It's a Zoo here!

[bettalvr]

Ok, now I realize why I am so tired at the end of the day! So Vincent, Mel, and whoever else wants to visit, you'll get put to work!

1 cherryhead conure (my favorite)
elmer kissing mom.jpg
1 dog (my other fav)
2 cats
2 goffin cockatoos
4 betta ranks
75 gal cichlid tank
9 rabbits
1 pot belly pig
Guinea Hen
Chickens (prob 30 total, various breeds)
2 roosters – that follow me around!
2 geese
1 pheasant
5 ducks
5 doves
4 guinea pigs
1 ball python
1 blue-tongue skink
1 leopard gecko
1 american alligator (cb -08 baby)
1 orange-wing amazon
1 alexandrine parrot (baby in formal training program)
2 aviaries parakeets (greens & blues)
2 masked lovebirds
12 zebra finches
1 yellow canary
5 cockatiels
4 creamino lovebirds
10 peach face lovebirds (different colors)
2 green cheek conures
2 senegal parrots
4 red eared slider turtles
3 degus
4 chinchillas
5 hairless rats
2 cages spiny mice
1 cage white mice
5 cages dzungarian dwarf hamsters
5 cages teddy bear hamsters
8 syrian hamsters (various colors/patterns)
1 albino bermese python (12 ½ ft)
1 cage hermit crabs
1 barrack bettas
3 100 gal tanks for feeder comets
1 koi tank
25 tropical tanks (platys, mollies, sharks, tetras, guppies, swordtails, danios, gouramies, parrots, Africa cichlids, plecos, convict/cichlid Xs, sailfins)
1 saltwater tank

[hvincent]

That's quite a zoo...I'd love to come see it and help you muck out some cages I used to live out in the middle of nowhere in Iowa and hung out at a couple houses with quite the animal collection (none quite as impressive as yours, though). How much of that is pleasure and how much of that is work? Though I guess you're doing it right if you can mix the two. Do you raise your own food for the carnivores?

[divy]

wow and i thought it was hard looking after 15 bettas

any chance of seeing your barrack pics?

[Emenon]

you have a zoo, and posting 15 posts a day, and u probably post on other cat/dog/bird forums... you're superman.

[mdellasalla]

Yeah I don't know how you do it...

[BettaLu&Meg]

hey betsy you finally posted the parrot!!!! now wheres the other animals of noahs arc? lol beautful bird!

[bettalvr]

Yeah, it's quite the zoo here most of the time. Takes most of the day just feeding/watering! But it's worth it. Yep, get to combine work with pleasure b/c this is truly something you have to love, otherwise it would make for long, horrible days. But when you can walk into a birdroom and hear "hello" "whatta ya doin" "pretty baby" then they are all that matter! Then go relax a minute in the fishroom. . . hey, I really can't complain.

So, today was fish delivery day here. I took some really quick shots of bettas for you guys to see. I'll try to post them in this order:
1 - bettas in individual bags inside large bag
2 - betta in individual bag
3 - betta bag laying on a 3 x 5 index card (btw, this is what they are shipped in from overseas > trans shipper > wholesale distributor > fish stores) IT'S SAD!
4 - In barracks - not little bags/bowls!
5 - tangerine betta with marbling in fins

**Don't increase size . . . it will distort. These were real quick just so you could see the real deal as they come in**

Rec'd bettas.jpg
Individual bags inside one large bag. They're immediately floating to get warm!
Ind. bags.jpg
This is a red cambodian female floating in her tiny bag.
Betta bag 3x5 index card.jpg
Individual bag laying on a 3 x 5 inch index card! They're small and just enough water to cover the fish.
Betta barracks.jpg
Lighting is horrible. . . had to be quick tho! I run an extra filter for bettas when they arrive. I stop the main filtration for the 2 upper levels the first couple of days after arrival while fungal preventative is present. Then they're on the big filter/drip.
Tangerine betta.jpg
This fish is actually not pink, but tangerine. He actually enjoyed the camera so I let him show off.

[mdellasalla]

whoa... O.O

I want...

[bettalvr]

Ok, I had some curious little showoffs today that I just have to share. Now let's see if I know what is what!

After cages are cleaned/sanitized, chins get a dust bath! This one's ears were completely white! She's is 10 months old and a sweetheart. Born here.
Chin after bath.jpg

Hey mom, whatcha got? Can I play with it? Can you see me?
This is a Degu! I bred this one, she was born in March. They are diurnal and very intelligent. Predisposed to diabetes, so diet must be monitored.
Degu.jpg

A chocolate colored guinea pig. His mother is a tri-factored, hairless cavy, so he is a hairless-factored, tri-colored. Hoping next litter will be hair/hairless babies.
Guinea Pig hairless factored Chocolate.jpg

Peek-A-Boo, I see you mom! BTW, can I come out with you?
He's truly a baby, 7 months old Alexandrine Parrot (he's being trained for his new owner). I handfed this boy and his brother from the time they were 2 days old (and they were already sold at 4 & 5 weeks - brother left at 13 weeks). Hand-raised and now training, working on the 'no bite' cause they like to nip. His vocabulary is already a dozen words - plus some that I can't interpret yet! He will be about a 30" bird at maturity.
Baby boy Peek A Boo.jpg

Hello! This is her favorite thing to say along with pretty baby. Her name is "Baby" and she knows she is beautiful. She is a toddler now, 3 years old, Orange-winged amazon parrot, nice vocabulary, loves to imitate sounds (especially sirens and the telephone ringing, then says "hello"), LOVES to give kisses and if I forget to take her out - first thing - to exchanges kisses and I love you's she squawks until we do this! She too was handfed, hand-raised, and is a sweetheart, extremely gentle & affectionate.
Baby.jpg

So this is part of my crew that just had to be "in pictures"! They're pretty sure they're going to be famous one day so they practice daily.

[mdellasalla]

Hairless guineas? hehe I am not a fan of hairless rodents, but guinea pigs are super nice. I love when they chirble with happiness and bump their nose under your chin.