Aquatic Lite 47 
glass. This makes the transfer of fish 
easier and minimizes the danger of in- 
jury. 
glass, free from all flaws, should be used 
for the sides if good results are to be ex- 
pected. Thin polished plate is best. The 
ends and bottom need not be so perfect. 
Any good aquarium cement may be used 
Very clear single-thick window 
to secure the glasses. 
The background is merely a piece of 
clean white cardboard, 
inches, supported by a block of wood, 
eight by two by one inch, to which it is 
It can be placed in any desired 
For light-col- 
six by eight 
tacked. 
position behind the tank. 
ored fishes dark cardboard may be used. 
A scene daubed roughly and placed out 
of focus will give the effect of depth 
and enhance the beauty of the resulting 
Colored and mottled boards 
may also be used. 
negative. 
the 
give the 
After the device has been 
camera must be adjusted to 
set, 
maximum degree of definition. This can 
be done by focusing with the aid of a 
hand magnifying glass on a pebble or 
other object in the centre of the tank. 
When the proper position is found two 
tacks should be placed in front of the 
The 
arrow in my sketch indicates the best di- 
tank as markers for future use. 
rection from which to have the light. 
This can always be had from 10 A. M. 
to 2 P. M., the apparatus being moved 
to secure it. The best photographs will 
be taken during the summer, as the sun 
is stronger and rides higher in the sky. 
Some photographers prefer to have the 
background close to the tank, so that the 
shadow of the fish is seen. I do not care 
for this, as it tends to spoil the effect. I 
prefer to have it far enough away that 
the shadow is diffused or so out of focus 
that it does not appear in the photograph. 
After all has been arranged and the speci- 
men 1s in the tank, patience alone can aid 
one. ‘To force a nervous fish into posi- 
tion is almost impossible ; waiting in quiet 
and snapping the shutter at the proper 
moment I find to be the swiftest method. 
Large goldfish and other species can 
be photographed in a similar way in a 
larger tank. One four by eight by ten 
inches could be focused down to half- 
size. This is more simple, as the chance 
for blurring by the motion of the fish is 
The American Mud Minnow 
Umbra pygmaea 
vreatly reduced, and the depth of focus 
increased considerably. A great many 
photographs have been taken this way 
because of its ease. Another form of 
tank has a movable partition to bring the 
subject into focus. For very small fishes 
this can be applied to the four by five 
tank. 
In aquatic photography it 1s better to 
use speed plates, even if they do cost 
more than the ordinary kind, as the 
superior result is worth the difference. 
I use “Seed Graflex”’ plates. 
—_—_@___ 
It is “safety first” to avoid the use of 
kitchen utensils in the management of 
aquaria, as they may contain traces of 
soap, soda and other substances that 
would prove injurious if introduced into 
the tank. Every aquarist should have an 
enameled pail and several pans for 
“aquarium use only.” 
