AQUARIUM MANAGEMENT 17 



cial feeding is called for. Otherwise they will need some attention in 

 order to thrive. Dried powdered lettuce leaves, or rice flour, or finely 

 powdered fish food sprinkled on the surface of the water, are satis- 

 factory foods for the young snails. The thick paste from boiled oat- 

 meal is good, both for yoiuig and adults. 



It is just as well to remove parent snails from the young, so that 

 the latter will get all the food, especially if artificial feeding is not 

 resorted to. 



After snails have passed the early stage of development they rel- 

 ish lettuce leaves. These snails, especially the breeders, thrive finely 

 on raw meat. They should receive about a two days' supply in a place 

 where it can be watched for decomposition. This is a safe food only 

 in a large tank, where the water runs little chance of fouling. 



Cypris, a small crustacean figured on page 134, is injurious to 

 snails and should be excluded if possible. 



There are commercial possibilities in the breeding of Japanese 

 and Coral Snails. 



If one does not care to rear these snails to keep up a stock, the 

 young of the African and Ramshorn at least form a valuable diet for 

 fishes, so much so that their extensive culture has been proposed as a 

 diet for the young of our food fishes. 



Aquarium Covers. It is a popular idea that a free access of air 

 to the aquarium is essential to the welfare of the fishes, but this is not 

 so, particularly if there is a liberal plant growth. A glass cover, raised 

 about a quarter inch, promotes a more luxuriant growth of plants, 

 keeps the surface of the water free of dust or bubbles, prevents objects 

 from accidentally falling into the aquarium, keeps the fishes from leap- 

 ing out and our friend the cat from fishing in. Wire gauze, properly 

 secured, will serve the latter purposes. 



With most tropical fishes the glass cover should rest directly on 

 the aquarium or jar, with no intervening space. This keeps the water 

 a few degrees warmer. Furthermore, there are a number of tropical 

 fishes which can leap through a very small opening. This they are 

 most apt to do when newly placed in an aquarium or otherwise dis- 

 turbed. Our wild native fishes have an increased tendency to leap as 

 the breeding season approaches, this characteristic being shared by 

 the single-tail goldfishes. 



Testing Aquaria. Before putting plants or sand in the aquarium 

 it is well to test its tightness. More often than not the larger sizes 

 leak after moving or standing dry. These leaks can usually be cor- 



