ye 
ANACHARIS—From Wolf’s “‘Goldfish Breeds”’ 
A 10-gallon aquarium should be provided 
with about half a dozen water snails such as 
They will keep down the 
green growth on the glass and also consume 
dealers sell. 
particles of food which the fish may have 
overlooked. For the latter purpose, some 
aquarists use tadpoles. The writer does not 
care for them, as they keep the water and 
The 
dead ones 
sand stirred up too much. snails 
should be watched and any 
promptly taken out, A mussel helps to 
keep the water clear and is a desirable 
aquarium inhabitant, but should not be 
used unless one is willing to frequently ob- 
serve whether it is alive. Their decompo- 
sition is rapid and very offensive. 
Once in a while, when the sediment in an 
aquarium becomes unsightly, siphon it off 
with a rubber tube of from one-quarter to 
one-half inch diameter and about three to 
Fill the tube with water, 
tightly pinch one end; put the other end 
four feet long. 
41 
quickly into the aquarium, hold 
the pinched end down as far as 
possible below the aquarium and 
then open the tube into a suit- 
able receptacle. The water will 
run out as long as the lowest 
point of the discharging end of 
the tube is lower than the sur- 
face of the water. Move the end of the 
the water around where the dirt 
is and it will rapidly suck it up. 
tube in 
Care must 
be taken not to draw in small fish and snails. 
If the time can be taken, let the drawn- 
settle and filter the 
portion fine muslin back 
off 
clearer 
water somewhat 
through 
This is better than new 
If 
water is used, see that it is of nearly the 
into the aquarium. 
water if the aquarium is right. new 
same temperature as the old. This is im- 
portant. Violent changes in temperature 
produce contagious diseases known as “white 
At the 
of a whitish coating on the fish or 
fungus” and “tail rot.” first sign 
a general 
splitting of the fins, separate it from the 
others and place in salt water until improve- 
ment is distinct. This may take from one 
The water should be 
enough to be just noticeable to the taste. 
Feed 
Sometimes this treatment 
day to a week. salt 
Salt water should be changed daily. 
very sparingly. 
is beneficial to fish which are generally run 
down but show no external signs of disease. 
It is believed that sea water, properly di- 
luted, is more effective than common cook- 
ing salt. Do not use advertised brands of 
non-caking table salt. Some of them con- 
tain chemicals injurious to fish. 
On cloudy days fish even in a_ properly 
conditioned aquarium will come to the sur- 
face of the water to breathe, but if they 
do this in clear weather it is a sure sign 
that something is wrong. It may be from 
too high a temperature, too few plants, de- 
composition of snails, mussels -or uncon- 
sumed food, but in all cases it is from over- 
crowding. Whatever the cause, it must be 
found and remedied quickly. To neglect 
to do so is to invite disaster. 
