Category: Pets

Pet Profile: The Sweet-Tempered Newfoundland Dog

If you are looking for a family dog that will devote himself to keeping your children from getting into trouble, you may want to buy a Newfoundland. These massive dogs have an innate desire to rescue people who are in danger and have an incredibly sweet and gentle nature. However, before you buy a Newfoundland …

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Pet Profile: The Watchful German Shepherd

Ever since Rin Tin Tin became a famous television personality, the German Shepherd has gone from an already popular dog breed to one of the most well known breeds on earth. This versatile dog breed seems to be everywhere that a dog can be of help, from war torn countries to areas where natural disasters …

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Aquarium Life: Adding Driftwood to the Aquarium

After adding a few plants to my aquarium in its early stages, I added one good-sized piece of natural driftwood, for several reasons.  One, I simply love the natural look of it.  Secondly, fish like to have items that they can swim around and hide in and behind, so I wanted to make the place …

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Is a Chow Chow the Breed for You?

Normally, a blue tongued dog would be a cause for concern. However, when that blue tongue belongs to your Chow Chow, it is completely normal. Chow Chows have a black tongue with a distinctive bluish tint. The Chow Chow originated in China, where it was used as a hunting dog. Asian sailors brought these dogs …

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Aquarium Life: My Apple Snail Laying Eggs!

The first thing I added to my aquarium, after adding plants, was two apple snails – one blue and one golden. They are attached to each other all the time, and since I got them, the golden snail has doubled in size! The golden one has laid eggs twice in the past two weeks, but …

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Aquarium Life: Marimo Moss Balls

To further my pursuit of creating a planted aquarium, I got this cute little Marimo Moss Ball that I just easily dropped into the tank.  Despite their name, they are not actually moss, but more closely related to algae. My daughter thought this plant was so cute that she got me to buy several more!  The …

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Aquarium Life: Adding a Sand Substrate

This morning I got CaribSea Tahitian Moon Sand as substrate for my aquarium. It’s very beautiful sparkling black naturally-colored sand and I got it to mix in with the natural black gravel that I already have in there. Sand is good for plant roots and it supposedly reduces nitrates better than gravel.  Also, there may …

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Adding Plants and Adjusting pH Levels in the Aquarium

Today I added two new plants to my aquarium, Temple Compacta and Anubias Frazeri. I was happy to see that my new plants had healthy looking roots when I pulled them out of their Top Fin containers. Both are wonderful green leaf plants that you can just place in the gravel and let the roots …

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Setting Up My New Aquarium

Welcome to The Aquarista, where I blog about my aquarium life and you get to watch me attempt to create a happy, self-sustaining aquarium ecosystem! For the New Year, I decided to set up my new aquarium, and I am very, very excited to get started. I spent a few days thinking about how I …

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Is a Boxer the Right Breed for You?

If you want a dog that is a marshmallow with your children, but a strong deterrent to criminals, you may want to take a look at the Boxer. The Boxer gets its name from its habit of using its front legs to box when it is fighting. These powerful dogs were originally used as hunting …

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