust me, you want to research as much as possible before setting it up, and take your time because you DO NOT want to have to take it down and start over again, a well setup vivarium is like a reef tank without the water changes. literally the only thing I do to them is feed, keep the misting resevior topped off, trim the plants, and add more soil once a year. Please ask any questions about anything! Setups, feeding, frogs, etc. I love talking frogs and helping in anyway possible (as you can tell from the lengthy post, that is scattered all over the place!) what can I say? I love it!

What kind of tank do you have? I have a proven pair of LARGE tomato clowns. Nothing special but would get along with triggers, puffers and tangs you mentioned

Yes. Back up and running. Low on existing stock as i have new tanks for them all but that should soon thin down, if not I am cool with that haha. Always sitting on eggs it seems like.

Haha they look like a combination of their mom and dad (that are brother and sister). But really, there USUALLY isnt much issue inbreeding these fish to a certain degree. I suppose by law of nature they may have some recessive traits that could be deleterious, but usually they are fatal, and they dont develop (low egg/spawn production), but usually this wouldnt happen until a few generations down the line. These fish come from a very specific locale and probably have been inbreeding a lot over time. Populations are small and local. It is just that nature culls out the weak and deformed. In captive situations it is up to the breeder to cull the weak and deformed, get new bloodlines, and mix things up, but chances are these fish still might be distantly related anyways. What they don't usually tell you in genetics class is that inbreeding can strengthen a given population (take domestic animals). Its just hard not to get anthropomorphic about it

Leucomelas Enclosure: Simple Quarantine (Yes frogs do too!) Leucomelas (had these guys at least 5 years now): Golden Mantellas (very shy and temperature dependent) Red eye:

Azureus: Progression Pics of my Azureus Terrarium: Setup: 6 months: 1 Year or so: Plants really get going and require regular trimming...if you need/want some let me know...I have a ton..and all sterile for your frogs!

NEW PICTURES! New frogs and setup pics! NEW FROGS: Oophaga pumilio Their Setup: Mom and Dad in their nursery Bromeliad:

Oh i guess i dont have a storefront

I would probably be down for sponsoring one...can you go step by step how the process goes?

Why isnt it right?

I have always used instant ocean but have recently tried kent in a few tanks. Does anyone else notice that new water knocks the skimmer down temporarily? Even a small amount of new water makes it look like the skimmer is skimming brackish water for awhile. Freshly make salt water or season over 24hrs no difference. Multiple batches IO never did this

Balloons work good for tunnels and overhangs!

Dont 10 gallons use 1/8'' glass? Thats why I break them so easily...I swear I have broken them by giving them a bad look

Do people (the masses) consider oxypora as a chalice?

I have also had some inquiries about how to tell release date if you don't know exactly when they spawned, and also about female interaction with babies: As far as clues to release date there really are none...it can be anywhere from 23-29 days in my experience. His mouth will get really swollen...like it cant get any bigger. There also isn't one release date...it almost always happens at night and often times happens over a few nights (2-3). I am assuming to give the babies the best chance statistically. You can strip them all at once but I have found he knows what he is doing...almost as if his mouth is a sensitive gate and only lets mature, ready to go, babies out. It can be hit or miss with females...My wild caught female is much better at protecting her young and not mistaking them for passing food...F2 females and beyond, which also take to prepared foods much easier, also can mistake babies for food, at least I hope it is a mistake haha! I usually seperate them...for 2 reasons...to give the male a quiet place to release, usually with fake urchins, and also to keep him seperate after release to power-feed, to get back into shape for another batch. The female is almost always faster at recoup than the male, and can starve him into egg eating. I also should point out that it is essential to have baby brine shrimp (BBS) already hatched out upon release. It is really too much time to have babies on hand and then try to hatch brine...that is a very crucial 18-24hrs that would be wasted, and could most definitely lead to SFS. Have multiple cultures on hand...enrich ones that need to be (over 6 hrs old). I would always rather waste a few BBS than some baby banggais! But I have so many corals that love it there is no waste

What else did you need? I would love you donate corals, or time, and possibly some supplies if you know what you need. My fiancees brother goes to Dallas High...Zach Benfit

I have also found some in spa/pool stores before also..they have really nice high flow screens

Glad to beat me to it...I don't really like hearing banggais called "easy" They breed easy but rearing is literally round the clock to prevent SFS aka Sudden Fright Syndrome. Live isn't even good enough...has to be newly hatched (less than 4 hrs old) or heavily enriched...Raising the live foods is the hard part...similar to my dart frogs...the flies are the hardest part to keep up on.

