32 



•aquatic JLiU 



injected the aqueous solution among the 

 roots of plants in number two, three 

 times a week. About the third day, in 

 aquarium number one, I noticed clouds 

 of pulverant, nebulous organizations 

 ascending in thin columns from the sand 

 up to the surface of the water, and there 

 spreading out into cloudlike masses. A 

 microscopical examination proved this to 

 be composed of countless myriads of 

 spores of a certain fungus belonging to 

 the PhycomycETES. Let us now digress 

 a bit for a few words about fungi. The 

 PhycomycSTES (Algae-fungi) are so 

 called because they resemble certain 

 Algae more closely than other fungi, and 

 are supposed to have been derived from 

 the Algae, having lost their chlorophyll 

 (sap-green) and power of independent 



living. 



Saprolognia, a genus to which our 

 spores in aquarium number one belong, 

 resemble certain Algae (Vaucheria and 

 Cladophora) so closely that connection 

 seems plain. The mycelium (working 

 body) is composed of coenocytic hypha? 

 (small thread-like filaments which have 

 no partition walls dividing them into 

 cells), the tips of which become swollen 

 and are cut off by septa (partitions). 

 Within these chambers numerous bicili- 

 ate zoospores (spores with two cilia, 

 which swim about in the water) are 

 formed, which, after being motile for a 

 short time, settle down and rapidly form 

 new mycelia. This all strongly suggests 

 J'aucheria and Cladophora. Now the 

 species of Saprolognia which appeared in 

 aquarium number one seems to be per- 

 fectly harmless to goldfish in good con- 

 dition. After a few days these countless 

 spores settled down and formed mycelia 

 en the darker portions of the substratum. 

 In about ten days all the fungus began 

 to disappear very rapidly, the water 

 cleared beautifully, and I noticed young 

 shoots of Sagittaria beginning to show 



up. They increased with surprising rap- 

 idity— the water did not turn green and 

 conditions seemed eminently satisfactory. 

 Then I introduced the fish, which did 

 well from the first. Now, after seven 

 months, in spite of poor conditions, the 

 plants are thriving and multiplying in my 

 eighty-gallon tank. Aquarium number 

 two gave me exactly similar results, only 

 much slower and with more work, as the 

 plants had to be fed continually. I do 

 not hesitate in recommending the sheep 

 manure method to anybody who is trou- 

 bled with a poor growth of plants, pro- 

 vided the aquarium is set up as I have 

 suggested. 



Philadelphia Show 



Acting in conjunction, The Aquarium 

 Society of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia 

 Goldfish Fanciers' Society and the Phila- 

 delphia Goldfish Exhibitors, held in Hor- 

 ticultural Hall, Fairmount Park, October 

 7th, 8th and 9th, quite the best exhibit 

 of aquaria and fishes that has ever been 

 shown the local public, which, it must be 

 added, expressed appreciation by attend- 

 ing in crowds. The committee which su- 

 pervised the staging of the show deserves 

 great credit, and no less the individual 

 exhibitors of which there were too many 

 to mention. 



The Black-nosed Dace can with im- 

 punity be kept in the same aquarium with 

 fancy goldfish. If the tank is large and 

 well planted there will be little danger 

 of annoyance to the goldfish. There are 

 many fishes of divergent temperament 

 that may be placed together in a large- 

 tank that one would not think of associ- 

 ating in a small one. A well fed fish is 

 usually better disposed toward unrelated 

 species than if it is kept hungry. Shun- 

 bunkins have been noticed to annoy and 

 nip the fins of broadtail goldfish, but 

 ceased to do it when placed in a larger 

 tank. 



