THE CARE OF HOME AQUARIA 



51 



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MUDFISH OR BOWFIN. 

 XM. .3 one o, U,e ^f-:^,SiJ^^-Z^^i^<^^' ^*-" ''"""'''" 



to form too freely, it is an indication that the soil contains too 

 r^uch™rganic matter, or that some of the plants are decaymg. 

 The cover may be removed and the terrarium allowed to dry out 

 partially to prevent the mold from forming too freely. 



The well planted terrarium with a good variety of Plan* and 

 animal life is exceedingly attractive. Larger ones may be bmlt 

 Hke a show-case with glass top and sides held m Pl;-by wooden 

 or metal frame. The writer has recently seen such a terrarium 

 maTe with a cement bottom which was fashioned to contain a 

 rn"e pool a few inches in depth for ^old fishes fro^s and 

 salamanders. The arrangement may be varied >ndefinitely and 

 very elaborate designs may be worked out m the planting, but in 

 the opinion of the writer the most interesting are those which 

 simulate as nearly as possible the mossy nook or other bit of wild 

 nature. 



DISEASES AND PARASITES. 



Diseases: Many diseases of fishes are difficult to diagnose 

 correctly. When fishes which have been active and bright colored 

 become languid in their movements, or lose their colors, if they 

 aSume abnormal positions, such as swimming head downward 

 jf they rub themselves frequently agamst the gravel or plant 

 stems, if they keep always at the surface, if swellings or blotcies 

 appear, if the scales stand out from the skin, if they refuse to 

 take food, or, if they behave otherwise in an unusual manner, it 