I make my girlfriend make the call...I am taken as aggressive sometimes using the cancel technique. You can also explain that you have been on time every month, that is usually how they make their final decision. Also, there is the name switch, I had it in her name, we saw that they had new pricing, so I said I just moved in and they brought all new equipment. I have also just flat out told them the games we can play to get around it and they always fold. I also don't like you have to request new equipment. (boxes/modems) I went to a friends house once and he got the same package I got installed 6 months earlier and it was way better/newer. One call gets it all. HAHA

Yeah basically. Feed a variety of high quality foods...often supplemented. Basically until they want no more but still keeping water parameters pristine. I am sort of embarrased of the cyano in the video but I just removed a tank divider on that side and there was little flow.

VIDEO Links to my photobucket account: 1 week old feeding on Baby Brine Shrimp 1 month old eating frozen brine shrimp Newly hatched baby brine shrimp vs. Few hour old enriched baby brine

I am currently breeding Banggai Cardinalfish Currently I have 2 breeding pairs, one pair is actually from the first pair, which would make them F2 generation. Pairing: The hardest part is obtaining a good pair. First off, as many of you know, they are difficult to sex. I have found they aren't really sexable until about 9-10 months of age when they become sexually mature. When it comes to determining sex, I first look at behavior or physical features. Don't look at size or dorsal fins, they are misleading. My pairs are opposites in this regard; the oldest pair I initially thought the male was female and vice-versa. The female of the oldest pair is larger, and also a longer dorsal fin (which is why I thought it was a male) than the male. The younger pair is more traditional, with male being bigger and larger features. I look at behavior first. If looking to obtain a good pair, buy a group of about 6. The most dominant ones will pair off first and start pushing the group away, and then net them out. It is very hard to have one fish, and guess at the sex, and just buy another single fish. It usually doesn't turn out well. Even the group of 6 has a little "shoving" to pair off, one-on-one is usually too much for the new arrival. By having a group, you distribute the "shoving" among 6 until a pair is formed, then they almost always claim half the tank and push the remaining to the other side, then you have a pair and no fish died. You should then move the others out; I often give them away to let people make pairs, as you can make your money back with many babies. Secondly, after the pair is established, it becomes very easy to know which is male and which is female. The jawline is the easiest physical feature for me to use. Males have "rounder" jawline, while the female is more straight. My females also get bright reddish bellies when they are ready to spawn. Another reason I like group pairing is that you are more likely to get the strongest pair. One-on-one pairing you can end up with a weak pair or a weak female, or worse a weak male. The biggest female will choose the largest male. This is sexual selection. Larger females produce more eggs and need a large male to hold them all. A large male also indicate health which excites the female. It is very odd that the parental roles of these fish are totally reversed. The male holds the eggs and is very evasive, as he has no real defense, while the female is very assertive and protective of the pairs area. Once you have established a pair, getting them to spawn is easy! Just keep them "happy." They like lower flow calm tanks. My pairs are both alone (OK one has an ancient mandarin goby). I have urchins, although you don't need them it's just cool to watch the natural behavior and is also a good place to catch the babies. Plants are also good. Keep them WELL fed. The female needs GOOD foods to make good eggs and the male needs power fed as he will be holding eggs in his mouth (and not eating) upon spawning. Spawning: I have seen the actual event, very cool. I didn't see the first few spawns, but after becoming comfortable, they do it openly now haha. It starts with the female courting the male. She will follow him around relentlessly. He will play it cool staying still. She slowly swims up to his side almost touching him, and starts shaking/vibrating. Then, she slowly moves behind him (always behind for some reason) to the other side and shakes/vibrates again. She will do this 10-20 times. This is to tell the male "get ready." She will lay approx 40 or so eggs, give or take 5-10 based on her size (I have stripped his eggs to count them, he took them right back). They are pinkish-orange, and kind-of hang from a cord from her. The male will fertilize them very quickly and gobble them right up. Rearing: This is when obtaining a "good" pair is essential. Don't be surprised if the male eats the eggs a few days or a week after the first spawn. This simply means the female rushed the male and he wasn't adequately