MANAGEMENT OP THE AQUAEItTM. 45 



a marine than for a fresh-water aqTiarium. Instead of rockwork, 

 a small island may be constructed for the newts; and upon the 

 island a fern or some semi-aquatic plant can be grown. 



All plants should be put in their places before the aquarimn 

 is fiUed with water. Those which do not require much rooting- 

 space may be planted in the sand and gravel at the bottom of 

 the tank; but those which need greater depth can be set in 

 small flower-pots. These pots can either be hidden by means 

 of a careful arrangement of rockwork, or they themselves may 

 be made to resemble it by covering their sides with small pieces 

 of coke, fastened into position with Portland cement. The 

 whole should be then dipped as before described. There is 

 one great advantage in putting plants into pots, inasmuch 

 that, should occasion require, the aquarium can be emptied 

 without materially interfering with their growth. But wherever 

 plants are placed, whether in pots or at the bottom of the tank, 

 the sand above their roots should be covered with plenty of 

 gravel, as it tends to make the setting firm and permanent. 

 The different aquatic plants suitable for freshwater aquaria 

 will be described in another chapter. 



In an aquarium that is properly arranged and cared for, the 

 water should seldom or never need changing. Its character, 

 therefore, is a matter of much importance. The best water for 

 the purpose is that from a river; next, that from a large and 

 very clear pond; next, very clean rain-water; next, that from 

 the "tap"; and last of all, and to be avoided if possible, hard 

 water from the well. "When the aquarium has been made quite 

 clean, its glass has been well polished, the sand and the gravel, 

 in the proper proportion, at its bottom have been perfectly 

 washed, the plants have been put in their places,- and the 

 rockwork has been placed in position, then — and not till then — 

 should the water be introduced. 



There is really only one satisfactory way, so far as I know, 

 of filling an aquarium with water, and that is by means of a 

 very slender siphon. A siphon of large diameter is worse 

 than useless lor this purpose; but should the proper-sized 

 siphon not be conveniently at hand, the water may be intro- 

 duced in one of the following ways : 



