314 Fresh Water Aquarium 



muddy appearance of the latter. Such parts 

 as may be consumed by the fishes are not 

 properly digested, so that the excrements re- 

 sulting- from their feeding are semi-liquid 

 and remain suspended in the water, render- 

 ing it impure and unfit for the fishes to live 

 in. Proper food causes firm, string-like ex- 

 crements of sufficient density and weight to 

 sink to the bottom of the aquarium, from 

 which they can easily be removed with the 

 dipping tube or the mud-lever. Wafers, 

 cracker crumbs, etc., are frequently used 

 for food, but, while they are not absolutely 

 harmful, they cannot be recommended, as 

 they contain only a very limited percentage 

 of actual nourishment in comparison to their 

 bulk. Naturally, fishes and amphibians, if 

 hungry enough, will eagerly take anything 

 thrown in the water, as long as it slightly 

 resembles food, but they cannot thrive with 

 insufficient nourishment, and it means in the 

 end slow but sure starvation. The follow- 

 ing preparations have long been tried and 



