I’d won a contest last week and the prize arrived today, a pair of 167cm K2 Coomba fat powder skis.

Now some background…

I live in Colorado and LOATHE groomers and don’t do park.

Until now my only skis have been a pair of obnoxiously soft 170cm beginner skis, I despise them for being unmaneuverable on bumps and trees and for chattering on even the mildest blue runs. Trying to initiate quick turns on the steeps is difficult because I feel like there’s an excessive amount of clumsy ski flopping around ahead of my bindings.

So a few weeks ago I rented a pair of twin tip 161cm Völkl Wall skis and had a blast in the back bowls of Vail on a powder day doing trees and bumps. I loved how responsive and lively they were.

So should I sell the 167cm Coombas and just buy a shorter pair of twin tips? Or should I ride the Coombas? (they’ve virgin, still in the shrink wrap, no bindings)

I hope I’ve provided enough info but if you have any questions just post and I’ll update thanks!

-Dan
If I were to buy some twin tips I would actually buy a fairly wide pair since I’d be using them for bowl terrain and not park.
Both my beginner skis AND the Volkls I rented have a radius of 16. The Coombas have a radius of 22.

Personally, I’d sell the powder skis and find a good pair of all mountain skis. Since you like to get a variety of terrain in over the course of the day, I’d think you’d want something thats a little more versatile than a dedicated powder ski.

Now, to be fair, I have never been on a pair of Coombas. But if you can sell them and cover the cost of a good pair of all-rounders, I don’t see that you have anything to lose.

I just purchased a Betta fish from the pet store. I put tap water in the fish bowl and put the accessories in. I also put a half cap of the Betta conditioner in the water. How long do I have to let it sit before I can but BANG in? I don’t want him in the little filthy cup the pet store has him in, its disgusting and dirty!

What else should I know about caring for him. Any tips?
Also, its winter here, should be worried about how high me heat is?
EDIT: The bowl is 4gallons… is that bad?

also, does he need a friend?

First off, No Bowls!
You need at the minimum 2.5 gallons of water for one.

Two…
I’m pretty sure you said you had the conditioner fir tap water? That works in seconds. I would wait at least a minute first. Before you add the fish in the bowl, let it float with the bag for half an hour. To let it get used to your water temperature. Betta’s are tropical fish, meaning they need warm water, between 78-80 degrees farenheit. So get him a heater at the per shop.

Three…
Feed him 1-2 times a day, everyday.

Four…
Take out 1/3% of the water once a week, then add back the new water, after you condition it.

Lastly, you said you don’t want him in that filthy cup the pet store gave him, well your’s isn’t much different.
For more info, Visit the link below…

http://bettacare101.com/

-AirAla-

I’m a beginner bowler, and i just started Bowling with a hook (about 3 weeks ago), should i get a Columbia blue dot (and yea i know it won’t hook, but some people said that it would be good to have a plastic ball with the proper drilling for my hand so i can make my hook better before going to a reactive), or should i get a Power Grove. (some say i could handle it but some say its better to get a plastic) I also throw a pretty good straight ball as well, in all of my best games(my best being a 155), i was throwing a straight ball. I would really like a good outside opinion. Btw with a straight ball i average about 120, and with a hook ball i average about 97(with a 12ib house ball) Also, what type of drilling should i get for my ball? should i get a finger-tip, semi finger-tip, or conventional grip? Thanks in advance.

if your starting out i would stick with blue dot and have it drilled conventional until you learn to throw the ball a bit better
that way you will learn to control the ball more

and after a year or so then go to finger tip .. but when you do that there will be another learning curve

I have my 2 year old bearded dragon in a 70 gallon tank, and she needs a new basking spot. I want to make the tank look like a desert, but I also want to make her a fake rock city based on this: http://www.lizard-landscapes.com/miniature-city.html

Do you think if I painted the city more like an old timey western town, it would still blend in with the desert theme (cactuses, cow skull, sand…) I could have buildings like saloon, blacksmith, bank, and so on… any tips on how to make it look more like this, or other names for the buildings? Any tips how to make it look more like a desert overall?

I also want to make her something like this: http://www.lizard-landscapes.com/Fake-rock-wall-beginner-video.html for the other side of the tank, since it looks so empty in there. Any tips? How to make it have more of a "desert" look?

Oh, and the substrate… last question, I promise. She’s on paper towels now but they’re annoying. Could I use some kind of tile for the whole floor of the tank? What else could I use? I’m thinking of using this fine grain, clean play sand I got, but… she’ll kick it into her food and water bowls. Could I put a tile or something just for her bowls?

Please, don’t feel the need to educate me about impaction… I know the risk, I don’t think it’s high enough to worry, and it’s the owner’s choice. Pizza could give you a heart attack, but you still eat it.

repti-sand is great for substrate. Also I would not reccomend the city for inside the dragon’s enclosure. The city would be for entertainment while playing with him.

