THE CARE OF HOME AQUARIA 25 



Many kinds of aquatic plants, both wild and cultivated, will grow 

 readily in the narrow limits of the aquarium. 



Fine gravel or coarse sand, or a mixture of these should 

 first be placed in the bottom of the tank to the depth of one or 

 two inches, depending upon the depth of the aquarium. For the 

 best results the sand should not be evenly distributed over the 

 bottom, but should slope toward the center, side or end of the 

 small tank, or have two or three depressions if the tank is larger. 

 These not only add diversity to the appearance, but the fecal 

 matter of the fishes, surplus food and other wastes will collect 

 in the depressions and can be more readily siphoned off. 



The plants can be anchored by packing their roots in the 

 sand or gravel, and, if necessary, large pebbles can be placed 

 about the bases of the plants until they become firmly rooted, or 

 the lower end of the stem may be weighted by wrapping with a 

 small piece of soft lead just above the roots. Some aquarists 

 msist that a layer of soil should first be placed under the gravel, 

 but with completely aquatic plants this is quite unnecessary, 

 while the soil is often a source of danger to the animal life 

 through the decomposition of its organic ingredients. 



If the aquarium is to support its full quota of animal life, 

 the plants must be thickly placed. In fact, there can hardly be 

 too much vegetation so long as the fishes have sufficient room to 

 swim about. The plants tend to mass at the top of the aquarium 

 leaving free space below for the fishes. 



To obtain the best results, the aquarium should be planted 

 at least a few days before the animals are introduced. This al- 

 lows the plants a better opportunity for taking hold of the sand 

 and it also permits them to thoroughly aerate the water in prep- 

 aration for the animal life. 



In order to prevent the possible introduction of parasites 

 into the aquarium along with the plants it is well to sterilize the 

 latter before placing them in the tank. This can be done by 

 immersing the plants for ten or fifteen minutes in a solution of 

 creolin — two teaspoonfuls to the gallon of water. The plants 

 should be well rinsed in water before they are placed in the aqua- 

 rium. Phenol sodique solution — a tablespoonful to a quart of 

 water — is also highly recommended. The plants should be al- 

 lowed to remain in this solution for several hours and should, of 

 course, be thoroughly rinsed after removal from the antiseptic 

 bath. 



