aquatic JLitt 



85 



that may indicate disease. Regardless of 

 the size of the aquarium, begin with just 

 a few fishes ; if it holds twenty gallons, 

 get half a dozen with bodies two inches 

 long, a dozen or even two dozen if half 

 this length. Thereafter, the plants having 

 increased in size and number, others may 

 be added, but at all times bear in mind 

 that the fewer the fishes at all times the 

 more rapid will be their growth individ- 

 ually, and inversely, the more the fishes 

 the slower they will grow, if indeed they 

 grow at all. 



I keep snails, lots of them, in my tanks, 

 not because I believe them to be impor- 

 tant scavengers, as is usually claimed, but 

 because I find them an interesting study. 

 In a twenty-gallon tank one may have a 

 dozen red snails (Planorbis corneas 

 rubra), a dozen African snails (Lym- 

 haea auricularia) , half a dozen Japanese 

 snails (Viviparus malleatus) and a few 

 of the small, native wild species. As to 

 tadpoles, I absolutely will not have them 

 as scavengers. The little good they work 

 is more than counterbalanced by their 

 delight in squirming about the bottom 

 and stirring up the sediment that is sure 

 to accumulate. 



If it has not already been understood, 

 this article concerns the aquarium con- 

 taining goldfish ; for tropical fishes modi- 

 fication would be necessary in several 

 places. 



The mainstay of our pets is the so- 

 called prepared food ; many brands, and 

 good ones, too, are offered by "Aquatic 

 Life" advertisers. It is my plan, in com- 

 mon with others, to scure a number of 

 kinds and mix together. Again, I may 

 keep them separate and fed in rota- 

 tion. Either way is good. Now, 

 even fishes like variety, and find it in 

 nature, so it is necessary at intervals to 

 depart from the staple. The most pleas- 

 ing tidbit will be daphne — you need never 

 worry about other foods if you have it, 



and you may gather it yourself or buy 

 it from the nearest fancier. Occasion- 

 ally feed each fish a particle of earth- 

 worm; impale on a broom straw and 

 feed individually, that each may get its 

 share. Do likewise with maggots, tiny 

 scraps of lean, raw beef, bits of oyster in 

 winter and clam or mussel in summer, 

 using the soft parts. To summarize, use 

 good prepared foods as the staple, then 

 every other day treat the fishes with one 

 of the delicacies mentioned. Regarding 



The Black - banded Sunfish 

 May Be Kept With Goldfish 



quantity, feed as much, and only as 

 much, as will be consumed immediately 

 or within a period of ten minutes. This 

 applies to all foods except daphne, which, 

 being alive and active, may not all be con- 

 sumed for hours. 



The most important suggestion that 

 can be made in connection with the man- 

 agement of the aquarium is to let it 

 alone; don't "monkey" and "fuss" with 

 it unnecessarily. With the exception of 

 feeding it can run along for considerable 

 intervals without assistance. Occasion- 

 ally it will be necessary to remove the 

 sediment from the bottom with a dip- 

 tube, and to remove with a clean piece 

 of muslin the algae that will form upon 

 the glass. You may remove a decayed 

 plant or leaf, or replace one that has been 

 uprooted, and, as happened to the most 

 experienced aquarist, you will segregate 

 a fish that shows signs of illness ; and 



