Hey everyone! Welcome to my last post in my Farm Frenzy series! I hope you are all having a great summer! So, miniature goats, huh? Who would have thought that goats could be great companions? There are so many interesting and very unique pets that are available to us that we might have never considered! That was my thinking behind my Farm Frenzy series, and I hope that’s what you took away from this. So, without further ado, how to care for Pygmy Goats!
Care
How to Care for… Miniature Pigs?
Hey everyone! I’m back with my next post in the farm frenzy series! This one’s about 
another urban farming trend... micro pigs! Who would have guessed these porkers would be moving from the barn to your home? Anyways, let us get into it!
How to Care for Chicks
Hi! Ready for the Farm Frenzy?! I know I am! So my friend recently got chicks and they are amazing! You can see them in the picture above. She’s just starting out, so she will upgrade them in the future and get a real chicken feeder and waterer. Who new how cute and easy to care for they can be? They even have many benefits if raised the right way. So here’s how to raise chicks until they are 4 – 5 weeks old and ready to live in the coop outside!
Research 101: Helpful Links to Start your Research
Hey everyone! So I realized I should address a problem coming up with many people on the market for a new pet. Let me just say that one of the most important things that most people overlook is research! Before purchasing any pet, it is super important you know what your doing! I’ve herd so many sad stories of owners that have purchased a pet and had to return it or give it away because they are unprepared! This cannot happen as it is bad for the animals and unacceptable for us, too. This is why I made this post to start you off on your research to help you learn about your pet as much as you can so you don’t make the same mistake! Now keep in mind I’m linking the most basic sources and you need to do much more research to even be prepared.
I will post more on the series so don’t forget to follow me! Here are a few Animal Planet videos for you to enjoy – there are also many more in their series and I think this are great videos to get to know the pet you are going to start researching! Enjoy!
Syrian vs. Dwarf Hamsters
I know this is a very common question, as I ask myself this all the time! As some of you may know, I am thinking of adding a furry friend to my family but am not 100% on it right now. However, it is never to early to do research! Before I begin, let me just say that there are many different types of hamsters, and these are only a few! From my research, however, I have found these two are the most common. So, if you need help deciding which hamster you think best suites your life, I hope this helps you out!
Dwarfs:
- Dwarfs are much smaller, hence the name! They can grow to be about 3 – 4 inches long
- They need a minimum of 360 square inches of space
- Dwarfs, in some cases, can cost less
- They take a longer time to be tamed
- When tamed, they are very loyal
- They are much quicker than Syrians
- They tend to be more active
- They can be paired with other Dwarfs (in SOME cases – be cautious!)
- They come in a smaller variety of colors and patterns
- Better for more experienced owners
Syrians:
- They are larger than Dwarfs at about 5 – 7 inches
- They need a habitat that is larger than the minimum!
- They can be a little more expensive
- They are very easily tamed
- They are easier to handle
- They tend to be slower
- They tend to be less active
- They should never be paired with other hamsters!
- They come in a huge variety of colors and patterns
- Better for beginners
So there you have it! Thanks for reading! I hope I helped you with your decision on the hamster you may get, or, if your just reading this for research or just for fun, I hope you learned something new!
Remember to comment if you have any questions or concerns on your small animal!
Shell Sizes
This is a pretty important topic – Hermit Crab shells! A Hermit Crab’s shell is basically it’s home, so giving your crab the variety of shells it needs is vital. I don’t really know much on this topic as I haven’t decided on how big my crabs will be when I buy them. There is, however, one of my favorite youtubers who does know a lot on this topic. Here is the link to Caroline from Yadokari Nation’s video on shell sizes: Hermit Crab Shells Video
I hope this helped you a lot, and thanks for reading! As always, follow my blog for more great posts like these and comment if you have any questions or concerns about Hermit Crabs or Goldfish. I post every week, so please be a little patient with my response, but it will come!
Hermit Crab Food
This is an easy question – what should I feed my Hermit Crab? The answer? Almost anything! Hermit Crabs are omnivores, which means that they can eat plants and meats. It is almost like they can eat off your plate, with a few exceptions. Well what is safe for them? Good question. I can’t speak from experience yet, but I know who can. There are many reliable sources for this question out there. Here are a few links to different sites or blogs who have answered this question:
I hope that these links have helped you, and these are just a few of many! I wanted to put a link to the Hermit Crab association, but they were having some problems with their site. In the future, make sure to check out there site for another great list. After doing lots of research myself, here is a list of easy foods that I would have around to feed my crabs. Remember, this is what I can feed my crabs, but there are many other great food sources that I may not have access to. Here is what I would and can feed my crabs based on what I already have:
- almonds
- avocado
- banana
- blueberries
- carrots
- unsalted cashews
- celery
- cheese (on occasion)
- chicken (unseasoned but cooked)
- cod liver oil
- cuttle bone
- fish oil
- honey
- kale
- lettuce
- maple syrup
- mushrooms
- parsley
- pears
- pork
- potatoes (sweet and regular)
- tomato
- walnuts
Thanks for reading! Follow my blog to see a follow up post on Crab nutrition, and make sure to comment if you have any questions or concerns about your Crabs or Goldfish! Also comment which theme you think I should do for my tank!
