1999 Barbecues And Roundtable Discussion
By
Homer O. Carter, Sr.
Marjorie Carter
Hopefully the weather will eventually be more suitable for outdoor Barbecues and Roundtable discussions. There was a suggestion to make a framework and put a Tarp over it. This could then be set according to the weather of the day. This way it could be used to provide partial shelter for the Grill, food table and for those that desire to make use of it. This would probably have been already completed, if we had any idea that winter was on its way to our area.
The Short Day Festival Season is over and the days are getting noticeably longer. There is plenty for us to do around here at the end of the tar.
Hopefully we can cope with the ice and snow. If we can get it back away from the House and driveway far enough, the rains and melting snow will not cause problems. This needs to be kept done with the front yard, the back yard and the south easterly side yard.
If you start small, grow slow and learn about problems while small, you can build a very successful and economical aquarium hobby.
This was the discussion and study at the latest End of The Tar Broiler-cue. Only a half a dozen people were present. Two of them were from over forty miles away. If they had been the only ones to get here, My Husband and I would have held the meeting for them. Driving that distance in those kind of conditions, shows a determination to keep these functions in operation. The following was the gist and crux of the Meeting Discussions.
An aquarium properly taken care of, is both a humidifier and an air purifier for your home. A suitable aquarium can also warn you of unhealthy conditions in you home. Many times aquarium problems are caused by conditions in the home and adjacent to the home. Wind, Rain and snow can bring disaster.
When the power is off for a short time and you have a fish tank they will be alright as long as you don't feed them. If you do they will have less oxygen in the water. Just let them sleep. You can wrap the tank to help keep the heat in the tank this will also keep the tank dark so they can sleep except for the night marauders.
Hamsters don't like to be at temperatures below 40 degrees as they would hibernate and might not wake up. so cover them also and put them in a warmer place, but not to close to the heat. If they have a lot of bedding material they make a bed and will stay in there. They like to curl up in a small box or a tin can that has been washed and no sharp edges. You can or the hamster might get cut if has a sharp edge. They also have small hamster houses you can buy. Give them paper towels to make their bed with.
Many times these subjects are part of the roundtable aquarium discussions. The discussions try to get right down to the nitty-gritty of many subjects. Politics and many other subjects really get tossed around. It is nearly time for gardening to once again move into the discussions.
Did you ever have a vegetable Barbecue and no meat? It happens quite often at "The Tropical Fish Road, End of the Tar Barbecues."
Peoples opinions are very important. Opinions are always welcome here at the Barbecues, Broiler cues and Roundtable Discussion. This helps to clear away the clouds in the many clouded visionary versions, of today's cloudy communications. Education, Elucidation and Emergence are hand in hand companions. We need to cultivate a working companionship with them. This will enable us to see the proper light. Slipping into a stumbling darkness can be avoided. Properly educating is the highway to being properly educated. This is quite often the subject of concern at the discussions being held at the End of Tar, Tropical Fish Road, Canaan Maine.
The ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS will definitely be having a new look this
coming springtime. Volunteers are working out a schedule of getting together on the construction and finishing of the new table.
The BARBECUES have never been over crowded. However it seems there may be a need for another barbecue grill. There has been many discussions about a cooking
contest. It also appears the JOKESTERS may
have another addition to their ranks. In a recent discussion one person suggested
having a food burning contest. The people at the last Barbecue extend an exceptional great thank you to: Frank and Meta Hart
for the Picnic Table, To Mildred Tuttle for the Barbecue Gas Grill and to Les Simon for the Umbrella. Hopefully weather conditions will soon
allow more people to travel safely to their wonderful, friendly assembly's with families and acquaintances.
Last week one of the people taking part in one of the round table
infibulations; offered to extend Aquarium Keepers information, to aquarium buffs on the internet. If you have a
computer and have access to the internet, the e-mail address is (cosmo-2@webtv.net).
The writer of this column received an e-mail from a former acquaintance that was last here, about two years ago. His Father and
Mother visited my place many times in the past.
