40 



THE AQUARIUM, 



I 



I 



j 



CHAPTER VI. 



THE MARINE AQUARIUM. 



tT is impossible in the limits of a sixpenny hand-book 

 to describe the management and stocking of a 

 Marine Aquarium, in addition to the requisite infor- 

 mation anent Fresh-water Aquaria. We hope to 

 supplement this manual by a companion one devoted 

 exclusively to the consideration of marine tanks, so that 

 the few brief notes here offered must be accepted as 

 suggestions only. 



In the first place, it would be well to modify the 

 structure recommended for the fresh-water tank. It is 

 advisable in both fresh and salt-water tanks to offer as 

 large a surface as possible to the revivifying influence of 

 the air ; but in the marine aquarium there is a greater 

 necessity for this because of the salt water becoming 

 vitiated more quickly than fresh water. So that the 

 surface exposed to the air should be quite twice that of the 

 glass front. In addition, there should 'be a constant 

 circulation of water through the tanks, and this could be 

 managed by the fountain and cistern arrangement shown 

 in chapter i. But the fountain jet should not be quite so 

 fine as that for fresh water. Any leaden pipes which 

 may be used for this purpose, should be coated inside 

 with shellac, dissolved in spirits of wine, to prevent the 

 action of the salt water upon the metal with consequent 



