Gold African Clawed Frogs!

Also known as Xenopus laevis, Gold African Clawed Frogs are named for the three short claws on each hind foot. Xenopus means "strange foot" and laevis means "smooth".  

Gold African Clawed Frogs differ from African Dwarf frogs in that they are different in color and have webbing on just their hind feet instead of all four feet like the African Dwarf.  They also have their eyes on the top of their heads while the African Dwarf has eyes on the side of their heads. What's more, African Clawed Frogs have curved, flat noses and the African Dwarf frogs have pointed noses. 

 Easily adapted to many habitats and conditions, the Gold African Clawed Frog has a very unique genetic makeup.  They are tongue-less, tooth-less, and do not have ear drums but rather subcutaneous cartilaginous disks for hearing. Plus, even though they do not have vocal chords or a vocal sac, they can make mating calls using special laryngeal muscles - sounding much like ticking or cricket chirping noises. The lateral line (which can be seen as small marks down the sides of the frog) are used to pick up vibrations in water with low visibility. Each season, the Gold African Clawed Frog will shed its skin and then consume its own shed skin, and their skin produces a kind of antibiotic that helps heal wounds quickly too!  Due to their molecular biology, seven African Clawed Frogs even accompanied the first African American woman in space, Mae Jemison, on the Space Shuttle Endeavour on Spacelab mission "J" so scientists could study how zero gravity affected reproduction and development in 1992.

On land the Gold African Clawed Frog crawls instead of hopping, and if their natural water habitat dries up they can burrow in the mud and remain dormant for up to an entire year! African Clawed Frogs require some hiding spaces in their habitat, as well. However, special heating or lighting is not completely required - except to possibly maintain a regular day / night cycle. While they do not require land space, the water level should only reach about 12 inches deep so they may easily get to the surface for air.  A tight, secure lid on any African Clawed Frog enclosure is also a must as they are fantastic escape artists with strong enough legs to propel themselves out of the water. 

Please note: pet parents are encouraged to not release any African Clawed Frogs into the wild - as is with many other pets - as they are hardy to multiple conditions, will eat the young of other native frogs, and are voracious predators that will happily invade any space they can given the opportunity.

Fluval AquaSky Lights! 

Fluval puts a fun spin on freshwater and fish lighting with the AquaSky Series.  Not only does it let you control the light output of red, green, blue and super bright 6500K white LEDs for infinite color blends within freshwater and fish-only marine aquariums - it's also fully customizable and 24-hour programmable! 

Available in 12, 18, 27, & 35 watts, the sizes of the lights range from 15-24" to 48-60" via their extendable mounting brackets. They also have an IP67 Waterproof Rating, which allows for heavy splashing and even temporary submersion should it accidentally wind up in your tank!  Fluval LEDs are engineered to provide high-quality, uniform lighting to all corners of the aquarium. Each individual LED casts 120° of light for wider, more even illumination without dead spots!

One of the best parts is the customizable color spectrum and fully programmable 24-hour light cycle with multiple weather effects - all controlled and personalized via the FluvalSmart mobile app! Aquasky LED pairs super bright 6500K white LEDs with tri-colored RGB LEDs to offer an adjustable light spectrum capable of replicating various wild aquatic environments. 
Mimic the natural cycle of the sun and moon to create a realistic environment for your fish - from sunrise to mid-day, dusk and night. Whether it's sunny, stormy with lightning, or even dense cloud cover, you can recreate seasonal weather systems from the world’s great natural fish habitats all from the palm of your hand!