In past years the State of Maine has been a great producer of
Agriculture Products. At one time in Maine there was about twenty acres per person residing here. Now it seems there may be about fifteen
acres to a person. The round Table discussions have refreshed many of our childhood memories. These discussions and demonstrations have
helped to incorporate many beneficial variances into our life modes.
Many of the roundtable and barbecue participants are greatly concerned
about the past, present and future agriculture performances within the State of Maine. The Aquarium
Hobbyist that were present at the last discussions were quick to inject their thoughts. One of them quite
emphatically stated; You cannot accomplish as much with fifteen gallon aquariums as you can with twenty gallon aquariums. Another spoke up
and said, of course you cannot produce as much with one fourth the production space. Needless to say, the JOKESTERS got in more than
their two cents worth.
Come, visit, participate and enjoy these goings-on by the "End of
The Tar, Tropical Fish Road, Canaan Maine". Hopefully there will be some great weather for barbecues in the near future.
Hopefully excellent Barbecue weather will soon be with us. Indoor space is quite limited but outdoor space is plenteousness. The list of participators planning to attend these barbecues and roundtable discussions is enormous. In the past it has all been more or less, a hit or miss procedure. This has been real nice and most of the future ones will be much the same. There are a some people that would like to attend, that do not have an abundance of free time. In consideration of these circumstances, there will be some definite dates for them. Otherwise the Tropical Fish Road End of the tar get-togethers will be carried on as usual. Whenever people show up we will have barbecues and discussions galore, if the weather permits.
Very small attendance for this last ROUND TABLE get together. Had an indoor Broiler cue instead of an outdoor Barbecue. The principal discussion was about vegetable gardening. There were a number of suggestions in regards to calendar planting dates for various vegetables. Most of those in attendance, choose to plant peas early enough to get a snowstorm on them. Corn is best if it struck by frost once or twice. Most vegetables can be planted much earlier then most folks plant. Tomato plants need to be put out in the garden much earlier then what they usually are nowadays. If you would like to take part in these Roundtable Barbecues and Broiler cues, PLEASE contact the writer of this column. Dates for these, will be real flexible this year. Let us know what subjects you are interested in. We expect there will be several of these each week from Spring to Fall. If you would like be heard, try these Roundtable gatherings. If you would just like to listen, that is also acceptable.
Spring has sprung winter dormancy of many things into seasonal activity. It was a wee bit uncomfortable out-of-doors. That led to the round table participants being crowded indoors. Every one did not get to meet all that were there as some came early and some came late and left accordingly. There were two Pet shop Owners there doing some great talking about Tropical Fish and Pets. One of them was Zeke Carter from C & W Aquarium in Benton Maine. The other was Marjorie Carter from Marjorie's Tropical Fish in Canaan Maine. Hopefully there will be some good weather for outdoor barbecues along with these great discussions. contact the writer of this column in regards to what date and time you would like to attend. Some definite dates are being worked out for the convenience of having scheduled speakers. The hit or miss procedures work out quite well. However, it was decided to try scheduling some of these gatherings in order to publicize some of the upcoming program agendas. Try this email, cosmo-2@webtv.net for some aquaria info.
Tropical Fish Road, End of The Tar, Barbecue and Round Table Discussion Participants; are laying the ground work for the best agenda of all times.
Laws, Rules and Regulations seem to be a never ending thesis of Discussions. Some of the inadequacies of these evolve for many reasons, not apparent at the time of implementation. The JOKESTERS were in a Prime stance regarding the laws of nature, the rule of thumb and the proper regulation of aquarium balance. Why do some aquarist that apparently do most every thing wrong, have better results? Could it be that some the important things are so obvious, they are not mentioned? If this is so, these thing must be included as a reminder and mind refresher about what often appears to be minor details. Testing aquarium water, well water, rain water and water from some other sources will be demonstrated and discussed at many of this years activities.
