New Home Additions

I have a male mini schnauzer, not neutered, that has recently started peeing in our home. He's about to be 4 and has not had this problem until my female was about to have her puppies. We don't know if it has to do with her and the new pups that he continues to pee in the house or something else.

Yes its because of the females scent. He is making sure that all dogs know this is his place. You need to clean the pee with borax and water. They smell where they pee even if you clean with bleach. Borax gets that odor gone. As soon as they smell it, the brain tells them pee!
Also since this just started its early enough to put a halt to it.
When you see him sniffing, or peeing run up on him and make some very loud noise and startle him. Do this every time and he will learn to stop. Neutering will help greatly.

2010-01-26 17:16:39 by jldenas

A home improvement like house remodeling, room addition, kitchen remodeling, bathroom remodeling, roof repair, doors or windows installation is a ...

i am a high school student and i don't have a lot of money to spend on an expensive tank. would a 5 gal tank that's a box be suited for keeping new additions to my tank in for a week?? or should i just wait until i get a bigger aquarium for christmas and use my current aquarium?

Small tanks are not easier they are harder to care for. I recommend much larger than that. Get a used tank setup on your local newspaper classified,news classifieds in your area or at a yard sale. Clean the tank out with vinegar or lemon juice.

The Importance of Cycling an Aquarium and only doing small water changes so that you do not upset the biological balance:
I have raised fish for more than 35 years, the most common hardship that people face when raising pet fish or pond fish is due to not understanding the importance of the Nitrogen Cycle and Cycling the aquarium or fish pond. It is extremely important to gradually add fish that get along to any aquarium. If you just did more than a 50 percent water change then the aquarium or pond needs to be cycled again and the water quality parameters of Ammonia and Nitrite monitored. Never change the pH suddenly it is fatal or near fatal. Always remove the chlorine,chloramine and add water that is the exact same temperature so that there are no sudden temperature changes on the fish.

Monthly water changes of 10 to 20 percent are recommended, in some instances it should be done weekly. Always monitor the Ammonia and Nitrogen levels and add beneficial bacterial enzymes if needed, usually they are needed and can be purchased. BIG WATER Changes of over 30 percent can actually do more harm then good, and upset the balance.Overcleaning of the gravel and tank is a fast way to kill off the fish you have raised for so long.The beneficial bacterial colonies live on the surfaces of the filer material,gravel,rocks,plants,etc!

Green algae means that the water quality is in balance. Green algae looks bad but is beneficial. Reduce the lighting number of hours and keep away from a bright window.Reduce the lighting to around 8 hours daily;use a coffee pot timer if needed. Algae will first occur as a brownish film then gradually green up, at that time you can also add an algae eater or snails of appropriate type. Do not kill off your pleco or otocinclus by putting it in the tank too soon!

When you are ready I suggest a heated smaller aquarium as a quarantine tank for new arrivals for two weeks, then add them to your main aqaurium. Water should be cycled in both aquariums. I also highly recommend sponge filters maintain beneficial bacterial colonies. New fish should be monitored for possible ick and fungal infections, these can be frequently seen in fish from large pet store chains and stores which sell fish and linens and more. Stores that sell clothing and fish etc tend to be clueless as to what they mix in the same tank. One of the worst examples of this was male fancy guppies in a tank full of spotted green puffers. Not only do those places have low quality fish care but they are expensive.

My favorite products are Aquarium Salt (non Iodine salt used for water softeners,ice cream making or sold for freshwater fish),Kordon Rid Fungus which also works great on Ich. Low level doses of Malachite green. Scaleless fish like tetras,catfish,ghosts,silver dollars, loaches,botias should be treated with scaleless type medication or reduced levels. Do not use copper products on snails,shrimp,or crustaceans.Antibiotics should only be used when there is a bare bottom aquarium and the water quality is being checked. Many bad water quality issues can trigger bacterial and fungal issues, and antibiotics are not always beneficial. They tend to also destroy the water quality.

Increase oxygen if water is above 80 degrees Farenheit, and always increase oxygen when treating sick fish.

Seller tropicalfishaquarium on Aquabid.com Aquabid is a great place for high quality American born and raised fish from top breeders. Support your local pet store. Avoid fish from big chain stores and the worst being those who sell pets,clothing,and groceries under the same roof.


In the past I owned a pet store for more than 8 years which specialized in high volume fish sales. I have been raising and breeding fish for more than 35 years. Fish are easy if you follow basic guidelines and keep fish species that should live together with each other.

Enjoy your aquarium!

2010-09-11 13:23:40 by Bob Joe

Price: $149.99 $124.89

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all our friends have voiced their desire to come see our home addition. we would love to accomodate them and have considered an "open house" for one saturday for maybe 4-5 hours and just send out invites and let everyone come by anytime during the time period. i would set out snacks and drinks. is this bad taste?

Nope. Sounds like you are going to have some fun and fill your friends desires at the same time. Sounds cool to me.

2006-05-07 09:35:37 by bichongirl

Price: $40.00

I want to add on to my current home in about 5 years, we have a 3 bed 1 bath 1 story home. I would like to add up and out adding a second story with 2 more bedrooms and one more bath. Our house was built in 1955 with crawlspace. Do you think it would cost more to do these renovations than if we where just going to buy a new home. Is the remodel worth it?

It depends on many factors. Location is always the most important. Are you living where you want to live?
The second question is, what will the remodel do to the value of the house? If the value is much higher than neighboring houses, it would not pay to add on.
third question is where would you want to move to? How much you are willing to spend on a new house is a factor.

Figure $100 per square foot as the remodel cost. Two bedrooms, two closets, bath, bath closet, hall, stairs, wall space. Five hundred square feet would be $50,000.

When people "move up" they usually spend $35,000 to $45,000 for a better home. So it would be cheaper to move up.

Further, doing a remodel is a massive headache. You would have to find temporary living arrangements for about six months. And you would have to keep daily tabs on the contractors to make sure they do things right.

If you move up, you only have to find the house you want, buy it, then move in.

2008-02-24 07:59:46 by Nick C

I live in Colorado and plan to purchase a home. Before I move in, I'd like to add two bedrooms and a bath. What's the best way to finance this all at the same time?

If your credit is good, you could finance 100 - 107% of the purchase price and save your down payment for the renovation. I am a manager a mortgage bank. Email me if you would like to explore these ideas.
Thanks

2005-12-12 15:43:55 by Jim