174 AQUATIC PLANTS 



and thorough washing. After the water runs clear from the sand, 

 spread the bottom of the aquarium to a depth of, say, half an inch. If 

 rockwork is to be introduced, place this now. Next fill with about two 

 inches of water. Now take the roots of Sagittaria, Vallisneria, or 

 other rooted plants, and spread them out well. After the proper 

 arrangement of plants is made, add from an inch to two inches of 

 coarse sand, being careful not to completely cover any of the leaves. 

 Do not make the sand deeper than sufficient to hold the plants in posi- 

 tion. Now fill the aquarium and with a slender stick lift any leaves 

 which have been held down by the sand. After the leaves have been 

 brought into an upright position, take hold of them and pull upwards 

 until the crown of the plant comes just to the surface of the sand. 

 Aquatic plants with crowns seem to do better if the crown is not quite 

 covered. The crown is the point from which the leaves put out. Such 

 plants should be inserted singly and room left for young plants to 

 spread from runners. 



Plants that have become uprooted in a filled aquarium can best be 

 replaced by the use of planting sticks described on page 229. 



Care is needed in planting not to allow the leaves to become even 

 partially dry. This can be prevented by frequent sprinkling, and the 

 work should be completed as rapidly as possible. 



Bunches of Anacharis, Cabomba, Myriophyllum and other plants 

 can be added last. These need to be weighted down with bits of lead 

 or tin wire. In filling the aquarium it is a good plan to place a piece 

 of paper in the center of the aquarium and let the water strike on this. 

 By this method the plants will not be seriously disturbed. The use of 

 a watering pot for filling will also prevent any considerable disturb- 

 ance of the planting. The aquarium should be allowed to stand at 

 least a day before the fish are introduced ; but a week would be better, 

 so that the plants may become established and active in time to be of 

 real use to the fish. 



Some aquarists use a thin sprinkling of powdered sheep manure in 

 the sand just below the plants. Like the little girl with the curl, when 

 the results are good they are very good indeed, but when they are bad 

 they are horrid. The bad results — mainly the fouling of the sand — - 

 are probably produced by an excess of the fertilizer. Hence the writer 

 hesitates to recommend this plan to the general public, although it can 

 be very stimulating to plant growth. Where the vegetation has not 

 prospered in favorable conditions of light, etc., it might be well to try 

 the fertilizer method. If the water is clouded for a week or two after 

 planting, it will do no harm. 