This year there will be much discussion and study in regards to Family Genealogies and Maine History at the End of the Tar Tropical Fish Road Canaan Maine. Contact the writer of this column or Marjorie's Husband if you have any questions or answers about these two subjects that are interrelated and are quite inseparable.
Easter Sunday was somewhat different by the End of the Tar, Tropical
Fish Road, Canaan Maine. The Wonderful, Enjoyable and Relaxing GABFEST, became part of the many enjoyable activities. Paul
Higginbotham of Cornville was the guiding light of the day and was declared HEAD HONCHO of the day. There was never a dull moment and
the enlightenment of many subjects was carried on in a fantastically relaxed atmosphere.
Tuesday April 6th, 1999 was the first outdoor barbecue of season at the End Of The Tar, Tropical Fish Road, Canaan Maine. It was a surprise of uttermost eminences. Mike Parlin arrived after some years of absence. LO and Behold!! his wonderful wife, Susan was with him. Mike got the umbrella in place over the picnic table. Did he stop when that was done? No he did not. Mike then got the Barbecue grill fired up. It had not been used since last year. Next He proceeded to cook an "APPETITE AWAKENING DELIGHT" that has no equal. Another great enhancement of the fantastically enjoyable day, was the superbness of the Hostess Mrs. Mike Parlin (Susan). Hopefully SUSAN will be hosting another such event in the near future.
I took my Mother and her dog (Cocoa) to Dr. Wing the Veterinarian. his place is on the Athens road in Skowhegan. Therefore I missed quite a bit of the afternoon festivities. Mike mentioned and expounded about the time we helped him move his tropical fish from Anson to North Anson. He had quite a large size tropical fish hobby at that time. My Husband and I used our RED VAN to help move all the tanks, stands, equipment and fish. Mike was real pleased with the accomplished move of his aquarium hobby. There was no damage to any of the tanks and equipment and there wasn't any loss of fish. Shock can be an immense contributing factor in the death of aquarium fish. Do you minimize the possibility of excessive trauma to your aquarium fish? How do you handle your fish while transporting them to your home? Do you handle them real gentle? Do you carry them in an insulated container? Do you keep them out of bright light? Do you condition them slowly to your aquarium water?
Tuesday was a great afternoon. Many subjects entered into the
conversations of the day. Weather permitting, there will many of these great days throughout the rest of this last year of the century.
End of the Tar, Tropical Fish Road Occurrence has occurred again.
The "PRIME JOKESTER" made his appearance for the second time this year. How any one can be such a "WISE OLD SAGE" at such a young age, is
thought provoking. When asked if he had a computer, he replied with a very emphatic NO!!. In answer to the follow up question of why he did
not have one, the following answer poured forth. " I tried one several times and when I came to the notation; strike any key to continue, I
looked and looked but I couldn't find a key that said "any". I tried
several computers and found them to be all the same. I have decided to wait until they get the keyboard completed and then try again.
Angelfish will do well under most water conditions as long as ammonia and nitrite are not measurable and three is adequate filtration to remove dissolved organic compounds. They have many kinds of filters to do this. Mechanical filtration, Chemical Filtration and Biological Filtration. The filter should be sized according to the tank size. Set up a tank, stock it lightly, do water changes regularly and enjoy the results. Some do water changes each week some do them once a month. This is do to the number of fish they have in the tank and the filter they have. As with this as for other things its up to you.
The Barbecues and Roundtable Events at the Tars End, Tropical Fish Road, Canaan Maine are doing great. Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays are the days that you may drop in and share in a potluck feast or not much of a feast. Exchanging thoughts of the day at the roundtable talk about is a very enlightening activity. Drop in, speak your piece, enlighten us.
