3 86 



RECREATION 



will carry back air. Avoid as much as 

 possible the disturbing" of the plants. 

 A fresh-water aquarium does not re- 

 quire sunlight. . 



For cleaning the inside of the glass, 

 use a pad made of wood about two 

 inches long by one and a-half inches 

 wide, and three-eighths of an inch thick. 

 If the aquarium is round, shape the flat 

 sides of the block to fit the curve of the 

 glass ; make a hole in one edge, cover 

 the block with two or three thicknesses 

 of soft woolen knit goods ; insert in 

 the hole a slender rod of wood. All dirt 

 or confervae (vegetable growth) is 

 easily removed by rubbing the glass. If 

 you wash the pad often, the water will 

 not get soiled. The growth of confervae 

 on the side of an aquarium need not be 

 removed, as it is a good aerator. If, 

 after several months, perhaps a year 

 or more, the plants have grown to ex- 

 cess and the gravel has become some- 

 what foul, you may remove the animal 

 life carefully to some receptacle, then 

 siphon the water into buckets, soft 

 rubber tubing being best for the pur- 

 pose. Take out the plants and wash 

 the gravel. 



After cleaning the inside of the glass, 

 return the gravel and plants. It is well 

 when returning the water to raise the 

 dipper pouring it in, as previously 

 stated for "aiding aeration." 



Now, you are ready for the animal 

 life. Avoid re-setting a fresh water 

 aquarium as long as possible, as it 

 disturbs the rooted plants. If the wa- 

 ter is clear and the animal life appears 

 healthy, do not disturb it. A few sug- 

 gestions may not be amiss in regard 

 to the size and number of fishes, newts, 

 and tadpoles, which should be main- 

 tained under favorable conditions, in a 

 four or five gallon balanced aquarium. 

 Fishes from one and one-half to two 

 and one-half inches long, three or four ; 

 newts, four or five ; tadpoles, if they 

 are not too large, three ; snails, six or 

 eight. As the newts breathe the air 

 above the surface of the water, they will 

 not be detrimental to their gill-breath- 

 ing companions. 



Maintaining a Salt Water Aqua- 

 rium. 



A salt water balanced aquarium is 

 somewhat more difficult to stock and 

 keep in a healthy condition than one 

 of fresh water. But it is the writer's 

 experience that there is in reality no 

 comparison between them, as there are 

 such a large number of species of animal 

 life which can be procured and kept 

 in a salt water aquarium, and nearly all 

 of them are intensely interesting to ob- 

 serve. A wonderful field it is for the 

 study of the characteristics of many 

 of the lower orders of marine life. 



In many respects the manipulation 

 and care of a salt water balanced aquar- 

 ium are the same, or similar to one of 

 fresh water. Use beach gravel at the 

 bottom, about one inch in depth. Part 

 of it may be quite coarse, as small 

 anemones will attach to the pebbles and 

 the bottom is much easier to keep clean. 

 It is well to place some pieces of rock 

 in the aquarium near the front. They 

 will add to its beauty, and make a home 

 for your unattached anemones, though 

 those are often found attached to pieces 

 of rock or pebbles of a suitable size for 

 a small aquarium. If this is the case, 

 put them in place before putting in the 

 water ; you will find this much easier. 



I do not know from personal expe- 

 rience about the practical use of manu- 

 factured salt water. There are several 

 formulas for making it, but if I were 

 living inland, several hundred miles 

 from the sea coast, and wished to start 

 a salt water aquarium, I would have 

 the w r ater shipped to me from the sea 

 coast. I should not attempt to improve 

 on nature. 



The practical plant for the aeration 

 of the water is the so-called "sea-let- 

 tuce" — Ulva latissima. This can be 

 procured in tide pools and sheltering 

 coves near shore in shallow water. 

 Having the gravel and pieces of rock 

 with the anemones placed in the aquar- 

 ium, carefully fill it with water, that 

 you do not disturb the unattached ane- 

 mones, if there are any. The Ulva 

 grows in very thin sheets and is ex- 



