illustration, and anyone who is even 

 moderately familiar with tools can make 

 as many tanks as are required. 



Any size tank may be made, but I 

 find that the sizes considered are most 

 satisfactory, and the lumber cuts to an 

 advantage with but little waste. The 

 large tank measures 30 inches wide, 16 

 inches high, and 48 inches long. The 

 smaller one 24 inches wide, 9 inches 

 high, and 32 inches long. For the larger 

 tank 1:^ inch lumber is used, which, 

 when dressed, is about 1^ inches thick. 

 Here I use a board 16 inches wide, thus 

 avoiding 

 seams in the 

 sides or ends 

 and but one 

 in the bot- 

 tom. The side 

 and bottom 

 boards, 

 though it is 

 not shown in 

 the cut, have 

 been rabbet- 

 ed to a depth 

 of a quarter 

 of an inch for 

 the reception 

 of the ends. 

 The bottom 

 boards are 

 tongued and 

 grooved. All 

 joints are painted with white lead just 

 before being put together. The tank is 

 then set up, clamped, and 1^ inch screws 

 inserted through the sides and bottom 

 into the ends. A strip 3 inches wide 

 and as long as the width of the tank is 

 screwed tightly to each end of the bot- 

 tom, and a similar strip in the middle. 

 Strips of this width are secured in like 

 manner to each of the end boards, thus 

 insuring against warping. An iron rod 

 one quarter-inch thick, threaded at both 

 ends, is now passed from side to side at 



A COMPLETE TANK 



Drawing by L. M. Dorsey, Jr. 



each end of the tank and secured with 

 nuts. This completes the large tank. 

 The smaller one is identical, except that 

 the iron rods and the strip across the 

 middle of the bottom are omitted. This 

 method of construction gives a strong, 

 neat and substantial tank that will last 

 for years. 



Painting improves the appearance, but 

 fills the pores and prevents the neces- 

 sary evaporation of the water absorbed 

 by the wood, thus causing decay much 

 earlier than if the tanks be left to 

 weather, unless some preventive be 



used. Para- 

 fine, chipped 

 into the tank 

 and t h o r- 

 oughly ironed 

 into the pores 

 of the wood 

 with a hot 

 sad-iron will 

 prevent the 

 absorption of 

 the water. 

 This should 

 be done once 

 a year. Five 

 tanks c o n- 

 structed and 

 treated as 

 described 

 have been in 

 use by the 

 writer for four years and show no signs 

 of decay. 



"Nature is a great artist, when she is 

 left to herself to suit her means to her 

 end". Lamartine. It is highly im- 

 probable that goldfish breeders will 

 concur. 



Slovenly and careless habits of study 

 will hinder progress exceedingly; and 

 those who in the beginning skip difficul- 

 ties, or are satisfied with guesses, will 

 always be impeded by doubts. 



Notcutt. 



