LeeAnne wrote
I'd rather have the DF's than the fishies - do they sell mosquito fish at
regular pet stores or do I need to go to a pond place?

Mosquito fish will also chow down on dragonfly nymphs. The dragonfly nymphs
will chow down on mosquito larvae. But to be extra cautious in these West Nile
times you can use Mosquito Bits (enter in google and you'll find lots of places
to purchase the product).

Also, as far as your jars go - how do you keep stuff alive, or do you just
examine and then release?

Usually examine and release.
I do have a jar full of tadpoles who are going to have to go into the frog bog
soon.
And I have seed shimp and tiny snails in an enclosed environment that has been
going for years. It contains some anacharis, the seed shrimp and the snails and
is self maintaining - my answer to the expensive 'Nasa' enclosed globes only
mine as a stopper in it.

Oh, and I saw a snail, small w/a blackish shell. I figured he was doing
some cleaning. But I could be wrong - are they bad?

Snails for the most part are good. I wouldn't take any from a natural pond as
snails can harbor parasites. But the snails that ride in on plants usually are
fine. He will eat decaying plants, if you see him chowing down on a brand new
lily pad then he needs to go.

The snails I keep inside I feed frozen organic lettuce if they run out of stuff
to eat.


k30a