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Chapter One 





Aquarium Management 



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The principles involved in successful aquarium management are 

 really simple, and if applied success is bound to follow. Although 

 many interesting kinds of fishes are now used as aquarium pets, the 

 goldfish still holds the popular fancy, so for the present our remarks 

 apply chiefly to this member of the aquarium family. 



The common goldfish is a very hardy pet, and with proper 

 handling should live from ten to twenty years. Yet we hear of 

 numerous failures, and there are many who would like to keep an 

 aquarium, but refrain from doing so because of two erroneous ideas : 

 first, that goldfish are delicate; second, that an aquarium requires 

 frequent cleaning. On the contrary, the goldfish will survive under 

 conditions that would kill most other fishes, and aquaria seldom need 

 to be cleaned if properly set up in the first place. The main causes 

 for failure, in the order of their importance, are : 



Overcrowding 



Overfeeding 



Sudden temperature changes 



Lack of proper plant life 



Insufficient lighting. 

 Overcrowding. Some unscrupulous and short-sighted dealers, in 

 order to increase sales, recommend the use of more fishes than should 

 properly be put into an aquarium of given size. The beginner also 

 wishes to have as many as he possibly can, so that this is one of the 

 greatest difficulties to overcome. The proper rule is this: One inch 

 OF FISH TO ONE GALLON OF WATER. That is, in a ten-gallon aquarium 

 of the usual oblong shape, well planted and in a good light, one could 

 successfully keep ten one-inch fishes or five two-inch or two five-inch 

 fishes. Successful aquarists adhere to this rule, and for some of the 

 fancy and more delicate varieties, even more water per fish is allowed. 

 The beginner will do well to do likewise and disregard all advice to 



