452 U. S. RUEEAU OF FISHERIES 



The excrement in health is dark, either a brownish o;reen or black. 

 If white or yellow, it indicates overfeeding. When a fish becomes 

 diseased, it should be removed from the aquarium immediately. 



Goldfish must be handled gently and as little as possible to avoid 

 injury to their scales, fins, or tails. The dip net used for their trans- 

 fer to and from the aquarium should be round and somewhat deep, 

 rather than funnel-shaped. If it can be avoided, fish should never 

 be grasped with the hands. 



When the fish are in a weakened condition or have been bruised 

 by excessive handling, diseases known as " white fungus " and " tail 

 rot " will often develop on the body and fins. When a whitish coat- 

 ing or splitting of the fins is noted, the affected fish should be placed 

 in another jar containing water just salty enough to be noticeable 

 to the taste and kept there until cured, the salt water being changed 

 daily. This treatment is good for run-down fish as well as for those 

 that are diseased. 



To overcome constipation, dissolve a tablespoonful of Epsom salts 

 in a gallon of water and allow the fish to remain in the solution for 

 a few hours if necessary. Then let them rest a day or two in a mild 

 solution of Epsom salts with a little sea salt added. Constipation 

 can be prevented by the use of live foods, such as Daphnia, at 

 intervals. 



Fish subject to a higher temperature than that which they were 

 accustomed to are apt to develop fungus or other diseases. When 

 fish are brought in from the open, the temperature should be lowered 

 gradually and overcrowding should be avoided. At the first indica- 

 tion of fungus (white spots on the fins) the fish should be given a, 

 salt treatment, after which they should be kept apart from the 

 healthy ones in well-aerated water. 



Fungus is a parasitic plant, and species of it are always more or 

 less abundant in the water. Healthy fish usually have the strength 

 to resist them, but fish that have been injured by injudicious handling 

 are liable to become affected. The fungus will be observed as black 

 and white spots, or the fish may have most of its body covered with 

 slime. A strong salt solution applied with a cotton swab will effect 

 a cure in one or two treatments. There are preparations on the 

 market that are sometimes used for painting spots made by fungus. 

 These preparations or balsams are insoluble in water and act as a 

 covering Avliile the wound is healing. In their use the affected parts 

 are cleaned and dried and the balsam freely applied with a small 

 brush or a piece of cotton and permitted to dr}' for about three min- 

 utes, the head and gills of the fish being wrapped in a wet cloth while 

 the operation is in process. If properly done, this will not endanger 

 the life of the fish. The following methods of salt treatment are 

 in common use : 



TREATMENT WITH STRONG SALT SOLUTION 



A solution containing 13 ounces of Turks Island salt per gallon of 

 water is prepared. If this is not available, common salt may be sub- 

 stituted. The fish are dipped up in a deep net and lowered in the salt 

 solution, where they should remain for two or three seconds. The 

 fish are then transferred to another vessel containing well-aerated 



