Aquatic JLitt 



97 



can give is acquired, this cannot be pre- 

 vented. In other words, the beginner 

 should retain only those which seem de- 

 sirable to him. The fewer the fish re- 

 tained for rearing, the better they will be 

 individually, in point of size and vigor. 



In the process of eliminating the "unfit" 

 the survivors enjoy more room, and the 

 more room you give them, coupled with 

 proper food, the faster they will grow, 

 and we all like good big fish — any one 

 can raise runts. "Spread 'em out" is the 

 slogan of the successful. You may have 

 a hundred fish an inch long, body in- 

 cluded, in the tub described, but when the 

 body alone is this length, let the number 

 be half or less. This presupposes that 

 the tub has a water connection and over- 

 flow pipe, and that a trickle, perhaps the 

 diameter of a soda straw, runs into it 

 continually. This is the prevailing 

 method, and is in a great measure re- 

 sponsible for the great size attained in a 

 few months by fishes so treated. Such 

 rearing tanks contain no plants, and are 

 kept rather scrupulously clear and free 

 from sediment and dead, unconsumed 

 Daphne by frequent syphoning. If the 

 old still water method is followed, plants 

 in pots should be used and more water 

 allowed per fish. 



It may seem heartless to advocate a 

 radical destruction of imperfect fish, but 

 only by so doing can really desirable 

 specimens be reared. Most fanciers have 

 a sufficient number of breeding fish to 

 provide them with ten times as many fry 

 as they can handle to an age of a few 

 weeks. This is an advantage. The best 

 practice is to handle a great many spawns 

 and to early get rid of all but the best. 

 The percentage of good fish varies. Some- 

 times it may run high, and again be not 

 more than one in five hundred. The 

 others grade from good to those "not 

 worth a plugged nickel." 



In rearing goldfish a lily pond of 

 "home size" can be used to an advantage, 

 not to mention it as a beautiful feature 

 of the garden. It is possible to raise a 

 few youngsters by merely placing therein 

 the breeding adults, but this is the waste- 

 ful way, as but a small percentage will 

 survive. Better results are obtained by 

 spawning the fish in tubs and later plac- 

 ing the well-grown young in the pond. 

 Such fish grow surprisingly fast, even if 

 the food question is left to nature. The 

 disadvantage of the pond lies in its lux- 

 uriant growth of plants, which conceal 

 the bottom and render the detection of 

 enemies very difficult. A few dragonfly 

 larvae will work havoc, not to mention 

 numerous other insects. The larger the 

 young when placed in the pond the better 

 the chances of survival, though quite 

 large fish may be attached. But all in all 

 the pond is well worth while, especially 

 as our interest may not entirely be cen- 

 tered in the fish. 



Moral: To raise good fish, raise few 

 fish. 



To get proper food and oxygen; to 

 find or construct a proper place to dwell ; 

 to arrange for the production and 

 growth of the young; to protect one's self 

 and one's progeny from enemies and 

 from the forces of nature — these, and the 

 activities growing out of them, form the 

 groundwork of life in the lowest as well 

 as the highest creatures. — H. S. Jennings. 



Inclinations differ. Some folks are 

 fond of raising "Cain;" others prefer the 

 quiet pastime of raising fishes. 



Love making, even among fishes, may 

 not be "real work," but surely it can't- be 

 classed with non-essential occupations." 



Never cry over spilled milk. 

 is enough water in it already. 



There 



