Whoa Whoa Whoa!! So, you're telling me that the fine folks over at Hampsterquariums U.S.A. sold me said hampsters under false pretenses?! This is an outrage! I can't stand idly by and watch poor, defenseless hampsters be subject to the obvious cruelty and disregard of the stores that sell them. I suppose it's my fault for asking the opinion of anyone named Jeb...I mean WHO USES THAT NAME ANYMORE?! I digress...It is clear to me now that these hampsters, these BRACKISH hampsters, as beautiful and unique as they are...simply aren't suited for even the experienced aquamammalist such as myself. From now on, I shall endeavor to save these rodents from the perils that surely await them.
I did some more research... Apparantly, these creatures have a very short lifespan that I was unaware of. You see, being rodents...their teeth will continue to grow unless they chew on things...up until I read the last post, I just assumed that it would be the live rock. Not the case. They seem to enjoy chewing on wood...I've seen them in the pet stores. Now I would think that this "driftwood" is clearly too soft to serve any real purpose in that regard.
As for the Fishrabbit, I've come to find out that while it is INDEED the Frankenberry cereal that sustains them, it tends to get soggy rather quickly... Also, while the bowl itself, when submersed in the tank will keep it's physical characteristics, the milk will mix with the salt water. So be sure to add a heaping teaspoon of Kalkwasser mix to every bowl. Here's why:
When a Calcium Hydroxide solution (Kalkwasser) is slowly dripped into your aquarium, it captures free Carbon Dioxide present in the tank water and converts it to Bicarbonate ions that will enhance the milk's flavor(which is a good thing), like this:
Ca++ + 2(OH-) + 2(CO2) <==> Ca++(milk) + 2(HCO3-)
If you drip too fast or if there is not enough Carbon Dioxide available in the water, your shiny new Bicarbonate ions will be converted to Carbonate ions and sour the milk exponentially(a bad thing), like this:
Ca++ + 2(OH-) + 2(HCO3- + milkfat) <==> Ca++(sour milk) + 2(CO3--) + 2 H2O
This can lead to intestinal problems. For instance:
Gallstones are solid accumulations of the components of bile, particularly cholesterol, bile pigments, and
calcium. These solids may occur when the components of bile are not in the correct proportion to each other. If the bile becomes overly concentrated, or if too much of one component is present, stones may form. Strangely enough, these are the very stones that can be purchased at your local fish store. They are most often sold as "River Stones"...talk about false advertising!
I hope this clears up any confusion on the matter.
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