Please note the following use of "environmentally relevant concns." in the following larger quote: "chronically exposed to environmentally relevant concns. of POEA or glyphosate formulations contg. POEA showed decreased snout-vent length at metamorphosis and increased time to metamorphosis, tail damage, and gonadal abnormalities." ------------------------------ Title: Toxicity of glyphosate-based pesticides to four North American frog species. Authors: Howe, Christina M.; Berrill, Michael; Pauli, Bruce D.; Helbing, Caren C.; Werry, Kate; Veldhoen, Nik. Authors affiliation: Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Can. Published in: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (2004), 23(8), pages 1928-1938. Abstract: "Glyphosate-based herbicides are among the most widely used pesticides in the world. We compared the acute toxicity of the glyphosate end-use formulation Roundup Original to four North American amphibian species (Rana clamitans, R. pipiens, R. sylvatica, and Bufo americanus) and the toxicity of glyphosate tech., the polyethoxylated tallowamine surfactant (POEA) commonly used in glyphosate-based herbicides, and five newer glyphosate formulations to R. clamitans. For R. clamitans, acute toxicity values in order of decreasing toxicity were POEA > Roundup Original > Roundup Transorb > Glyfos AU; no significant acute toxicity was obsd. with glyphosate tech. material or the glyphosate formulations Roundup Biactive, Touchdown, or Glyfos BIO. Comparisons between the four amphibian species showed that the toxicity of Roundup Original varied with species and developmental stage. Rana pipiens tadpoles chronically exposed to environmentally relevant concns. of POEA or glyphosate formulations contg. POEA showed decreased snout-vent length at metamorphosis and increased time to metamorphosis, tail damage, and gonadal abnormalities. These effects may be caused, in some part, by disruption of hormone signaling, because thyroid hormone receptor b mRNA transcript levels were elevated by exposure to formulations contg. glyphosate and POEA. Taken together, the data suggest that surfactant compn. must be considered in the evaluation of toxicity of glyphosate-based herbicides."

I think your right. Some people don't want to care for their pets. They buy them and let them sit as if they were wall hangings. But, some people aren't about status. When I bought 3 betas from the store I had a seperate tank for each of them, one beta tank ( you know the 1 lt tetra tank) and two bowls. I was told that they only live for 2 years. That seemed like an acceptable life span for a fish, and I didn't want to be committed any longer than that. I cleaned their tanks every week, talked to them every day, named them. After 3 years I moved them up to larger living accomidations (even though they are "supposed" to like small places), and they loved them. After a while they gave me the eye attitude resenting the fact that they weren't again upgraded. So I bought them each a 5 gal tank. Again they loved them. Those guys lived 6 1/2 years!!! The pet store couldn't believe it. They had so much personality that after they died I bought another one. I put it in the 5 gal tank. It lived only 1.5 years- and had none of the attitude :( I'm not going to buy another. But, I loved them very much and fussed over them constantly. I had the slim coat, and the special foods and gravel, only the soft plants etc. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that not everyone is irresponsible, just misinformed. And I think your right, the pet store needs to know what they are doing and tell people the optimal not minimal conditions required for a pet. I'm glad I had them, but if I was told they would live for 6 + years I would have rethought the situation- like getting a dog.

TTB :)

A few weeks back I lost all my worms in my worm bin, which really stumped me because I had a flourishing and healthy worm bin that was thriving with hundreds of red wigglers in various stages of their lifecycle. I took a bit of a hiatus in feeding them as I was trying to maintain the level of mites I had in my bin (I basically wanted to keep it balanced). To be honest I don't know what might have happened, has anyone experience the same phenomenon? I don't think it was the mites as from most of the articles I have read they don't affect the worms and the population of them wasn't too out of control. Also when I looked through the bin to find any evidence of the worms there was still small amounts of food in the bin! Please help me on the famous worm disappearing act.