Float and Dip ? When you buy a fish do you let it float in the tank before you do anything else ? You should also put some of your tank water in the plastic bag. This helps the fish get more acclimated to your aquarium water a little at a time. This helps to reduce the STRESS. The fish gets stress as you do but can't do much about it only you can do this for the fish. Don't put the fish bag in the sunlight as it could get the water to hot, and don't put them by the car heater. If left in the bag to long the ammonia could become very high. So when you are a long way from home ask to have them put in a larger bag of water. How long to float you asked in warm weather around 15 to 20 minutes. Then in colder weather about 20 to 25 minutes. Put you water in the bag by a half a cup at a time should help the warm up and then they can be put in you tank. Some of you bring insulated bags to put these fish in this is a good idea. Or we can put them in a fish box for you. These boxes are what we have our fish shipped in to us. I would also turn off the lights when you get the fish in your tank so they can find a place to hide until they get over the fear of a new tank.
What makes a Community of fish? There are many different kinds of communities. A community is usually built according to a particular kind of fish you would like to have in your aquarium. Some of the communities are livebearers, mixed, cichlid, small or big fish. This governed to a great extent according to the tank size and water conditions. For example; Goldfish do better in colder water than what Livebearers normally should have. Some of the Livebearers are Guppies, mollies, swordtails and there are many more. These fish give birth to live babies. You should not put Angel Fish with a guppies as they will eventually have the guppies for lunch. Most cichlids will rearrange the tank to suit their lifestyle. The most aquarium livebearers are not large enough to move the plants, gravel or ornaments. Good luck in choosing what you might like. I will help you with some ideas in regards to compatibility and what usually does not go together most advantageously. The Aquarium Hobby is one of the subjects discussed extensively at the "ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS" while "BARBECUING" at end of the Tar, Tropical fish Road, Canaan Maine.
The ROUNDTABLE BARBECUES AND BROILER CUES making some really fast
changes from outside to inside. These fast weather changes from sunshine to rain and sometimes to thunder and lightening keep the
participants on the move from outside to inside and back again. This is in no way a discouragement. In fact it adds to the fantastic
enjoyment of cooperatively adjusting to the radical weather changes. The hilarious laughter of the ever present JOKESTERS is in itself a
wonderment. Their enjoyment seems to be the greatest when the joke is on them. Vocabulary of the various periods of history is one of the
major studies of this group. As the JOKESTERS say, "the food is well done even though it may not be done well".
The fourth of July barbecue and round table discussions were great. Family, Friends and a few newcomers from far and near were gathered together. They partook of the most well cooked feed of all times. Smoke from the barbecue was no problem. The breeze was in the proper direction. It was a Family, Friends and a few newcomers Reunion and assembly of no equal to date. The Genealogy, History and what we are doing today discussions were wonderful. Drop in for a visit and get acquainted with these events.
Some people have been asking garden questions that I will try to
answer to some extent. If you are not having good luck with some of your garden perhaps you could try some companion planting. My
grandparents and my husbands grandparents planted certain crops together for better results. Some of them were as follows: Bush
Beans, cucumbers and radishes were planted together because the bush beans are a shorter season crop than cucumbers. As the cucumbers grow
they fill in the space where the short season bush beans were. The radishes help to protect the cucumbers from the devastating cucumber
beetles therefore these crops are mutually beneficial. Bush beans planted in strawberry rows are mutually helpful, both growing better
than if they are planted separately. Pole beans and corn planted together enables the pole beans to grow twining up the cornstalks. Wow!
Just think, this saves having to bother with bean poles. There are plants that should not be planted together such as, fennel should not
be planted with summer savory. The cabbage family is enhanced when aromatic plants as Dill, celery, sage, peppermint and rosemary are use
as a companion crop. Many aromatic plants may be planted with other vegetables.
I will answer more questions in future columns. Our grand parents depended on there gardens for most of their vegetables, herbs etc, while today many of us depend on stores and farmers markets.
For those that would like to try gardening on a small or larger scale, Mary (my daughter in-law) and I will try to help. We are quite nature oriented, so feel free to contact us at the END OF THE TAR, TROPICAL FISH ROAD, CANAAN MAINE.
Remember beans restore nitrogen to the soil that is used up by the corn.
