Buy Pets Online

The world has gotten smaller. It has gotten so small that things you used to have to buy from someone in your town or geographic area can be bought from someone on the other side of an ocean.  All of this is possible because of the Internet. All of this would not happen unless the Internet had opened up doorways to the world. People are able to carry out transactions anywhere in the world and it can be done so easily. But there is one exception and that exception is pet transactions.

Pet transactions can be carried out easily on the Internet, but it is the delivery of the merchandise that gets a little bit tricky. This is because we’re talking about transporting a live animal and there is not a shipping service for this. This is the one time in which you’re not going to be able to buy a dog in England and have it shipped to you. You can, however, live in New York and buy an animal in California. That’s if the person doing the selling is willing to meet you at a halfway point. Something like that is rare unless that person selling the animal is that passionate about placing that animal in your home.

The usual way in which pet transactions are carried out do not involve driving or flying across the country, or even flying halfway across the world. A person usually goes to the Internet to see if any breeders are selling a particular type of dog or cat. When they find that individual, they will contact that person and ask them questions about the pets that they are breeding. They will usually ask if the breeder would send pictures, which is most likely always done. After seeing pictures and doing some research on the breeder, the seeker will make arrangements to purchase the animal. After the purchase, the two will meet at a mutual place or the buyer will come to the breeder’s home.

It is usually better to come to the breeder’s home because you’re able to see the condition of the animals and their living quarters. This ensures that you’re not dealing with a puppy or cat mill. It also gives you the opportunity to back out of the transaction if you must. The important thing, however, is that the Internet brought you and this breeder together. You would not have been able to find this animal if you didn’t have the entire world to search.

As for where you can find breeders, you can usually find breeders selling their animals on classified ad sites, auction sites, and other places throughout the Internet. If you see in a classified ad or in something else that a breeder is selling a Bichon Frise and you’ve always wanted a Bichon Frise, you’re in luck. Maybe no one in your area breeds these dogs and that is why you’ve been unable to get hold of one. By checking the Internet you were able to find the dog of your dreams and you are able to make arrangements to pick him or her up. This is something that happens every single day, which gives dog breeders a much broader customer base.

It’s amazing how the Internet has brought people and their pets together. It is sort of like personal ads for people and animals. You answer the ad and the next thing you know you have the four-legged love of your life in your arms. Many happy pets and their owners have found each other this way.

Another way in which pets and people have been brought together really digs at your heart. As puppy mills and unfit owners are stopped by law enforcement, pictures of these animals are placed online. They are placed on pet adoption sites, classified ad sites, and on social networking sites. Their stories are told and this really plucks at the heart strings of people all around the world. If it were not for the Internet, most of these animals would not find homes. Fortunately, because of the Internet, over 90% of these abused animals find good homes. It is because of the Internet that awareness of these issues is coming about so that these abused animals can be rescued and put into good homes.

So if you’re looking for that perfect pet, make sure you check the classified ads online and various other sites around the web. You never know when you might become the love of an animal’s life. You can be his or her hero. No matter how you go about it, you will find your best friend, your sidekick, and the fuzzy love of your life. So if you can’t find what you want in your own area, remember that you have the entire world to find your best friend. You’re not restricted by the borders of your own state or even by your own country. Take advantage of that and have fun with it.

New Fish in New Aquarium

Finally, it’s time for you to go out and buy your fishes. Get the pet shop people to help you select healthy ones. While at the shop, make sure you’ve already gotten everything you need. Things like food, aquarium salt(if keeping brackish water fishes), net, water pump, and a bottle of anti-chlorine-and-chloramine water conditioner.

Once you reached home, float the packet of your new babies in your tank water. This is to acclimatize your fishes to the new water temperature. Float for about 15 minutes, then open up the packet, and pour some of your tank water into it. This is to acclimatize your fishes to the new water parameters. Wait for another 15 minutes, or more, if your fishes are sensitive species. And finally, use a net to catch your fishes into your fish tank!

Feed very sparingly during this beginning stage. As the filtration and bacteria system is still new, do not want to pollute the water too much. I suggest feeding small amounts once a day starting from the second or third day. If your fishes refuse to eat, do not put in more food. Try feeding again the next day. This is normal and you do not need to worry, as the fishes most likely already eaten when in the pet shop, and they can survive for as long as a week without food.

Soon, your fishes will get used to their environment. They will start becoming more active. Their vibrant colors will start showing. And they may even recognize you whenever you come close to feed them. That is the reward of fish-keeping! But of course, you have to be a responsible owner. Performing the regular water changes, medicating them when they get sick, and feeding them quality food everyday.

Introducing Ammonia to Your Aquarium Tank

“Cycling” is the process where bacterias break down ammonia(NH3) into nitrite(NO2), and from nitrite to nitrate(NO3). Ammonia and nitrite are both very toxic to fishes, and nitrate being the least toxic of the three. Therefore this process is the most important for any aquarium.

The nitrosomonas species of bacteria starts forming when ammonia is present. They form all around our fish tank, the driftwoods, the substrate, and especially inside our filter. Slowly, they will form into a colony large enough to efficiently breakdown ammonia into nitrite. When nitrite in the water has reached a certain level, the Nitrobacter species of bacteria starts forming. Slowly, they will breakdown the nitrite into nitrate. And finally, nitrate in the water can be removed via the most common and cost-effective method, water changes.

These are the various ways of introducing ammonia:

- “Seeding”. Transfer some gravel or filter sponge/wool/etc from an established fish tank into the new one.

- Fish wastes. Zebra danios are very hardy fishes that are commonly used for cycling.

- Market prawns. Yes, it will stink.

- Commercial products.

Fish method is slow, but adding more fishes does makes the process faster. Just that the fishes might not survive the intense ammonia poisoning. We don’t want fishes to die in our new fish tank. It is also not recommended to use feeder fishes for this task, as they often carry diseases.

Prawn method is easy, throw them in and wait. But be prepared for the smell.

Commercial products are not the most reliable. Most of us would wonder how much shelf life do these products have. After all, we are talking about live organisms here. But there are indeed cases where hobbyists introduce fishes without cycling, relying on commercial products to do its work. It all boils down to how much risk you are willing to take.