New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-06-23
New9lork daily Gribnste.
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
TIE AQUARIUM.

LIFE BENEATH TIE WATERS; Or, The AQUARIUM II
AssNcA. By ARTHUR NJ. EDWARDS. 12mo PIP no d.
BajneEe.
Ose of the most pleasing applications Of natural
scenco in modern times is that of the reciprocal in.
fuence of animal and vegetable life to the invention
Of the curious arrangement called the aquarium, or
aqus yiyarium, which promises not only 10 give
striking illustration of the beautiful harmonies OF
nature but to furnish an ample source OF domestic
.sd social entertainment In this article we pro-
nose TO give our readers brief explanation of the
principles Of the aquarium, with such practical d.
rec,ions for its construction as may enable them to
set one up on their own account, wherever grass
prowa or water runs. Whoever wishes for more
minute Details on this subject will do well to c'n-
cult the little volume named above which is no less
complete and lucid in its Instructions than 1t at
trastiye in it. style Of composition.
Most persons have observed the uneasiness of the
gold ish which are kept in globe of water. Unless
the water is frequently changed they become rest
less and unhappy, aud at last die. The reason is
that some kind of waterplant is necessary to their
existence. In breathing, they take into their sys-
tenn the oxygen Of the atmosphere, which, com
b;ped with the carbon Of the animal body, escapes
In The form Of carbonic acid gas. The water IN
which they live, soon becomes iDpregnated with
this gas ard is thus rendered UNFIT for the purposes
Of re aspiration, and fatal to animal hfe. Now throw
into the glass globe supply Of aqustc plants and
th,v will become reservoirs Of the carboIic acid,
taking from it the carbon they need for their oWn
growth and giving OF the oxygen for the use OF the
god feb. Each party is thus satisfied. Like JACK
Sprat and his wife, they make clean sweep of the
Waiter, the plants taking the carbon from the fish,
and the fish .akrg the oxygen from the plants. But
the difficulty is not yet completely met In spite of
the pond lilies you throw into the globe, the gold
tsi by and by begin to droop again, and you viii
econ 6nd that nothing save your fayoIi.e pete.
The mischief comes from the decay of the plants,
which. in the natural course Of things foul the
water by their decomposition. 1t is ciesrly csse
for the ,cayepeer. But 1t may be no easy matter
10 End such functionary. He is just as likely as
Police officer, or street commissioner, not to be at
hssd when most wanted. Nature, however, did
rot overlook this point. Examine the bed of pond
81 river, and among tho dead and decomposlng
leaves on the bottom you will find host OF tiny
wsser-snails voraciously feeding on the vegason
Catch Il few Of these alive, treat them ss though
you loved them, 30 that they will not be homesick
and place them among the gold fish in the globe;
they viii soon fs to work on the dead plants aud
the turbid water viii again become sweet and lin
pid. Here you have the circle complete, and al
the mater for an aquarium. Fish, water plants,
md snaas are the raw elements which compose the
elegant natural mechanism. The fsh to give food
{carboD TO the plants, the plants to give food COX
ygcn 10 the fish, and the ais to keep the house in
srder BY devouring all vegetable impurities. An
aquarium, b fact is nothing but 6sh-globe on a
large scale, with the simple provisions Of nature to