Descriptions of Toy Tropical Fishes 
BUBBLE-NEST BUILDERS 
Nu 
Iumerous families of the Toy Tropical Fishes have the interesting and 
remarkable habit of building nests of bubbles for protecting and hatching the eggs. Males build 
these nests, having unusual breathing organs with which they can draw in air at the surface of the 
water. A mouthful of air carried below surface is coated with a secretion and released as a bubble, 
hundreds of them joining loosely to form the floating nest to which the eggs adhere. The males 
guard the nests, repairing them with more bubbles if some break, and even driving the females away 
as soon as spawning is completed and sometimes killing them if they do not leave readily. 
THE GOURAMIS —Popular among the Bub¬ 
ble-Nest Builders are the Gouramis, which are 
not moved to build their nests until the water 
reaches a temperature of 75 degrees Fahrenheit. 
When the tiny fry begin to wiggle, the male, ' 
who has guarded the nest so faithfully, must be 
removed if the fry are to survive, for he will 
quickly eat them all. If there is sufficient pro¬ 
tection for them by having the aquarium well 
planted, some will manage to hide and escape 
from the voracious father. 
The DWARF GOURAMI (Colisa lalia) is the 
most brilliant of the family, the male having a 
blue body marked with vertical bars of orange- 
red. 
The CROAKING GOURAMI (Ctenops vit- 
tatus) gains its popular name because of its 
croaking when removed from the water. It is 
gray-green marked with gold. 
The SPOTTED (or Three-Spot) GOURAMI 
(Trichogaster trichopterus) is distinguished by 
strong spots along the center line of the body, 
otherwise being quite like the Croaking Gou- 
rami in coloration. 
THE FIGHTING FISHES— The vicious habits 
of the male Bubble-Nest Builders reach their 
height in the Bettas, which in Siam are culti¬ 
vated as fighting fishes with large sums staked 
on the outcome of their combats. At sight of 
each other, two male Bettas will undergo 
changes of color through shades of green, red, 
purple and blue, and finally give battle which 
rages viciously until one quits. Occasionally the 
combat terminates fatally for the loser. A male 
confined by himself will show intense excite¬ 
ment when a mirror is placed against the side 
of the Aquarium. 
BETTA CAMBODIA is a fairly recent addi¬ 
tion to American Aquarium fish, and is the larg¬ 
est of the Bettas. Its big, flowing fins are scar¬ 
let, and the body flesh colored. 
BETTA SPLENDENS and RUBRA is the most 
popular for the fights of the Orient, and is dis¬ 
tinguished from Cambodia by the prismatic col¬ 
oration of the body. 
CORNFLOWER BLUE or BLUE BETTA 
(Betta Cyana) is one of the intermediate forms 
produced by breeding Cambodia with Splen- 
dens, the body and fins being of one solid color. 
GREEN BETTA (Betta Smaradgreen) is an¬ 
other of the forms produced by crossing the 
Cambodia and Splendens, having one solid 
green color through body and fins. 
The PARADISE FISH (Macropodus viridi 
auratus) comes from the swampy rice fields of 
Africa and southeastern Asia, with dashing 
colors and one of the most quarrelsome natures 
of all the Bubble-Nest Builders. Few Tropical 
Toy Fishes withstand such wide changes of 
temperature, Paradise Fish having survived 
water nearly freezing and showing little dis¬ 
comfort at 90 degrees Fahrenheit if the changes 
are not too sudden. It is for this reason rather 
well suited to the Water Garden Pool. The 
male sometimes measures more than three inches 
in length, and not even females can be trusted 
with him except when spawning. Placing a 
mate in his Aquarium, or even feeding him, 
will bring evidences of great excitement accom¬ 
panied by rapid changes of color through a 
wide range of splendid hues. 
6 Only Per Doz. 
Per Pair (3 Pair) (6 Pair) 
Dwarf Gourami.$2.00 $5.00 $8.00 
Three-spot or Spotted 
Gourami . 
. 1.75 
4.50 
7.00 
Croaking Gourami. 
. 2.00 
5.00 
8.00 
Paradise Fish. 
... 1.00 
2.50 
4.00 
Betta Cambodia. 
. 1.50 
4.00 
6.00 
Cornflower Blue or 
Blue Betta . 
. 1.50 
4.00 
6.00 
Green Betta .. 