Goldfish Food
I know that this simple question is very, very important, “What should I feed my Goldfish?” I also know that very few people think about it. Why not just pick the cheapest fish flakes off the shelf in the pet store? The answer is, because fish deserve better – they’re beings too! They need nutrients to live a healthy, active life which I think every pet owner should care about. If you haven’t read any of my previous posts, than you don’t know that my oldest goldfish, Pop, will be 5 years old in October this year, 2015! The reason that he is still alive is simply because me and my family do the research and take care of our fishy friends properly. I believe that everyone should too.
Now onto the actual food. I don’t spend all my money on gourmet fish foods, but that doesn’t mean I don’t try to find high quality fish food. The two types of regular fish food that I use is first, Wardley Advanced Nutrition – Perfect Protein Flake Food and Aqueon Goldfish Granules, both of which I would recommend to my readers because they have great nutrients in both. I feed the food to my fish once everyday. I only feed them a whole pinch or two, but I would also do some other research on the amount as well. Make sure to give your Goldfish variety and try out different foods on them to see what they like as well. I can’t recommend any other brands because all Goldfish are different, and sometimes flakes work better than pellets or pellets work better than flakes. However, other foods such as shrimp, blood-worms and other freeze – dried foods should also be available.
Thanks for reading! Please comment if you have any questions on Goldfish or Hermit Crabs! Also follow my blog for more helpful posts!
What to do with your Goldfish on Vacation or when You’re Traveling
If you are leaving soon for vacation, then it is time to start thinking about what to do with your Goldfish. There are a few options, but it really depends on how long the stay is. Here is a guide about what I do with my fish on vacation and what you should do:
1 – 6 days: Leave your goldfish at home. Make sure to clean their tank right before you leave, and you will also need to get a food dispenser or a food that dissolves – we use Penn Plax Spirulina Shell Shape Vacation Fish Feeder
1 – 2 weeks: You will need someone to take care of your fish. We have other members of our family come over and feed and clean the tank when needed. If you don’t have a family member that can do this, you can ask a friend to do the same.
3 – 4 weeks: You will definitely need to take your fishy friends to one of your friend or family’s house. Everything they will need to take care of the fish, such as food, cleaning supplies, and your contact information will be needed. I would suggest that you write a short care guide for them, so if they ever need help, they can look there before they call you.
A little over a month: You will need a friend or family who will be able to take care of your pets for this longer time period. Though I am not absolutely sure about this, you can try your local veterinarian as last resort if you really need someone to watch your pet, though I definitely would not rely on this.
More than 2 months: You will need to take your fish and all their supplies with you on vacation. Though this may be difficult, there are ways in which you can safely do this. There is a video by Solid Gold that I believe is a great video to watch if you would like to know how to safely travel with your goldfish. She used this method when she was moving, but it works fine if you are simply traveling. Here is the link: Solid Gold’s How to Travel With Your Fish Video
I hope that this helped you! Don’t forget to follow this blog for other helpful posts like these! Leave a comment if you have any questions or concerns about your Goldfish or Hermit Crabs! Thanks again for checking out my blog and feel free to take a look at my other posts!
How I Deep Clean my Goldfish Tank
As I mentioned in my previous post, “The Actual Tank,” I don’t own a filter in my Goldfish tank. This is why I hand clean it every week. Every time I clean it, I make sure to do it in a very thorough way. Even if you own a filter, you should always hand clean your tank every so often! Especially if you own living plants! So here is my step – to – step post that you can follow on how I deep clean my Goldfish Tank:
Step 1. Take all the items out of the tank
Step 2. Bring them to the sink to clean
Step 3. Get a Rag, Sponge, or Paper Towel and rinse the items with regular tap water **MAKE SURE NEVER TO USE SOAP AS IT CONTAINS HARMFUL CHEMICALS**
Step 4. Set them out to dry to let the chlorine in the tap water evaporate or get a dry towel and dry them off
Step 5. Catch the fish gently in a large net and put them in another holding tank of some sort
Step 6. Bring the tank to the sink where you can pour the water out
Step 7. Rinse the tank with only tap water
– if you have gravel in your tank you should put it in now
Step 9. Fill the tank up with Luke – warm/slightly cool (temperature depends on your type of fish) tap water
Step 10. Use the recommended amount of Water Conditioner/Dechlorinator in the tap water to make it safe for your fish – I use Tetra Aqua Safe Plus
Step 11. Bring the tank back to it’s permanent place and put all the decorations back
Step 12. Scoop your fish up gently with the large net and place the net in the tank gently, making sure to let your fish swim out on its own
Make sure to follow my blog for other helpful posts like these! Also comment if you think I can add something to my cleaning routine or if you have any questions on Goldfish and Hermit Crabs!
Talk from the Tank 