Coffeehouse chat.

[Olympia]

Yes Relic, that thread was becoming a problem so the whole thing got deleted.

Tiki.. don't bother with that. They last a few months at most, the shrimp slowly die off, supposedly they get smaller and smaller each time they moult their shells. It's a load of phooey.

[Laki]

Originally Posted by eaturbyfill

Is it possible and healthy for rats, gerbils, and hamsters to share the same food? I just really would rather not have 3 different bags of food for similar pets..

Originally Posted by TheCrabbyTabby

Eaterbyfil: Rats, hamsters and gerbils really have very different nutritional needs and as such, require species specific foods. I feed my hamsters Hazel Hamster food because its the best food for hamsters on the market and I believe that my hamsters deserve the best. I strongly suggest that you feed your rats Reggie Rat and your gerbils Gerri Gerbil as well. I know that they are all made by the same company, Supreme Pet Foods, if that helps.

Crabby is right. The 3 are rodents with very different nutritional needs.
Gerbils and hamsters have a more similar diet but rats need a lot more in their diet. My sister makes her own rat food from multiple bins at bulk barn. She buys exo-trusion or something but mixes it in with oats and seeds and other things from bulk barn. Her rats are extremely healthy and out of the hundreds she's after having over the years she NEVER has tumors or respiratory problems. I can get her "recipe" for you.
Hamsters require more of a seed mix. Not too many sunflower seeds (which a lot of the commercial mixes contain) and they prefer to scavenge for it. I never used a food bowl for my hamsters. I scattered their supper around the bed when I took them out, they would find it and collect it and then go put it in their beds. !! Cutest thing in life.


Going to call the stupid vet and see if they'll give me meds without seeing Acacia again. If they REALLY want to see her I have to ask for a discount, they drained me last time I was there. They didn't even do what they were supposed to....

[Laki]

**double post, too late to edit**
I realised today that my old community tank with cories, gouramis, a betta and 3 rosy barbs was a 5.5 gallon T-T .. Same size as the one I have now. I always thought it was 10. I wonder why ignorance let my fish live for so many years in that shell of a tank!! AND I had no idea about cycling so every couple of weeks when I dumped it all and cleaned everything, I scrubbed off all the BB and replaced the filters etc. . . Hmmm. Crazy.

[xjenuhfur]

Hey everyone! I just thought I'd show you the little cutie CT I fell in love with yesterday. He's all black with white on the tips of his fins. They had a mustard gas too, but this little cutie stole my heart before any rare coloring could!
instagram of Golem

[Laki]

This is what I get for skipping between the words "Black with white on his fins" and "mustard gas"... T-T
Wow though. He's so purdy! Congrats!
I was just looking through the contest for rescuers and now I want to rescue a betta. Not for myself so much as for the fish. I love my 2 boys but I do have 2 spare tanks and one spare heater. And I know there are sick and dying bettas. Matt would disapprove I think because he thinks my desk tank is enough. Which it is... Oh the conflict.

[xjenuhfur]

They had a few cellophane and one like legit albino delta. The albino had red eyes and everything. The other cellophane didn't. I was tempted to just get a divider and split the 10gal and do a yin-yang theme with the albino delta and this black CT. But the 10gal is no where close to being setup. :/

I had no intentions of buying a fish yesterday, we were looking for my roomie who's fish died in transport to the dorms. ):

[Laki]

Oh my god. Go back and get him!!!!! Put the black fish on white gravel and the white fish on black gravel. I'll love you forever.
(not that I don't already)

[xjenuhfur]

That was my plan! But I have nothing (literally nothing) in the tank, nor do I have a divider. I don't have the funds to make it happen right now either! I'm gonna switch tops on these fish next time though, I had to pay $8 for a CT. >8(

[Laki]

Aw that sucks.. That's nothing, in one lps here VT's are 9.99 and HM's and CT's are 14.99. o-o
I paid 9.99 for Ludendorff.

[xjenuhfur]

The Giant was about as much as a HM. O.o