BELDT'S AQUARIUM, ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI 
37 
It describes all the diseases and how to prevent them. It also describes 
the breeding habits and other details useful to you in learning the suc¬ 
cessful methods of handling goldfish. 
We wish, however, to bring out a few important points which 
everyone should know who keeps goldfish in a pool. In the average 
pool of three-foot depth, goldfish may be left out during the winter 
without any danger of loss except if the pool is crowded. That is, if 
you have raised a lot of goldfish and the pool is very crowded with 
them, then you should dispose of your surplus goldfish in the fall of 
the year and only keep as many goldfish in the pool as you desire to 
start with next spring. Goldfish become almost lifeless as the water 
freezes. It must be remembered that they are cold blooded creatures 
and the colder the water gets, the less they breathe. In fact, after the 
ice once forms on your pond, you may quit feeding the fish as they do 
not consume any food until after the ice has disappeared and the water 
again becomes warmer. 
If you wish to bring the fish indoors into the living room for the 
winter, or keep them in the cellar, adequate provisions must be made 
to take care of them. Most people overcrowd these goldfish and lose 
them. When keeping goldfish in an aquarium or trough over the 
winter, you should not keep over two inches of fish to the gallon of 
water. It is best to keep them in a cool place. Of course, you can 
keep them in a warm living room over winter, but if the temperature is 
70 or above, then at the most you should keep only one inch of fish to 
the gallon of water. If a goldfish is two inches long and has a tail two 
inches long, then you should have four gallons of water to keep it in. 
OVERWINTERING GOLDFISH IN THE CELLAR 
This can be done very simply through the use of barrels or wooden 
troughs. Another method is to put a little concrete wall across the 
corner of your basement, provided of course that you have cement 
walls and floor. You might build a concrete tank something like the 
one you have outside only this will be above the floor level. Anything 
that will hold water, except metal containers, may be used. As long 
as this water is kept from freezing, the goldfish usually stay healthy. 
Many readers will understand that this information is not required 
in the south and they may be unfamiliar with the many difficulties 
that the lily pool and goldfish fancier is confronted with in the north. 
Redwood troughs are listed in this catalog which are ideal for the 
hatching of eggs or in cellars for overwintering of goldfish. 
CARE OF TUB GARDENS DURING THE WINTER 
Leave the tub full of water and leave all the hardy plants in same. 
Place boards on top of this tub and heap some leaves over these boards 
to keep the heavy frost out. It is best not to take the water out of these 
tubs as most hardy plants will freeze readily if the soil is dry but will 
not be affected by frost if the soil is kept covered with water. 
HARDY WATER LILIES AND OTHER HARDY PLANTS 
Hardy water lilies may be planted anytime after the water has be¬ 
come warm and they may be planted up until September 1. It is best 
not to plant water lilies during the cold weather because the tubers 
which you receive have been cut or separated and in order to produce 
good plants, the water must be warm so that there is an immediate 
Mr. Martin Vander Vaer is well pleased with plants received from us. 
BELDT’S QUALITY WATER LILIES ALWAYS GROW 
Following letter received from Mr. Vander Vaer:—Please send me at once 
your large collection of plants, also your book, "Tropical Aquariums and Water 
Gardens.” 
Also please find enclosed a picture of my pool for which you furnished me 
lilies, fish, and plants, and I do not hesitate to say that they were the finest blooms 
around here. We had lilies from early July till November. Some had 9 and 10-inch 
blossoms. 
Yours truly, 
Martin Vander Vaer, 
New Haven, Conn. 
and continuous growth as the cut end of these tubers has a tendency to 
decay unless checked by a continuous growth. Hardy water lilies may 
be planted one foot below the water surface and some varieties will 
grow as much as four foot below the water surface and thrive success¬ 
fully. Therefore, the depth for planting hardy water lilies is not nearly 
so important. 
Figure at least 9 square feet of space for each hardy water lily. 
Other hardy water plants such as the oxygenating plants can be planted 
right in the bottom of the pool in small boxes or pots. Many fanciers 
make the mistake of planting them in the lily boxes with the result 
that these plants choke the water lilies and produce a very poor growth. 
