80 



Aquatic £itc 



are deposited on the leaves of float- 

 plants like Myriophyllum, Riccia and the 

 smallest bladderwort. The male and fe- 

 male should be separated for a time and 

 then placed together for several days in 

 a suitably planted tank. When eggs are 

 observed the parents should be removed. 

 About two weeks later they may spawn 

 again. The fry should be provided with 

 an abundance of microscopic life (In- 

 fusoria and rotifers) and gradually in- 

 troduced to the tiniest Daphne as growth 

 proceeds. During breeding it is well to 

 maintain a temperature of 80 degrees, 

 Fahrenheit, while throughout the winter 

 75 degrees will be sufficient, possibly 

 lower, but it is scarcely advisable to flirt 

 with a minimum about which may lurk 

 danger. 



The red Rivulus is far from being an 

 active fish and will "sit" for hours in a 

 clump of plants, rarely changing its posi- 

 tion, but if tempted with a scrap of raw 

 beef, or a worm, it will leap high out of 

 the water to secure the coveted morsel, 

 and for this reason the tank should be 

 provided with a tight covering of glass 

 lest it leap forth unobserved and "dry 

 up." The story has been told that one 

 was placed in an uncovered tank at the 

 end of a long row. It soon disappeared. 

 Days later the owner discovered it in the 

 tank at the other end of the shelf, con- 

 cluding that "by leaps and bounds and 

 good luck" it had managed in the inter- 

 val of its seeming disappearance to ex- 

 plore the intervening tanks ! It would 

 thus seem that its sense of direction is 

 good, which is only one of the reasons 

 for considering it an intelligent and in- 

 teresting member of an aquarian col- 

 lection. 



The Ideal Fish Food 



F. W. HEIDELBERGER 



The aquarist who does not give his 

 fishes the proper food loses much of the 

 pleasure that would otherwise be his. 

 There is no better food, in the experience 

 of the writer, than the white earthworm, 

 Enchytraeus albidus. To demonstrate 

 this it is only necessary to equip two 

 tanks of like size, with the same number 

 and kinds of fishes and plants. To the 

 fishes in one give white worms exclusive- 

 ly, and to the others prepared food, oat- 

 meal, chopped fish, scraped beef, etc. At 

 the end of a month compare results. 

 Those fed on worms will have grown 

 and be in superior condition. Reverse the 

 method and the fishes heretofore given 

 worm will barely touch dry food, while 

 those in the control tank will ravenously 

 devour them. 



Feeding worms is easy if the aquarium 

 is arranged with a space on the bottom 

 free from sand. Just drop a bit of earth 

 full of worms over the clear place. The 

 fishes will take keen delight in pulling 

 the worms from the earth. If after sev- 

 eral feedings there remains some sedi- 

 ment, merely syphon it out. 



During the three years the writer has 

 used worms his goldfish have spawned a 

 number of times in the aquarium, and he 

 has some beautiful telescopes which were 

 reared on them. If chopped fine the 

 worms will be taken eagerly by fry. 



If you only care enough for a result, 

 you will almost certainly attain it. — 

 William James. 



Pennsylvania now has a law prohibit- 

 ing the sale of any but fresh eggs. 

 What's worrying everybody, including 

 those called upon to enforce the measure, 

 is how to tell fresh eggs. We all know 

 that a fresh egg is one that doesn't retal- 

 iate in its own "odorous" way when you 

 smash it. The question is how to tell 

 one without giving it the Christopher 

 Columbus. 