The 24th is MY HUSBAND'S BIRTHDAY. We will be having an outdoor barbecue here at my home. My husband's name is Homer. He will be seventy seven (77) years old. We will be having an extended version of this event on the 30th of July. This is the day that Flora, Eben and My Husband, have chosen to celebrate their three birthdays together. July 30th is Eben's Birthday. July 24th is Flora's Birthday. For a number of years all three birthdays have been celebrated on the 24th. We think it is time for "Eben" to have his day.
Is everyone else having as great a time as we are feeding the wild
life? We planted our traditional family garden and have been feeding more of the wildlife than our family. We were finally able to enjoy
some beet greens and kale, but we have been on constant vigil trying to catch the critters in the act. First Bambi shows up, now he's brought
Thumper. The other day, Ricky the raccoon showed up to harass the chickens. Speaking of chickens, ours are great! Mama chickee goes out
in the garden with her babies tagging along behind eating bugs and scratching up weeds. They are really fun to watch. Animals do the
funniest things sometimes. If you have any favorite animal stories, send them.
Everyone enjoys a chuckle.
Well, the strawberries have gone by and the blueberry season is upon
us. Blueberries are acid-loving (ph 4-5) plants and require soils such as a mixture of sand and peat with loam. The water table should be
ideally located 14 to 30 inches below the soil surface. To obtain optimum production, two different varieties should be planted for cross
pollination. Blue crop, Blueray, and Patriot are excellent Maine varieties. The Patriot variety was developed at the University of
Maine. Well, happy planting and enjoy your blueberry pies and jams. By the way, does anyone have any new recipes to share with our readers?
Just send them to me, and I'll be glad to include them. Contact Marjorie stop by to see me on Tropical Fish Road, Thursday thru
Sunday (10 am to 9 pm). Holidays too!
Have you ever had Sungold cherry tomatoes? They are a tasty snack for the road. The fruit is yellow-orange when mature and low in acid. We've been able to enjoy a small harvest even with the rabbit, ground hog, and deer. The lettuce is starting to bolt in all of this heat, so the iguanas and other resident vegetarians are enjoying a special treat. At Marjorie's, there's always plenty for everyone and nothing goes to waste. What the iguanas don't eat, the pigs will.
Speaking of leftovers, does anyone have any great leftover
recipes? Often I'll have leftover mashed potatoes and hamburg. If you layer the mash potato in a 2 quart casserole dish with
hamburg, spaghetti sauce, and another vegetable (peas or corn), you get "Shepherd's pie."
Did everyone have fun at the Pittsfield Central Maine Egg Festival? Did you enjoy the fire works? They were spectacular and we
hope you all enjoyed them. The weather was just right for this event since they had no rain. Let me know which parts you liked. Now they
can plan on next years events!
In all of this heat you may be having trouble keeping your fish tank cool. You can FLOAT a plastic bag of ice cubes in your tank. DO NOT place the ice cubes loosely in the tank as this may shock the fish. Turning off the lights might help since the lights generate heat. Do not add cold water to the tank as this will also kill the fish. Dogs have sweat glands in their tongues and perspire by panting. If your dog is too hot, have a fan running in the room and have plenty of water.
Are raccoons getting in your corn ? Plant corn and pumpkins together. Plant the pumpkins about four feet apart. The large pumpkin leaves will grow around the cornstalks and make it difficult for raccoons to stand up in the fields while they are eating. This makes them feel insecure because they cannot stand up and see what is going on around them as they are busily consuming your Sunday meal. My father always planted corn and pumpkins together and we always had corn, Halloween pumpkins, and pies in the fall. Another method to deter raccoons is to sprinkle red or black pepper on the corn tassels. This does affect the sweet taste of your corn. A small radio may help to also control animals in your garden tricking the critters into believing that you are there. Put the radio in a plastic bag to prevent it from getting wet. Turn it on at night since this is when they come out to eat.
