HOW TO START A BALANCED AQUARIUM 



383 



very well, and it is 



easily kept clean. 



Abont two inches 



of gravel will be 



necessary to hold 



plants down. 

 There are 



eral speci'e 



plants which 



good aerators 



of the best is shown 



in the illustration 



and is a grass-like 



plant known as Sa- 



gittaria. It roots 



firmly in the gravel, 



offshoots grow in 



different directions 



for a short dis- 

 tance, then roots 



run down into the 



gravel, -and a new 



plant grows. In a 



few months there 



will be Sagittaria 



sufficient for an- 

 other aquarium. 



Another grass-like 



plant is Valisneria. It is 



found in the streams in 



the vicinity of Passaic, 



New Jersey. I have not 

 found it to be very satisfac- 

 tory. A very pretty plant 

 which grows well is the 

 Milfoil. There are several 

 species; one, the "Parrot's 

 Feather," is a profuse 

 grower. There are several 

 species of Potamogeton, a 

 common pond weed, all 

 useful. The foliage of one 

 species is varied in color, 

 light green, with yellowish 

 shades of pink, different 

 shades of red to brown. It 

 is showy, and contrasts 

 prettily with other plants. 



Another useful and com- 

 mon plant is anacharis, or 

 water thyme. It is a pro- 

 fuse grower. A beautiful 

 plant, of which there are 







''/':*■■ 







FKKSH WATER 

 BALANCED AQUARIUM 



The fish is agourami, a na- 

 tive of Europe. The grass- 

 like plant is sagittaria, the 

 other a Parrots' Feather. 



two species, is 

 commonly known 

 as Fontinalis. It is 

 a moss-like plant. 

 One species is very 

 fine and delicate, 

 the other with 

 which I am famil- 

 iar is coarser and 

 much lar- 

 They are 

 on stones, 

 decayed 

 and roots, in 

 running streams. 

 Cabomba is a 

 ood plant for the 

 aquarium, and can 

 generally be pro- 

 cured through the 

 year. Of floating 

 plants there are 

 several species, 

 which are very pretty, and 

 all more or less useful, 

 either to aid aeration, or as a 

 home for the propagation of 

 myriads of minute animal life, 

 which are food for some of the 

 occupants of your aquarium. 



Nitilla is very pretty. It 

 grows in masses, is very fine 

 and hairlike, except that it has 

 numerous joints at short inter- 

 vals. Riccia is in quite general 

 use, and does very well. I 

 think the prettiest of all is Sal- 

 venia ; it multiplies rapidly, and 

 is to be desired. There are sev- 

 eral species of what are com- 

 monly known as duckweed ; 

 they are easily procured, and 

 iloat like miniature water-lily pods 

 on the surface. 



Many of the ponds and brooks 

 of the country furnish a large pro- 

 portion of the plants named. 

 There are other species of water 

 plants, which can be found in va- 

 rious locations, and might be good 

 aerators, but one needs to be 

 watchful lest some of them make 

 trouble in the balanced aquarium. 



