Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Is it okay to feed Hissers baby spinach? I was thinking of buying some for myself and was told that around here it is only sold as organic. That makes me want to share some with my Hissers, but I thought I should check with you guys first.

If you don't use the hissers as feeder insects, it may be alright as part of their (hissers') diet. Spinach has oxalic acid which is a calcium binder, so it's bad for reptiles/amphibians.

In small quantities & mixed w/ other vegetation, it's not as toxic.

No, I don't use them as feeders. I was more concerned about it hurting the roaches. Also, I mist their tank so they can get water, but it leaves white residue (someone said it was lime) when it dries. Any idea on a safe way I can get it off when cleaning the tank (same person recomended vinagar or a cloth, but I don't know)? See the pic.

Aquarium shops have cleaners for tanks to remove deposits.LCR is supposed to remove deposits on glass,but rinse the tank very well to remove traces of LCR.Start buying distilled water to spray your tank.Walmart sells it for around .70 cents a gallon.I've been using it for five years on my tanks and the glass is still spotless.

For the water spots, you can use CLR or LimeAway as Fenton suggested. You should remove the roaches & substrate before you do a cleaning; otherwise, the acids may cause problems with the roaches.

I use reverse-osmosis water from a local water store. They meter the water with a device that indicates: particulates per million. It's very low in mineral content, but has a small amount. Another good brand of water is Arrowhead drinking water which is low in minerals. Distilled water works, but has absolutely no mineral content.

--But, you may need to wipe it a few times & let it soak-in to dissolve the minerals. Vinegar works on superficial mineral build-up-that are not too embedded into the glass. In all cases of mineral removal, make sure you rinse the acids out of the tank thoroughly & then dry the tank to prevent further mineral spots. It's also a good idea to wear latex gloves when working with CLR or LimeAway. I've cleaned tanks with it & a scrunge(green scrubber)/sponge combo.

Hope that helps.