Lake rocks from the great lakes are great, and you can also get rocks from petsco or petsmart. But wash them first before you put them in his habitat.

http://i26.tinypic.com/53tf7s.png

Repti-carpet, water dish, two thermometers, two shelters on each side, a hamick thing for climbing if he wants, bowl with meal worms, bottle cap of calcium powder, fake plants, and a few crickets currently running around in there. 75 watt heat bulb on left side of the cage.

My baby leopard gecko just died yesterday (rip Leonardo) of an unknown cause after having him for four weeks, and I already bought a new one. On the left side of the cage, the tan shelter I use to fill with peat moss to help shedding, but instead of that I am just going to mist the cage every day. I bought my new leopard gecko, Milo from Petsmart, and he seems incredibly healthy for a chain store pet. Good size, colorful, about 2-3 months, nice fat tail. The only flaw in him is that when I pick him up, he turns and tries to get away, but after a minute he will just chill in my hand. I stuck my hand in the cage before to pet the underside of his chin, and all he did was lick my finger. He seems pretty friendly as of now. Also, I noticed in Petsmart they did not use moist hide boxes, and one of the gecko’s in the cage was currently shedding and he seemed just fine. Are they really necessary?

If you have any tips for me, please share. I am a beginner with reptiles although I did a lot of research to make up for it.

Also, I was wondering if Leopard gecko’s eat fruit or veggies. Before I bought Milo, I was playing around with some bearded dragons, and I considered buying one since they are so calm and the manager at the store informed me that they are very chill reptiles and rarely try to run away from you like Leos do. But, I went with a Leo again because bearded dragons tend to grow very, very large. And I know beardies will eat veggies and such, and the manager at the store told me Leo’s do it as well although I read they only like to eat live insects. (I am planning on giving him Roman lettuce and raspberries as a treat.)
Also, it’s exactly 100 degrees on the heated side of my gecko’s cage, and about 78 on the cool side. I am wondering if 100 may be too hot and how can I lower the temperature?
I have a 10 gallon tank, by the way.
Thanks to everyone who actually read all this.

Tank setup sounds fine.
I think you should have waited before getting a new gecko. This way you could research on what you may have done wrong.

I would say don’t mist the cage. They are a desert animal and the humidity will be too high for him. Keep it in the hide. I did that a couple time and my gecko Logan hated it. Petsmart is supposed to have hides for all of the animals including reptiles. If they don’t they are not following PP. Talk to a manager about next time you go in. I work at Petsmart with reptiles.

Leopard geckos do not eat veggies or fruit. They hunt based on movement and last time I checked veggies don’t move =D. They ‘can’ eat veggies but most will not and the manager is wrong. You probably don’t want to get him any raspberries until he is an adult. Lettuce has too much water in it.

100 is way too hot. They need about 88. To lower the temperature use a lower wattage bulb. Because you do have a 10 gallon tank it will be harder to keep the temperature correct then say a 29 gallon tank would. You might try a under tank heater. They are better for leopard geckos because they use belly heat and they also do not need UVA/UVB light unlike most reptiles such as a bearded dragon. Do not use a heat rock. They over heat and burn and kill reptiles.

I don’t know if you are going to change substrates once he or she you don’t really know until it is at least 6inches long. Males will have a V shapes line across their abdomen females will not. Anyway you don’t want to use sand. It will cause an impact if eaten and other problems like eye infections. Impaction can be lethal to your pet. Also it makes a mess and is expensive. I would recommend slate tiles. They are cheap and safe and also easy to clean.

I’ll tell you about my gecko, Logan now.
I got Logan at the Petsmart I work at on July 24, 2008. We think he was about a year and a half. He is a leucistic leopard gecko meaning he has no spots. I have him in a 29 gallon tank all my himself. I first had him on sand but after doing a lot of research I decided to switch to slate tiles because I was worried about him becoming impacted. I current have 3 hides for him with moss under all of them. I tank him to a vet because if I happen to have an emergency I know I have someone to contact instead of panicking. I also recommend to everyone who buys a bird, hamster, reptile for pet store or not to take them to a vet for a checkup and so they know a vet.

This is Logan. http://s279.photobucket.com/albums/kk123/GanalDragon/?action=view&current=picturesart180.jpg

And his cage. http://s279.photobucket.com/albums/kk123/GanalDragon/?action=view&current=picturesart126.jpg

Good luck with your gecko. You can contact me if you have any questions at ganal.dragon@yahoo

I am getting a guinea pig in a few days!!! I bought it’s cage which is around 7.5 square feet. But I have a few worries! The food they gave me at the petstore looks like it has seeds in it. It’s called Nutrishare formula. Is it ok for them? I got it Timothy Hay . A bowl and a water bottle. I got it Carefresh bedding and a few toys.

so my questions are
1. Nutrishare? Is it bad for my piggy? Why?
2. Vitamin Tablets? What brand should I buy?
3. Which are generally less smelly females or males? Which are more friendly?
4. Girl names?
5. Boy names? I like Henry so far!

