C. WAGNER— ESTABLISHMENT FOR RAISING GOLDFISH. 683 



The artificial coloring of the fish is just as important as their artificial 

 feeding, and much time and money has been consumed in experiment- 

 ing until satisfactory results have been obtained. The Oldenburg 

 ponds are very favorably' located with regard to the coloring process, 

 for of the three principal ingredients, viz, iron, lime, and tan, the first 

 mentioned is found in considerable quantities, both in the soil and in 

 the water; nevertheless it is not sufficient, and has to be artificially 

 increased from time to time. 



The German national colors are in great demand, and a fish which 

 was originally red and white can by proper treatment be transformed 

 into an " imperial fish," exhibiting the national colors, viz, black, white, 

 and red. In spite of the greatest care it will happen that fish are not 

 sufficiently colored when they have reached the size of "glass-fish"; 

 they are then transferred to the large shallow pond D, where they are 

 more exposed to the rays of the sun, which possess a strong coloring 

 power, but are not without danger to the fish, as they often kill them 

 suddenly if the bottom is too bright and shadeless. 



In order to make the fish less tender for handling and transferring 

 to the aquaria they are generally for a time i)laced in the so-called 

 " skin-hardening " ponds, marked C. The peat bottom of these ponds 

 contains little or no sand or clay, but a great deal of iron. The water, 

 likewise, contains much iron ; and in jjonds of this kind the adding of 

 lime tends to harden the skin of the fish. This method of hardening 

 the skin has made the former slow and wearisome acclimatizing process 

 almost superfluous. By applying lime the same result is obtained with 

 young eels, which are kept in the pond marked d, and are also sold for 

 aquaria. These eels are obtained from neighboring waters, into which 

 they come from the Hunte when they ascend that river in May. 



By this simple method the goldfish become so hardened that they can 

 be easily handled witiiout suliering injury. Their future welfare (when 

 kept in glasses or aquaria) of course depends on the character of the 

 water and the food. Mr. Wagner recommends spring or pump water, 

 and wherever this cannot be obtained river- water. Eain-water he con- 

 siders utterly useless. When the goldfish are kept in glasses or smaU 

 aquaria animal food is almost exclusively recommended by Mr. Wagner; 

 e. g., meat, raw or cooked, scraped very fine, worms, insects, larvae, ant- 

 eggs, &c. The aquaria should also contain a few aquatic plants at 

 which the fish may nibble. Too much food is injurious, especially in 

 winter, when scarcely any food is required. Mr. Wagner considers it 

 less injurious to give no food for a whole month than too much food. 

 As a rule, no more food should be given than can be at once consumed 

 by the fish. 



Before Mr. Wagner ships fish to any considerable distance he lets 

 them fast for a week, and in this way prevents, as far as possible, the 

 water from becoming impure during the journey. The vessel which is 

 generally used for transporting goldfish is an oval tub with a perforated 



