should be used extensively. Cabomha, 

 Litdirigia and Potamogeton are fair oxy- 

 genators, but are to be used more for their 

 foliage effect. NitcUa grows too rapidly 

 and collects around the other plants retard- 

 ing their growth. 



The soil should not be level, it should 

 have one or two depressions in it, and here 

 the luniuis and precipitate will collect and 

 may be easily removed by the dipping tube 

 or siphon. 



I believe it is best to have the soil slope 

 up toward the sides, with a low space in 

 the center. The plants may be arranged 

 in groups, according to their height and 

 foliage, those with the densest foliage 

 should be farthest from the window ; so as 

 to allow as much light as possible to pene- 

 trate thru from the side of the aquarium. 



It makes a better foliage effect to ar- 

 range the plants in groups of one kind 

 each. The best light for plants is from 

 the north, but when this cannot be had an 

 east light is fairly satisfactory. I believe 

 that all aquariums should have at least 

 two hours of morning sun. 



The scavengers best suited are snails 

 (Japs, Ramshorn and Potomac), mussels 

 and tadpoles. Never put paradise fish in an 

 aquarium with goldfish, altho they are ex- 

 cellent flesh-eating scavengers, they will in- 

 jure the goldfish. Scavengers should be 

 given a permanganate, then a strong salt 

 bath for a few minutes just as all new fish 

 should have before entering the tank, this 

 kills many of the parasites that infest them. 

 Plants should likewise hav an antiseptic 

 bath before putting them in the aquarium, 

 C) or 10 minutes in a bath of two gallons 

 of water to which has been added 5 tea- 

 s))oonfnls of creolin, after which they 

 should be washt for several hours in run- 

 ning water. 



The strength of permanganate solution 

 used for fish and scavengers should be so 

 that the color is a light claret red and they 

 should he observd closely while in this solu- 

 tion, stronger solutions kill them. A glass 



cover over the top of the aquarium is ad- 

 visable, it need not fit tightly and should 

 be raisd slightly from the top by rubber 

 l)uttons, placed on the upper edges of the 

 frame. This keeps out dust and forein 

 particles, as well as lessens evaporation. 

 When the fish are added, which should take 

 place after the plants are well rooted and 

 are oxygenating the water, it is well to 

 add a few pieces of old plaster of paris. 

 This neutralizes acidit}^ in the water and 

 furnishes mineral salts, which are essential 

 for the development of the fishes' bony 

 structure as well as the shells of the snails. 

 In the acjuarium we should endeavor at least 

 to have it balanced, that is the conditions 

 such, that enough oxygen be supplied to 

 keep the fish from coming to the surface 

 to any extent. I find it a good rule, where 

 there is considerable plant life, to allow 

 one inch of fish body for each gallon of 

 water. In this measurement I do not count 

 the tail. (To be Concludeii) 



Feeding Aquarium Plants 



S. CuicHKSTEi! Lloyd 

 Brooklyn, N.Y. 



After months of experiment and trials 

 I have come to the conclusion that some 

 sort of fertilizer for plants in the aqua- 

 rium is an absolute necessity. I have 

 found that to a certain extent plants will 

 flourish outdoors in plain gravel, and with 

 nothing more nourishing than atmospheric 

 influence and fish excrement, but I have 

 notiet that such ])lants do not start grow- 

 ing to any extent for a long period after 

 j)lanting, and then the growth is either 

 very slow or of a condition that runs to 

 length of stem rather than to actual oxy- 

 gen-giving leaves. Indoors the conditions 

 are sometimes good, but more often the 

 gravel turns black and the roots the same, 

 and the slightest stirring of the gravel 

 means a most uiq)leasant odor of decayed 

 ])lant. wliile the growth of plant is nil in 

 some cases; tlie to]) remaining green but 

 the bottom ahnost disconnected from the 