And if you have any beginner piggie tips please add!

Hi and congrats on the new pet!! oK so it looks like you got a good sized cage and it looks like you have everything it needs. To answer your questions:

1. Nutriphase is okay but i would take it back and get plain guinea pig pellets. The seeds added in the food is extra fat that guinea pigs dont need. Seeds are also not supposed to be fed to guinea pigs in the first place.

2. Any vitamins for water with vitamin c are good since guinea pigs cant produce it themselfs. Watch your guinea pig to make sure it drinks because some dont like the color or taste of the vitamin water.

3. Females tend to be less smelly because they do not spray like males. Both are great but i tend to see females more cuddly and fun.

4. Daisy, lily, muffin, cookie, maple, basil, blossom, reese, honey, chocolate, dolly, tulip, sugar, spice, buttons

5. Henry (cute!) Elmo, moe, fred, mac, maxie, teddy, fudge, boo, bugsy, blue

http://funpetnames.com

Tips: Remember to wait a few days until handeling your piggy. He needs to get used to his new cage and enviroment.

Remeber to feed lots of veggies each day with small pieces of fruit for treats.

make sure they have lots of hay available for their chewing needs.

Well good luck and i hoped that helped!
here are some sites with fun things to do with your piggy and good piggy care.

http://guineapigfun.com
http://guineapigcafe.com
http://guinealynx.com

Hope i helped! Good Luck

I had 2 kissing gouramis in a bowl and they both died within a week.I’m feeling really sad about it.Now I know bowls are dangerous, so I’m thinking of setting up a small tank. Which fish are hardy and best for a beginner? Also, what are the main equipments I need for a healthy tank and happy fish? ( I will have just 1-2 fish )

Mollies are very versatile fish having the unique ability to live in both freshwater and saltwater if acclimated slowly. They are also very forgiving as far as water temperature, and have a lot of different variations.. But, you should set up your tank at least two weeks before you introduce the fish and you should be adding salt for freshwater aquariums whatever type of fish you add.
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/scateg.cfm?pCatId=1101

I am a beginner bowler in the process of learning the hook. Recently on a trip to the local alley I met with an experienced bowler. I was simply using a house ball and the gentlemen commented on my form and how my technique and hook was probably as good as it could be using a house ball. He recommended the company Storm and suggested their bowling balls were quite nice. I don’t want to spent too much considering this is just a hobby of mine and something I do in my spare time with friends. BTW, I am left-handed in case that matters. The guy at the alley mentioned something about certain balls only allow the tips of your fingers rather than the entire finger in the holes and getting a ball with the proper core so that the weight is shifted to one side allowing the ball to hook better. I know I’m probably not describing it very well, again novice, but I hope you get the gist of it. I’d appreciate suggestions on what type of ball would be good for me. Thanks!

I would go with these tips for beginners and people taking up bowling as an occasional hobby. The bowler you met probably may have been advanced, but does not sound like he knows what he’s talking about. Beginners don’t need to spend outragious amounts of money, they are not real technical about bowling equipment and probably wanted to "impress" someone with misguided knowledge just so he would look good.

I’d start here…..

1. Take lessons from "certified" USBC coaches and take their technical and "bowling basics" advice to heart because if you listen to "advanced" bowlers, they may teach you their bad habits as well.

2. Don’t spend too much money on bowling equipment unless you are considering taking comprehensive lessons and joining a league for the long haul. Storm, Brunswick, AMF, MoRich, Hammer, Track, Elite, etc….. These manufacturer’s equipment basically work the same, and come in various types of Bowling Balls, coverstocks, core shapes and prices. Do some shopping and homework about what to purchase.

3. Misinformation about "technical" and equipment stuff when "advanced bowlers" tell you so, basically is what the pro shop should worry about when fitting bowlers with Bowling balls. Just tell the pro shop operator that you’re a beginner, which "house" (bowling center) you’re bowling at, type of bowling ball that most beginners purchase and what your budget is.

4. Beginners and recreational bowlers tend to purchase plastic, polyester bowling balls or even reactive urethane equipment. They are on the low end of price but will definitely last you a couple of seasons as long as you take care of it by cleaning or polishing right after bowling and not exposing them to the elements like in a car trunk.

5. Be your self on the lanes and just enjoy the sport. Don’t try to copy people’s style and don’t try to impress people on the lanes. It’s all for fun and if you get better at it, it can be rewarding.

Good luck!