Product Highlights

“I love live plants in my tanks, but I just can’t grow them…”

An often ignored problem with growing live plants in aquaria is the condition of the sediment. Aquatic plants, just like terrestrial plants, prefer to have their roots in well aerated soils. Problems growing aquatic plants can often be traced to a buildup of organic wastes in the substrate coupled with limited or no water circulation to bring oxygen into the sediment. Without oxygen, plant roots develop bacterial infections or die, and without roots, the whole plant dies.

So how can one put oxygen into the root zone of aquatic plants? You “simply” create water currents in the sediment to add oxygen-rich overlying water to the sediment.

1. Partial water changes in a tank can introduce oxygen into the sediment while removing organic matter which is the likely cause for oxygen depletion in the substrate. This technique will work if the water changes are frequent enough so that the substrate never goes completely anaerobic. It has the major down-side that you either disturb the plant root system each time you do a partial water change or the area immediately around the roots is never cleaned.

2. An under gravel filter system causes a continuous flow of overlying water through the substrate bringing oxygen to the root zone. Regular partial water changes with gravel cleaning are essential so that the substrate does not become clogged or channeled. And the problem of disturbing or not cleaning the root zone remains.

3. Another approach is to apply heat beneath the gravel to cause convection currents. Raising the temperature of the interstitial water a degree or two above that of the overlying water will cause slow up flow of interstitial water to be replaced by an equivalent down flow of overlying oxygenated water. There is no disturbance of the root zone and the total bottom is oxygenated. Organic debris is oxidized and the resultant inorganic chemicals are transported away. Therefore cleaning of the gravel may be less frequent and disturbance of the plant roots is reduced.

The “high tech” solution involving heat has the highest cost but is the most effective of the approaches. We offer Hydor Under Gravel Cable Heaters in various sizes appropriate for a wide range of tanks. Ask for help with selecting the heater size most suited to your aquarium.

Hamster Potty

Want to reduce the odor in your hamster’s cage without daily changing of all bedding? Provide a Superpet Hamster Potty with an inexpensive clumping cat litter. We have the litter available in bulk bin so you can buy as much or as little as you want for the low price of 26 cents a pound. Training hamsters to use these semi-enclosed structures as potties is easy when there is a larger enclosed structure in the cage in which the hamster can stuff bedding to make a nest. Talk with a sales associate about how we train hamsters before they leave the store.

Ferret Odor

How often have you visited someone, and known on entering the house that they have ferrets by the ... er ... odor? Since most ferrets have had the scent gland removed, the odor comes largely from urine and feces. And this odor can be controlled!

The first line of defense against excessive odor is to apply Marshall’s Ferret Bi-Odor to the food… two pumps on the bottle is generally sufficient. While the manufacturer recommends adding it to the water, ferrets do not necessarily get an adequate dose by drinking water. We find that when added to the food, an effective dosage is reliably provided. Typically it takes 3 days on Bi-Odor to turn a smelly ferret into a non-smelly ferret. (This product can also be used for rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters and probably other rodents as well.)

Buy a small bottle of Bi-Odor, and thereafter get refills at 18% off the price of a new bottle. Just bring us your empty bottle.

And the second line of defense? Remove feces twice daily from the litter pan. If you leave the feces piled up for too long, bacteria have time to attack it, releasing odor. Worse yet, the ferret may decide that a new clean bathroom is preferable to the messy one, and will then eliminate outside the litter box.

E-Z Care Quick Clean

Cleaning bird cages with harsh chemicals and much scrubbing is now a thing of the past! E-Z Care Quick Clean is a highly effective, citrus-smelling non-toxic cleaning agent. Simply spray it on the bird cage, let it stand for 5 to 15 minutes, and hose off the cage. If done weekly, virtually no scrubbing is required as the quano simply melts away! And if some quano remains, repeat the process with light scrubbing. The product can also be used on perches, toys and other items in bird cages that become covered with guano.

The same product works on small animal and reptile cages without creating a hazard to the animals. Other cleaners have been used in the past (Lysol, Pine Sol, etc.), and despite multiple rinses and sun drying, toxic residues are sometimes left leading to chronic ill-health of your pet, or in some cases acute mortality. Just because something is human-safe (when used as directed) does not mean it is pet safe!

But what if disinfection is required? One can disinfect with a dilute solution of liquid Clorox Bleach (concentrated hypochlorous acid). A highly effective disinfectant, it is readily diluted for use, rinses away with water, and any bleach remaining on non-porous surfaces will rapidly disappear if sun-dried. But be careful with porous molded resin items like food and water dishes if the surfaces have become worn and pitted. If there is a need to disinfect such items, it would be better to discard and purchase new!

“My dog/cat has problems climbing stairs”

We have many great products to improve joint health and help pets climb stairs:

Ark Naturals Joint "Rescue"
Ark Naturals Sea "Mobility"
Breeder's Choice Avo Active Care Biscuits
Pet Naturals Hip & Joint
Pet Naturals Natural Dog Daily Motion
Zukes HipAct

These all contain Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate. Some also contain MSM, boswelian extract, yucca, or curcumin, or vitamins. Differing flavors and textures allow you to find that product that is effective and preferred by your dog or cat. There are some really striking success stories achieved with these products!