. 1.50 
4.00 
6.00 
Betta Splendens and 
Rubra. 
1.50 
4.00 
6.00 
LIVE BEARING VARIETIES 
The PLATYS or MOONS (Platy poecilus macu- 
latus) are imported from South America and 
Mexico, and there are half a dozen or more 
varieties of this popular aquarium fish. The 
Gold Moon is said to have originated in Ameri¬ 
can aquariums, and members of this species 
are extremely popular because of their rich col¬ 
oration and hardihood in aquarium life. The 
Black Moons, Red Moons, and Blue Moons are 
all suitable aquarium fish, and live peacefully 
among themselves and with other varieties. 
Eighteen to twenty young are produced in each 
brood, and a curious fact of the viviparous or 
live bearing fishes generally is found in this 
variety, the females remaining fertile until four 
families are born though intervals of many 
weeks may elapse between them. The Moons 
all attain a maximum length of one and a half 
inches. 
6 Only Per Doz. 
Per Pair (3 Pair) (6 Pair) 
Gold Platys or Moons. 
$1.00 
$2.50 
$4.00 
Black Platys or Moons. 
1.00 
2.50 
4.00 
Pure Red Platys or Moons. - 
Blue or Green Mirror Platys 
1.00 
2.50 
4.00 
or Moons . 
1.00 
2.50 
4.00 
HELLERI or SWORDTAILS are most com¬ 
monly seen in the variety known as the Mexi¬ 
can Swordtail (Xiphophorus helleri) which is 
just about as popular among aquarists as any 
Toy Tropical Fish. Part of the caudal or tail 
fin of the male is elongated into a sword like 
appendage, highly colored and ornamented, 
from which they derive their names. The fe¬ 
male is not only twice the size of the male, but 
also richly colored. Very old females take on 
some of the characteristics of the male and often 
develop the sword-like tail also. Variations of 
the Mexican Swordtail that are popular in 
aquariums are the RED HELLERI, which is 
really a cross with the Red Moon or Red Platys, 
a green and blue-black hybrid with shimmering, 
satiny scales. Another interesting hybrid of 
Helleri is the Black Helleri, whose black scales 
are varied with blue scales on the head and 
a vivid yellow eye. 
6 Only Per Doz. 
Per Pair (3.Pair) (6 Pair) 
Mexican Swordtails .$1.00 $2.50 $4.00 
Black Helleri . 2.00 5.00 8.00 
Red Helleri . 2.00 5.00 8.00 
GUPPIES or RAINBOW FISH (Lebistes retic- 
idatus) derives its popular name from a scien¬ 
tific name given it by an early zoologist, though 
its earlier zoological name survives. In its na¬ 
tive waters around Trinidad, the Barbados and 
Venezuela, it is known as “the million fish” be¬ 
cause of its great fecundity, and the brilliant 
coloring of the males have given it its more gen¬ 
eral popular name of “the Rainbow Fish.” 
SAILFINS (Mollienisia latipinna) in their bril¬ 
liant liveries of silver and black, are native to 
the waters from northern Mexico through Texas 
and the Carolinas, and are at home in either 
fresh or brackish waters. They reach lengths 
of nearly four inches. A very interesting hybrid 
of the species is the Black Mollienisia (Sphenops 
var.). 
The Balanced Aquarium 
The TERM “balanced” is used to 
describe that condition in an Aquarium wherein 
the activities and functions of the fish are 
equaled by those of the plants. The Aquarium 
should be well planted, as the plants give off 
oxygen in sunlight or in good, strong light, 
and take in carbon dioxide which the fish ex¬ 
hale. Properly arranged, an Aquarium for 
either Goldfish or Tropical Fish need not have 
the water changed. Allow twenty square inches 
of water surface per inch of fish body for Gold¬ 
fish, or two inches of body per gallon of water. 
When more Goldfish are kept, some water 
should be dipped out when they gasp at the 
top, and fresh, cool water added. In small 
Aquariums the water should be changed quite 
often, depending on the number and size of 
the Goldfish. 
Tropical Fishes will do well even when 
crowded. They are native to warm waters 
wherein the oxygen content is usually very low. 
They therefore require little oxygen. How¬ 
ever, their tanks should be well planted to 
provide a hiding place for the young. When 
well balanced, the water in the Aquarium need 
never be changed. Add for evaporation only in 
26 
HOOSIER AQUATIC GARDENS 
