82 



aquatic ILitt 



dangerous. 



A ten-gallon aquarium should be pro- 

 vided with about half a dozen snails such 

 as dealers sell. They will keep down the 

 green growth on the glass and also con- 

 sume particles of food which the fishes 

 may have overlooked. For the latter 

 purpose some aquarists use tadpoles. The 

 writer does not care for them, as they 

 keep the water and sand stirred up too 

 much. The snails should be watched and 

 dead ones promptly removed. A mussel 

 helps to keep the water clear, and is a 

 desirable addition, but should not be used 

 unless one is willing to frequently observe 

 whether it is alive. When dead their 

 decomposition is rapid and very offensive. 



Once in a while, when the sediment in 

 an aquarium becomes unsightly, siphon it 

 off with a rubber tube of from one- 

 fourth to one-half inch in diameter and 

 about three to four feet long. Fill the 

 tube with water, holding one end closed 

 while the other is quickly placed in the 

 aquarium. Hold the closed end as far 

 down as possible below the aquarium and 

 then open into a suitable receptacle. The 

 water will run out as long as the dis- 

 charging end of the tube is lower than 

 the surface of the water in the aquarium. 

 Move the end of the tube about in the 

 water just above accumulations of dirt, 

 which will be rapidly sucked up. Care 

 must be taken not to draw in small fish 

 and snails. 



If the time can be taken, let the drawn- 

 off water settle somewhat and filter the 

 clear portion through fine muslin back 

 into the aquarium. This is better than 

 new water if the aquarium is right. If 

 new water is used, see that it is of nearly 

 the same temperature as the old. This is 

 important. Violent changes in tempera- 

 ture produce contagious diseases known 

 as "white fungus" and "tail rot." At the 

 first sign of a whitish coating on a fish, or 



a general splitting of the fins, separate it 

 from the others and place in salt water 

 until improvement is distinct. This may 

 take from one day to a week. The water 

 should be salt enough to be just notice- 

 able to the taste. Salt water should be 

 changed daily. Feed sparingly. Some- 

 times this treatment is beneficial to fish 

 which are generally run down, but show 

 no external signs of disease. It is believed 

 that sea water, properly diluted, is more 

 effective than common cooking salt. Do 

 not use advertised brands of non-caking 

 table salt, as some contain chemicals 

 injurious to fish. 



On cloudy days, even in a properly 

 conditioned aquarium, fishes will come to 

 the surface of the water to breathe, but 

 if they do this in clear weather, it is a 

 sure sign that something is wrong. It 

 may be from too high a temperature, too 

 few plants, decomposition of snails, mus- 

 sels or unconsumed food, but in all cases 

 it is from overcrowding. Whatever the 

 cause, it must be found and quickly reme- 

 died. To delay is to invite disaster. 



I should like to express my great ap- 

 preciation of Aquatic Life, and wish it 

 the very best of succes, which it greatly 

 deserves. It has given me many hours 

 of pleasure and instruction. — A. E. 

 Atkins, England. 



Let our object be our country, our 

 whole country, and nothing but our 

 country. 



Let us then stand by the constitution 

 as it is, and by our country as it is, one, 

 united, and entire ; let it be a truth en- 

 graven on our hearts ; let it be borne on 

 the flag under which we rally in every 

 exigency, that we may have one country, 

 one constitution, one destiny. — Daniel 



Webster. 



— ♦ — 



Nature yields only to work. 