Another feature which must be taken into consideration is that hardy 
water lilies are not hardy. Now, this seems to be one for Ripley, but it 
is a true fact. Water lilies must be kept below the frost line during the 
winter for if the roots freeze, they will rot. We find that in the St. 
Louis latitude, 6 or 8 inches of water above the roots is at all times 
sufficient. 
TROPICAL WATER LILIES 
Tropical water lilies have come to the front more and more during 
the past 10 years. They are becoming more popular each year and 
there are many good reasons for this popularity: the beautiful flowers, 
the abundance of flowers, and their perfect adaptability to artificial 
environments. Tropical lilies are usually set out after June 1 in the 
latitude of St. Louis. They should be planted after the water has 
reached a temperature of at least 65 or 70 degrees F. Tropical water 
lilies are produced in greenhouses in large water troughs and are 
usually planted in pots which may vary in size from three inches to five 
inches. The size of the pots in which they are grown is of very little 
importance. Nor is the size of the greenhouse plants, as long as the 
plant is not too weak. Tropical water lilies are really annuals and 
should be considered as such. Even in their native habitat they are 
subjected to lower temperatures at certain times of the year and they go 
dormant and rest. For this reason, the young plant with good vigorous 
root stock is of as much value as an older plant. The selling of two-year- 
old tropical water lilies is nothing more or less than getting additional 
prices for an extra large plant. Outside of its additional size, it has no 
additional value and in fact the smaller plant may get to be larger 
than the older plant. It all depends on the conditions existing in your 
pool. 
Very few fanciers have the facilities of taking care of tropical lilies 
over the winter months; however, those that decide to keep them may 
do so by simply removing the tubers in the fall of the year and placing 
them in damp sand until the following spring. They can be kept as 
easily as Gladiolas or Dahlia bulbs. Great care should be used to see 
that they do not dry up or freeze. Tropical lilies when first set out 
in the spring of the year should be set in shallow water, preferably about 
four to five inches deep. After they start growing, the water level may 
be raised. Tropical lilies will make a tremendous growth. They seem 
to almost grow over night when they once get started and from small 
plants with leaves 3 to 4 inches in diameter. Soon, within about six 
weeks’ time, they are large plants with leaves of from 10 to 12 inches. 
Their growth is continuous, until frost. They may bloom when you 
receive them and bloom continually after you plant them and again 
they may drop most of their leaves and make a new growth. It all 
depends upon the weather conditions. If it should happen to be cloudy 
and cool when you plant them, their growth will be retarded and if 
the opposite conditions exist, their growth will be rapid. After the 
plants are once established, it takes about two weeks before they begin 
to make the first flowers, which increase in size and numbers until the 
ice actually forms on the water. 
POOL PLANTS 
Pool plants come under three general classifications: floating plants, 
submerged plants, and bog plants. The floating plants are all the 
various plants which float on top of the water or near the surface such 
as Water Lettuce, Duckweed, Water Hyacinths, etc. Submerged plants 
are all such plants as water lilies, oxygen plants and other plants which 
really do not have to come in contact with the surface in order to thrive. 
While water lilies are not actually submerged plants because their flowers 
come to the surface, they come under this classification. Then we have 
the Bog plants, or Swamp plants. These are all kinds of plants which 
like to grow in very wet soil covered by several inches of water. They 
will, however, thrive under various water levels. Everyone knows that 
all of these plants are native in some parts of the world and that no body 
of natural water keeps its level continually. Therefore, Bog plants will 
thrive even if the soil is above water level, or if it is, as in many cases, 
two feet below the water surface. They merely require a lot of moisture. 
Under the heading of Bog plants are included all such plants as the 
Nelumbiums, Pickeral Rush, Cattails, Arrow Heads, Water Taros, etc. 
WE ARE GLAD TO HELP YOU WITH YOUR PROBLEMS 
We have tried to cover as many details as space will allow so that 
you may have complete information in order to have a successful water 
garden. If, however, you should desire any additional information we 
shall gladly answer your inquiries. Please send self-addressed stamped 
envelope with all inquiries for information. 
