In this episode of Reefs and Reptiles we will be focusing on caging and substrate choices for ball pythons (Python regius).  We'll go over some tips for sprucing up a regular aquarium using insulation boards.  We will also talk about larger plastic cages that are popular from brands like Animal Plastics.   It is important with ball pythons to create a thermal gradient inside their home.  This episode talks about ways to create that thermal gradient using heat pads, heat tape, and digital thermostat controllers that allow you to adjust the heat.  Lastly, we also talk about bioactive terrariums for ball pythons. 

In this episode of Reefs and Reptiles we will be focusing on the natural history of the ball python (Python regius).  Ball Pythons come from countries in West Africa.  Many ball pythons are exported from the countries of Benin, Togo, and Ghana.  Ball pythons are part of the Boidae family which includes boa constrictors and other pythons.  This is the first episode in a ball python series, in future episodes we will be focusing more on ball python husbandry.

In this episode, we are going over the basics of setting up a saltwater aquarium.  This episode is meant to give a beginner aquarists points to consider before buying a fish tank.  Topics include, biological filtration, mechanical filtration, chemical filtration, lighting, tank size, and water changes.  When setting up a saltwater tank, figuring out how you plan to do water changes is an important consideration.  We also will go over the basics of nitrification.  We recommend reading Martin Moe's Marine Aquarium Handbook to get a complete picture of setting up your first saltwater aquarium.

Amazon affiliate link to get the Marine Aquarium Handbook -https://amzn.to/3o9HyY6

In this episode we will be covering the Lemon Tetra (Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis).  Lemon Tetras are an easy freshwater fish species to keep and make an excellent beginner fish for those new to freshwater fish tanks.  If you're thinking about keeping Lemon Tetras or if you are hearing about them for the first time now, this episode will give you some insight on the requirements for keeping Lemon Tetras.