Someone recently asked: How do I add fish to my aquarium so as not to loose them all? When you get home, float the bag containing your new pets for at least 15 minutes on top of the water in your tank. Open the bag and add some of your water in the tank to the water and fish that are in the bag. This helps them to get use to your water. Water from different sources has different ph's, other chemicals, and toxins that the fish are not use to. Some water is hard (ph above 7) and some is soft (ph below 7). This makes a big difference in whether or not your fish will survive.
This is a yummy recipe that I have for Blueberry Cake. 1/2 c.
shortening, 1 c. sugar, 1 egg, 2 c. flour, 1/2 tsp. ginger, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. salt, 1 c. sour milk, 3 T.
molasses, 1 c. blueberries, 1/2 c. sugar. Cream 1/2 c. shortening, 1 c. sugar, and 1 egg. Add 2 c. flour, 1/2 teaspoon
ginger, 1 tsp.
cinnamon, 1 tsp. baking soda, and 1 tsp. salt. Add 1 c. sour milk and 1 c. blueberries. Pour into 9 X 13" baking pan. Sprinkle 1/2 c. sugar
on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve with whipped cream. If anyone has anymore recipes that they would like to share with my
readers, please feel free to contact me.
The weather has taken its toll on both the flora and the fauna. Many wells have gone dry because of the lack of rain. Many crops are failing the farmers due to lack of water. Many people are becoming sick due to the intense heat and lack of water. Remember to keep yourself hydrated as much as possible during these dry times. Drinking juices and water is much better for you than coffee or teas which are diuretics that can make your body lose water. When you become dehydrated in the heat. Drink plenty of fluids. And also please remember to wear sunscreen in the intense sun, hazy days, or at the beach. The reflection from the water can cause you to burn easier.. If you have anymore ideas to improve your summer fun, email me. Please feel free to stop by.
This hot weather has been just about right for the Salad, cold beverage and ice cream Phase of the outdoor indoor festivities. The conversations are meal varied and family reunions are still of great interest, Come visit enjoy and share you interesting thoughts.
At the Roundtable discussion this week we had a new participant. It was Mark Tasker of Stetson. It was very interesting hearing about his desire to live in the Skowhegan School District. He is rather fond of country living. He has two cows, a calf and two bulls. His son would like to train steers for pulling. Mark would like to have more room for expansion of his family's agricultural interest. If any of you know of an available place, come to the round table barbecues and discuss your thoughts. If you would like, you may email MARJORIE and I will pass on the information. We hope Mike will visit the activities real often, at the end of the tar Tropical Fish Road Canaan Maine. His thoughts about agriculture and country living are real interesting.
This recipe was given to me this last week. This was a different pie crust, Here it is; Flaky pie Crust, 1 lb. pure lard, 4 1/2 cups flour, 2 tablespoon, salt mix together with a blender or strong fork. In a measuring cup put in one egg and 2 tablespoon vinegar and mix these two or beat with a whisk or fork. Then add cold water to make one cup. Mix till flour is blended with liquid. Add a little more water if it is little dry. Then roll into a log and cut into 6 equal pieces. Flatten out pieces and freeze for later use. It thaws out Faster this way when you remove it from freezer. Freeze each piece separately.
FAIR SEASON and SCHOOL SEASON, requires extra driving caution. The number of people increase tremendously in some areas such as fair grounds and school travel areas. These conditions sometimes boggles the minds of pedestrians and vehicle operators. Please be careful and adjust your travel mode to neutralize any and all possible danger to people and property.
It was nice to have the recent showers, but we need more, as you all know. Hopefully, we will have some more rain soon. The grass has finally started to grow so it had to be mowed.
