OCTOBER, 1896. 
No. 41. 
CopyriGHT 1896. Ati RIGHTS RESERVED. 
IN AND OUTLETS FOR FISH 
TANKS. 
Quite recently there has been a great 
deal of attention paid, in piscatorial 
circles, here and abroad, to the drain- 
ing of fish-tanks. The question is: Is 
surface or bottom drainage preferable ? 
We had the impression that this ques- 
tion had been settled years ago, but it 
seems that every nowand then mechan- 
ics, insufficiently posted on the require- 
ments of aquatic animals, are en- 
trusted with the construction of a plant 
intended for storage or exhibition of 
live fish or other aquatic animals, and 
this seems to be the cause that this 
question has not yet come to rest. 
This is really surprising, in view of 
the fact, that gardeners, professional 
or private, have, for about a quarter 
of a century, ceased to give a contract 
for the construction of a greenhouse or 
conservatory to any other builder than 
one who makes greenhouse construction 
his specialty. The advantages of such 
a proceeding are manifold, and they are 
plausible, for his experience has taught 
him what material and what style of 
construction is best for a certain pur- 
pose in a certain climate or locality. 
The conservatories of former days 
were built by first-class carpenters, of 
the very best materials and were very 
good for an architectural effect, but as 
conservatories they proved, generally, 
a failure, because the requirements of 
plant life had not been taken in con- 
sideration. 
The construction of fish-tanks for 
storage, market or show purposes is no 
less important a matter than the con- 
struction of a greenhouse. Here, too, 
entirely too much importance is placed 
upon exterior appearance of the tanks, 
which are, as arule, of a highly orna- 
mental pattern, of carved marble or 
costly casting ; they are as decorative 
pieces, quite a success. But asarule 
they are not practical, and soon be- 
come a burden to the proprietor. 
Fish that are brought to stores, stalls 
in the market or show tanks at an ex- 
position, were generally freshly caught, 
either from their native haunts or from 
the pond in which they were reared. 
Their stomachs and entrails are gen- 
erally filled with food. If such fish are 
carefully handled, their digestion is 
not much disturbed, and we have only 
their excrements and the surplus 
of slime of their bodies to combat 
