New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-06-23

ard exposed to tie suns direct rajs for several
hours each day. In selecting your fsh, remember
that tie smaller the better. Large fish, and by
large feb We mean those over fiye inches long are
too fixed in their habit, and require too much el-
bow-rotm, to thrive well in An aquarium. The
gold carp is one Of the best for our purpose. He is
beautiful animal, and takes easily to domes.-
cation, while be lives on 8 very small amount OF
food He ia inclined 10 vegetable Diet, and pre-
irrs bread to meat The minnow, the yellow perch,
the gudgeOn, and, above all tie stickleback, are
recommended as suitable inhabitants for our aquatic
colony.
Your aquarium is now fully organized, but sue
cess in lis subsequent management requires con-
slant vigilance on the part Of tbe keeper. In the
first place, you are to provide for the feeding Of
your guests-no small responsibility. II you are
wise caterer, you will see that they have liberal
supply of animal food. You may throw into the
tank any kind of meat, but it must be torn up into
small ,hreds, Ike worms, 90 that they can swal-
low it easily for fish have not the discretion to
ticate their food. Chicken forms favoite repsst,
but beef iuits them best as q general Diet After
! time, they will become so tame as to eat from your
hand Minuows are the first to show this mark Of
confidence. Dace and sunfsh next, and then gold
fish. Minnows will often coma TO the surface and
nibble your finger when you place it just below the
water, and allow you to stroke them gently, espe-
ciaIy before feeding, when they expect their meal
They Will learn 10 follow you round the tank, like the
animals in mensgerie about FEEDING time. II is i'm
poItant not to place too much food in the tank at
once. What 10 not eaten will decay and foul the
| water. Unless you keep them little below the
mark, the greedy gormandizers will stuff themselves
with food TIL it projects from their mouths. Some
times the sDais Will nes lect their work as scayen-
gers, and then the glass will become cloudy with
eonferrae, deposit of minute plants, which are the
natural food Of certain genera. You must then
clean the glass with sponge tied 10 the end Of
stick.
After all your care, you may find that things do
not 90 right. The fish see n to be gloomy and un-
amiabe, and wha. is more to the purpose, cannot
breathe easily. They show this BY coming fire.
quently to the surface. Perhaps you bsve too many
fsh for the oxygen afforded by the plants Or,
there may not be sufficient vegetation for the size
Of the tank; or the water may haye become foul by
some dechyDg matter in the tank which must be
removed. Either of these defects sbo Ne fault in
the organization. You have not got real aqua
rium until your collection Of plants and animals is
.elfsuppor!ing and sefrenovatDg.
The preceding directions apply to freshwater
aquariums, but the volume before us enlarges on
the construction Of tie marine aquarium, which,
though not es,ily within the reach of every am
ateur, exhibits the checks and balances in the or
eanzation Of nature in still more remarkable man
ner On the process OF procuring materials for this
institution, we must let the author tell bis story in
bis own way.
Although objects for the purpose Of stocking the
aquarium can be purchased in New-fork City,
and may soon be for sale in other Of our large cities,
ptill one of the chief pleasures incident to keeping
aquarium the collecting OF plants and securing ami
mails. and introducing the same into 1t, while the
healthy exercise which such employment gives is
great oxidation in this modern fashionable pur-
suit.
Let Ms suppose that our resder, "a citizen of credit
and rtnown" in New-York, has procured tank OF
such form or dmersors az is best adapted Tor tue po-
elton in which it lie to be placed and wishes to obtain
plants ard animals TO put In it, so az to constitute an
sdusriu We will also suppose 1t TO be intended Tor
m srre collection; how shall hs snd equip ourselves,
and when equipped where shall We proceed IN order
to obtsin the necessary materials to constitute the
stock
You and l. reader, will 90 TO the seashore for won
ders to bring home and place IN our crystal prison. ana
there admire in our lei ure hours. So trst, II yeu
please, we will dress ourselves 10 rough enit OF
cothes-bever mind if they be little the worse ior
wesr-ws are not going to promenade broadway ou'
70 walk where nobody gong 10 loos al us cave tDe
seanymphs f We are SO fortunate as to tn%'ho ,;oa
any of those cYeatures-and when we DO, We WIN Vus
them home and put them into our aquailuihI' 49,
fore let the clothes be old ana tne 200. ill nrc.
and strong A hat is apt to blow Oh, 20 We wa pro-
viSs our,eyes with tight fitting caps AS Tor the in-
Elements that we intend TO take with u.s. II 10 all very
well for writers to describe complicated zlnc-cans ana
eaches with their various internal arrange
ments which csn be used on such occasoas pu tneSe
will be of no service 70 us, Who are gcng 10 SAT- on
At day a notice and have neither time nor ircina-
tiop TO encum Der ourselves with such machinery OF
action Well take with US BASKET, containing an
con with covert should hold aoout gsion s"ee
glass ecttes, with wide moutcs, holding respectively
a mint. a quart, and half galloh-or they Gay Dc
srnsler il we are crsmped for room. have some
tmes fund one Of the capacity oil quart euincieI.
blu. on this point the collector can Judge 1r hisei,
after havirg been GU. once; ge00e'" hurHeI u'4
stone ctise ore of the kind cercmma-ea tscnmcay'
| " cold chisei." hayirg q sharp-cutug steel edge.
These irrp,emen.s are Indispensable, as we Snail nua
when procuring suemones and some OF the ag;e az
royU ,aEf,. knit and small net, about SIX lsche5
across ard attached to the end Of pole six feet n
length This net to be used for the purpoee OF esp
! turIpy ssh crabs ard other active creatures.
The hes Of this let ehoud bs ab out one third OF
an iuch across of the dimensions CT those IN what 10
termed shrimp r,t." II We srs going particularly
for aLemonS. We shall tad It convenient 70 take On
| iron s.c,sbsr a. Mr.. TugweI recommends IN nus
"N,busl." dispensing with the liable bodied man
J .ner.in mentioned, We shau ma IL DesnDy "oiA,
leaning to the cIowoa ourselves. uo"efel, a'
we are supposed be going after general STOCK io az
aquarium We will leave the crovosr at hone Tor tns
Thus equipped we start for the shore, wherever we
csn touch it. Let us for moment suppose ,as' We VIC