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We publish a blog post every week on Thursday. We cover a range of topics related to reptiles, fish, bio-active setups, and plants. Below you will find a wealth of information for your reading pleasure. Enjoy!

We're Having Our 3rd Annual Pumpkin Patch Event

Posted by Diedra Blackmill on Oct 2nd 2019

We're Having Our 3rd Annual Pumpkin Patch Event

We're Having Our 3rd Annual Pumpkin Patch Event Got kids? Looking for a fun family event to take them to this month? How about celebrating with some pre-Halloween fun. We are holding our Third Annual Pumpkin Patch Even … read more >

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kid-friendly reptiles amphibians exotic pets

Where to Find Urban Farms in STL

Posted by Diedra Blackmill on Sep 26th 2019

Where to Find Urban Farms in STL

Where to Find Urban Farms in STL In a previous blog post I talked about how aquaculture and hydroponics are bringing fresher food to urban areas. And I discussed how those technologies are providing opportunities for mor … read more >

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urban farming hydroponics indoor gardening indoor growers

What to Do When Your Picky Tortoise Won't Eat Pellet Food

Posted by Diedra Blackmill on Sep 19th 2019

What to Do When Your Picky Tortoise Won't Eat Pellet Food

What to Do When Your Picky Tortoise Won't Eat Pellet Food Have you ever had a pet that just wouldn’t eat what you gave it? We had that experience recently at our house. My daughter brought home a new Russian tortoise. An … read more >

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reptiles chelonians exotic pets

Aquaculture & Hydroponics for Urban Farming

Posted by Diedra Blackmill on Sep 12th 2019

Aquaculture & Hydroponics for Urban Farming

Aquaculture and Hydroponics Bring Fresher Food to Urban Areas Getting fresh food year-round has been a challenge of humanity for pretty much as long as humans have existed. But new methods of growing food and raising liv … read more >

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indoor growers indoor garden hydroponics aquaponics

Reptile UV Lighting: Wire vs Dome Fixtures

Posted by Diedra Blackmill on Sep 5th 2019

Reptile UV Lighting: Wire vs Dome Fixtures

Wire Light Fixtures vs. Dome Light Fixtures for Reptiles, and Everything Else You Need to Know about UV Photo courtesy of Giancarlo Piccinato When you're ready to take home a new reptile or amphibian one of the first … read more >

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reptiles herps exotic pets

Want to Know the Difference Between a Turtle and a Tortoise?

Posted by Diedra Blackmill on Aug 29th 2019

Want to Know the Difference Between a Turtle and a Tortoise?

Want to Know the Difference Between a Turtle and a Tortoise? Photo courtesy of Tracy Angus-Hammond What the differences are between a turtle and a tortoise is a common question for people to ask exotic pet store owners … read more >

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reptiles exotic pets

Can Tortoises Feel Their Shell? Yes, and Here's Where They Love Being Touched

Posted by Diedra Blackmill on Aug 22nd 2019

Can Tortoises Feel Their Shell? Yes, and Here's Where They Love Being Touched

Do Tortoises Like to Have Their Shell Scratched? Image courtesy of Albrecht Fietz We like to think of tortoise shells as armor, and they are. But it's not the same as a medieval knight wearing plate mail. Tortoises … read more >

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do tortoises feel their shell tortoise shell scratch can tortoises feel touch petting a tortoise tortoise shell nerves do turtles feel shell tortoise enrichment

How to Breed Isopods: Colony Setup and Care

Posted by Diedra Blackmill on Aug 8th 2019

How to Breed Isopods: Colony Setup and Care

How to Breed Your Own Isopods: Part 2 A few weeks ago I talked about how to set up a breeding terrarium for your isopods in “How to Breed Your Own Isopods: Part 1”. Now it’s time to get to the really fun part - adding th … read more >

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isopods bioactive exotic pets

Carnivorous Fish: Best Species and How to Keep Them

Posted by Diedra Blackmill on Aug 1st 2019

Carnivorous Fish: Best Species and How to Keep Them

How to Care for Carnivorous Fish Photo courtesy of Christy Hammer Last month I talked about how to get your fish to stop eating your aquarium plants, and one of the suggestions was to put carnivorous fish in the … read more >

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fish aquarium exotic pets aquascaping

The Jurassic Park Plot Twist that Scientists Knew All Along

Posted by Diedra Blackmill on Jul 25th 2019

The Jurassic Park Plot Twist that Scientists Knew All Along

The Jurassic Park Plot Twist that Scientists Knew All Along When told that the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park were all female so that breeding could be contained within the lab, Dr. Ian Malcolm remarks that “Life will not be … read more >

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reptile amphibian exotic pet herp lizards

6 Surprising Facts About Succulents

Posted by Diedra Blackmill on Jul 18th 2019

6 Surprising Facts About Succulents

6 Things You Might Not Know about Succulents Even if You Already Own OnePhoto courtesy of Milada VigerovaSucculents are super popular right now, and it’s easy to see why. They’re fairly hardy and easy to care for. And as many … read more >

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indoor garden indoor growers hydroponics

How to Breed Your Own Isopods: Part 1

Posted by Diedra Blackmill on Jul 11th 2019

How to Breed Your Own Isopods: Part 1

If you’ve read our article on getting a few tiny janitors for your bioactive terrarium, you may be wondering what you can do to keep a steady supply of isopods around. We’ve got you covered. Take a look at how yo … read more >

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invertebrates herps reptiles amphibians exotic pets indoor gardening indoor growers