fed beforehand. It takes the female about 4-6 weeks to spawn again, use that time to power feed the pair. A good male is priceless as he does all the work (man things are backwards haha). A successful release of viable young will require him to hold the eggs (while not eating) for 23-29 days. I have had at least 8 batches from the oldest pair in a little over a year which means he has only eaten like half of the year, month-on, month-off...truly amazing. During the 23-29 days the female still eats as usual, I feed normally to allow her to make eggs, but don't power-feed as it will rush her and throw the timing off. She will guard him fiercely. His first instinct is to run. He will yawn and move the eggs around. As time approaches the 23 day mark, his mouth really starts to swell, and yawning increases. His mouth enlarges while his stomach shrinks, the whole time showing no interest in food. Release: Release almost always happens at night before dawn. This allows the babies a chance to hide and acclimate. I usually net the male out and place him in a separate nursery tank at around 23 days. My nursery tank is a 15 gallon attached to the breeding setup, which keeps the water identical (bare bottom with fake plants and fake urchins). You must be careful how you net him. Don't chase him too much, if he panics, he can suffocate which will cause him to eat or prematurely release his babies. I also move him from the net to a cup underwater. I never take him out of water with babies. He usually releases 18-25 babies. I have counted 45+ eggs when they were stripped from him. I think he is snacking on some (probable), or some die (probable), or some cannibalistic activity which I doubt because there is none after release. The babies are tiny replicas of their parents, pretty much translucent where the silver is and black where the black is with no spots. Some have pinkish yolk remaining depending on release age. I then catch the male, though there is no real rush with a good male. Even after not eating for a month a good male still won't eat his babies even though he easily could. I then either put him back directly with the female or separate them with a clear divider in the same tank. The decision is based on how many batches he has done lately and how fast. If it's his first one I would probably put him back, if it's his 5th, I give him a break. The female will rush him causing him to eat the eggs. I separate them with a clear divider (to allow for pair bonding), and I power feed the male to get him to proper strength so he can successfully hold another batch (NOTHING beats a good male, I have tried to strip eggs and rear them in a tumbler and have had poor results at best) Feeding the babies: You should have had baby brine shrimp (BBS for short) hatching and fresh since you put the male into the nursery. You must have live baby brine hatched BEFORE the babies are released. You DO NOT want them hatched and then have to wait 15-24 hrs to hatch BBS. You want to have fresh LIVE BBS going at all times, multiple cultures of different ages. It sounds daunting but it is really not. I have the classic upside down 2-liters and they are in my sump to keep temp. I keep 3, hatching, hatched, and enriched at all times when babies are due or around. All it takes are 3 2-liters, an air pump, ridged airline, and put them in your sump. Feed at least 3 times daily, better being 5. Newly hatched BBS is best. After about 4 hrs BBS have lost most of their yolk sacs (main nutrition) and will have to be enriched. I use selcon, and spirulina zoe to enrich. This is MANDATORY or you will end up with babies that have SUDDEN FRIGHT SYNDROME (SFS). This is when babies aren't fed enough fatty acids (selcon/zoe) and they suffer from SFS which is usually fatal. What it does is causes the babies to use essential fatty acids that are used for nerve building/function just to sustain life and they suffer from nerve damage. Basically any large stimulus (feeding, lights going on, a net) causes them to literally short circuit. Once they are feeding well and growing, usually a month or so later, you can get them onto frozen foods like baby brine or adult brine and mysis, but I still enrich everything until they are close full size. I haven't however gotten any of mine, babies or parents, to eat flake or pellet. The only prepared foods they will eat are Instant Ocean Gel foods, and the semi-moist mysis in the can. I don't have the heart to starve them to see if they will convert. They are usually sell-able when their main body (minus fins) is dime-nickel size (maybe 3-4 months?), and they must be on at least frozen foods. I have found many local people; independent, wholesale, and retail like, and prefer, to buy from local breeders. In summary I would say this, obtaining a pair is hard, spawning and getting babies is easy, raising babies is hard, and time consuming, and not a money-maker, but is very rewarding to see happen start to finish. Come on these fish need it! Please ask any questions! Few weeks old vs. one day old Gravid female Few days old with pink bellies F2 Female Microscope Shot of enriched Baby Brine Shrimp