74 THE GOLDFISH AND ITS CULTURE. 
obtained from the dealers. The quantity administered ought not to 
exceed what they will immediately consume. Once a week they may 
be given finely chopped fishing-worms, or raw beef scraped from the 
piece, but only in such quantities as to allow each fish a small mouthful. 
If any remnants of the last meal are found in the water, they should be 
removed at once, and the feeding entirely suspended for one or two 
days following. In cold weather the goldfish has but little or no 
appetite, while on the other hand, they eat voraciously in the sum- 
mer. The best ten:perature for the water is somewhere between 
60° F. and go° F., though the fish can stand it as low as 32” F. and 
as high as 110° F. without injury, if the change is not suddenly 
made, and a corresponding supply of oxygen present. Cold water 
retains the most oxygen, and also has the power of absorbing more 
of it from the atmosphere than warm water does. The warm water, 
however, is most favorable to the growth of plants, so that the 
quantity they furnish fully makes up the difference. It is poor 
philosophy to put ice into the aquarium to reduce its temperature, 
and it is equally foolish to wrap an aquarium in a bag and allow ice- 
water to drip upon it, as this is hardly the thing to do if the person 
cares anything for the parlor carpet. 
When the fish come to the surface of the water to breathe, it is a 
sure indication that the oxygen has become exhausted. A fresh 
supply is easily introduced by simply stirring the water with the hand 
or dipping it up with a cup and pouring it back again, it is much 
better to do this than to put in a lump of ice. 
The frequency with which an aquarium is to be cleansed depends 
altogether upon circumstances and the individual taste of the owner. 
An aquarium kept in the parlor of a suburban residence, and ina 
locality surrounded by flourishing shrubbery, needs re-arranging 
twice a year only, viz: in the spring and fall. On the other hand, 
an aquarium located in a smoky city and kept in a close, badly 
