THE AQUARIUM, APRIL, 1895. 



175 



has seen this plan tried repeatedly, and 

 it has never failed. The biggest army 

 of ants — pioneers, engineers, directors 

 general, all — is utterly discomfited by 

 this very simple means of defense. This 

 plan is not generally known, even in 

 the State of Antioquia (where these 

 ants abound) and he thinks that our 

 coloitists might profitably be made ac- 

 quainted with it. 



Queries. 



For the small sum of fifty cents in advance, 

 wliicli pays for a year's subscription to The 

 Aquabium. you are entitled to ask informa- 

 tion on any point regarding the aquarium or 

 the window garden. We offer no other prem- 

 ium to our subscribers than that of putting 

 our 25 years of practical experience in these 

 branches at their disposal. Ask as many 

 questions as you please, but please to enclose 

 postage for reply. All questions are answered 

 by mail, and we publish only such in these 

 columns as are of general interest. 



Will correspondents of this department 

 please co-operate with us bj^ reporting to 

 the Editor the results obtained from advice 

 given in these columns ? Such informa- 

 tion would 1)6 a great benefit to others in 

 want of similar information. 



Mrs. J. B. P. — Your aquarium gets, ap- 

 parentl3% too much light. Empty it, clean 

 it, then place it so that it gets sufficient 

 light to encourage the growth of the plants, 

 but no sunshine ; then replace the plants 

 and re-fill it with water, adding a pinch of 

 ordinary cooking salt to every three gallons 

 of the water. 



To remove the green from the glass sides 

 of an empty aquarium, use nothing else 

 but ordinary salt and your moistened hand. 



If your aquarium is exposed to a strong 

 light, it will be necessar3^ to shade the side 

 facing the window ^ith a dark screen ; blue 

 paper will answer well, while the sun is 

 shining. 



The best location for an aquarium is a 

 northern exposure, next best is an eastern, 

 then a southern, while the least good is 

 one facing west. 



Mrs. S. — A sprig of plant as you describe 

 is properly called a cutting. It will grow 

 if properly treated. Tadpoles can be had 

 at all times of the j-ear. 



J. 11. F. — The cause of your fish remaining 

 near the surface most of the time and breath- 

 ing atmospheric air, is want of oxj'gen. 

 You have either too many or too large sized 

 fish inyour acpiarium, and iusufficient plant 

 life to supply them the necessary ox.ygen, 

 or the position of j'our aquariiim is not 

 favorable for the growth of the plants. The 

 best plan for you is to start the aquarium 

 anew. Take out everything, the sand, too ; 

 return the latter after a thorough washing, 

 re-plant only the best plants, adding some 

 new ones if it appears necessary: fill it iij) 

 with water, adding a pinch of table salt. 

 The aquarium .should be so located that it 

 will receive a strong light, but no direct 

 sunliglit. Should it be so located that the 

 sun will shine upon the glass sides at cer- 

 tain Lours of the daj-, the side that faces 

 the sun should be shaded with a curtain, or 

 a newspaper may be pinned before it. In 

 two or three daj's the plants will begin to 

 act on the water. This will at first assume 

 an opal (somewhat cloud j") appearance, but 

 after a couple of days this will disappear, 

 leaving the water as clear and sparkling as 

 crystal. Now introduce a few tadpoles, 

 ram's-horn snails and a few fish. If j'ou find 

 that the fish do well and the plants show 

 signs of growth, you maj^ caiitiously add 

 one or two more fish. This you may do 

 from time to time, until you will find that 

 you have reached the limit of your aqua- 

 rium. In selecting stock, aim for quality, 

 not for quantity, and don't hurry anything! 

 Eemember that you do it for recreation, to 

 rest your nerves, so to speak, and all haste 

 shoixld therefore be avoided, for your own 

 sake as well as for the welfare of yoiir col. 

 lection. 



