ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN. 



335 



GOLDFISHES REARED AMONG WATER-PLANTS. 



In a well-balanced aquarium the water 

 should not be changed at all. It is in fact bet- 

 ter without any additions, other than that re- 

 quired to replace what is lost by evaporation. 

 Water should never be added until it has been 

 kept in the same room with the aquarium long 

 enough to acquire the same temperature. 



In siphoning out water from the bottom of 

 the aquarium to clear ofT sediment or refuse, 

 the water should be saved and strained back. 

 The supply of water may be aerated at times 

 by lifting it with a clean dipper and letting it 

 fall back slowly. A sprinkling can will also 

 serve for this purpose. All vessels and appara- 

 tus used in connection with the aquarium 

 should be perfectly clean, and it is well not to 

 put the hands into the water at all. Assistance 

 in the way of keeping the aquarium clean may 

 be had by introducing a few tadpoles and 

 small newts to act as scavengers, but the latter 

 should be of very small size. 



The bottom of the aquarium should be cov- 

 ered to the depth of a couple of inches, with 

 fine gravel, or clean white sand in which fishes 

 mav rub themselves ; it is also essential for the 

 rooting of plants. 



There should not be too much animal life in 

 the aquarium. The fewer and smaller the 

 fishes the less likelv is the air in the water to 



become exhausted. Two or three small gold- 

 fishes to each gallon of water is a safe rule to 

 go by, if the aquarium is large. If small the 

 proportion must be reduced. The question the 

 aquarium presents, when it has been supplied 

 with water and plants, is simply, how many 

 fishes or other air consuming creatures can 

 be accommodated in the quantity of water 

 available? Overstocking may disturb the bal- 

 ance within an hour. 



It is probably safe to say that a little neglect 

 in the matter of feeding is better for the per- 

 manence of the aquarium than over attention. 

 It must not be presumed that because fishes will 

 live for months without feeding, it is right to 

 treat them in that way. Fishes left without 

 food are simply fishes kept hungry and in a 

 condition of slow starvation, which can only be 

 described as cruelty. When there is a large 

 supply of plants in the aquarium the fishes hold 

 out longer, the very small ones especially get- 

 ting some nourishment from the young shoots 

 of Anacharis and other plants. 



Many aquariists feed every day, carefully 

 removing all uneaten food, which soon decays 

 and fouls the water. Wafer food, made of rice 

 fiour, and other prepared foods kept by aqua- 

 ria dealers are safe, and should be supplied at 

 least every other dav. Finelv crushed vermi- 