Why keep cichlids you asked ? They do not get along with other fish, only other cichlids that are bigger or the same size as they are. Oscars get big fast. Their coloring varies and they like to push their tank mates around. This does not seem to bother the other fish. Other fish that are sometimes compatible are; Jack Dempsey's, Parrot Cichlids, and Fire mouths. Other fish in the cichlid family are African, South American, and also many more kinds from different parts of the world. What do cichlids need? They are one of the hardiest fish and their basic care is simple. They should have caves to hide in to get away from other fish when they want to raise and hatch their eggs. Most of the cichlids grow to the length of 4 to 12 inches. Cichlids need a large tank. You can start then in a smaller tank but they outgrow the tank fast and need a bigger one. So if you have a big tank and want to go this way you are on the way to a cichlid tank. Cichlids like to dig in the gravel and to make holes to find food or just for something to do. If you have any more questions, let me know and I will try to answer them. Always remember that there are many exceptions to be considered.
The Skowhegan Fair has ended, so winter will be on its way soon. It will soon be time to get ready for winter. The Clinton Fair will be starting in September. I see that the Harmony Fair will start in September also. We used to go to this fair to meet friends and relations that we do not see only at this time. They have a lot of entertainment, games, food, and lots of fun.
Remember to send in your favorite apple recipe, as apples will be here soon since many of the apple orchards are open.
Here is a brief synopsis of a recently held round table discussions on COCKATIEL CARE: The basic diet should consist of a commercially prepared seed or pelleted food for cockatiels. Do not feed them wild bird food as they are a cage bird. Cage birds can not supplement their diet as a free flying wild bird has a chance to. Wild birds can get a lot of food from out in the wild that cage birds are not privileged to.
The caged bird needs vitamins in the drinking water. They need proper raw fruits and vegetables or suitable substitutes. A cuttle bone or mineral block should also be provided as they will get the calcium and minerals they need. They also need grit for the size bird you may have. Change food daily to assist in eliminating contamination and rejected foods. If you feed the pet bird a hard boiled egg don't leave it in the cage over 3 hours after boiling. As the eggs sometimes spoil quickly, while laying in the cage with the shell broken or cracked.
Place cage out of the full sun and drafts. You may rinse the cage bottom with bleach, but make sure you rinse the bottom with a lot of warm water to get the bleach from the cage.
This week the big question at the ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION was. How to care for my land Hermit Crab?
Hermit crabs in their native environment live inland away from the water and the beach. Their diet consists of leaf litter, fruit, and vegetation. They also enjoy chewing and eating bark and have a special preference for decaying wood. Do not use pine or cedar. They also have commercial food and you can on alternate days you may also feed some treats, such as coconut, romaine lettuce, apple, wheat bread, peanut butter. Feed treats very sparsely. Land hermit crabs eat slow and very little.
Uneaten food must be taken out and fresh put back in to avoid the ingestion of spoiled foods. Fresh water to drink must be kept in with them. A Cuttlebone may be added in the water for extra calcium and proper salts. They may be kept in and aquarium with 2 or 3 inches of gravel or sand. The temperature should be above 70 degrees and they prefer around 80 degrees. It is a good idea to bathe your crabs once a week as well as giving them an occasional misting outside the tank.
Never attempt to remove a crab from its shell because it will allow itself to be torn apart rather than give up its shell. Hermit crabs are not aggressive like many of the sea crabs. The big claw is to hold onto a limb or other such support for climbing. The smaller claw is for use to pass food and water to the mouth. They are odorless and clean.
They are good climbers and enjoy any type wood to climb on. Rocks may be added. They also need to have extra empty shells in the tank so they can change shells when they grow larger. Land hermit crabs can not reproduce in captivity. Their eggs must hatch in the sea. Like other crabs they must shed their outer ex-skeleton. Older crabs molt less frequently but require the same care.
It is known that some crabs have been kept in the home as pets for as long as 15 years. The hermit crabs like to live with more them one, you should get at least 2 or 3 or 4 or maybe more. They will have a better activity schedule. You will have a much more enjoyable time watching them.
Marjorie's Husband Marjorie's Tropical Fish & Pets Courtney's
Sponsored by: Cyrus Carter Enterprises
©1999-2000 Homer Owen Carter, Sr. and Marjorie Carter - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED