Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-08-27

when viewing an aquarium, the source
| of light should come from behind US.
/ Not enough light is as injurious as toe
much, and causes decay of the vegeta-
/ ton. Having constructed a water-tight
! aquarium, the bottom is Strewn over
/ with clean sand to the depth of one to
/ three inches; on this little gravel is
! spread; then few stones or rock work.
/ Heavy, large rocks should be avoided;
/ they displace large amount of water
/ and increase the danger of breaking the
/ glass sides. Pumicestone, well washed,
| is the best kind, being light and with d
| rough surface suitable for the roofing of
| plants, ETC.; and if fancy forms are de-
/ sired bridge work, etc., the pumicestOne
can be cut quite easily to the desired
/ shapes. The plants are rooted in the
sand and the vessel left at rest for a
week for the plants to vegetate. The
following plants will be found useful:
Utricularj0 iaT5ata, utrtcuLgria Uu(garts,
mHri0phy5lIm Spicatum. qnGrcbariS Can
adeaSiS and h0tt0Hja ilJidta.
In obtaining plants procure all the
roots and see that they are we'll rooted.
If fungus should form add snails
(plan0r5is trio0IgiS); they Will completely
destroy it. After the plants are well
started add the shells and amphibiOus
animals. The following shells viii be
found desirable: PLm0r5is triU07ris, DHysa
HeterOstTdphd, uai0 c0mpEupatus Many
shells are not needed. Snails act the
part of scavengers; and where the
different elements of an aquarium are
rightly balanced two or more snails will
be found sufficient.
If amphibious animals are introduced,
the rock work must extend above the
surface of the water, or float of some
kind must be substituted 1t is impOssi-
bic for them to live under water all the
time, and they would die without some
such arrangement.
The turtles claim first rank. The e71ys
pu21ctata, or spotted water turtle, and the
chrySenyS picta, or painted water turtle,
will be found to be the best for the
aquarium, and should be procured when
very young, as they are very destructive
when old. The tritons triton tigrt12uS,
triton n5ger), the red salamander, the
cray fish (GstacuS Bart0u5), are all suita-
BILE, and present a very odd and yet
very natural look to the aquarium.
In selecting the fishes there is no
boundary to the number to be obtained,
but experience has proved that compar-
atively a few only thrive in confinement.
Among these, and the first, is the gold
fish. He can live for months without
| introduced food and is, without compar-
ison, the most hardy, standing remark
able changes in the temperature; and he
is the most gaudy and attractive. A
large number of the fishes prey upon
each other and will only do for the
aquarium when in the young state.
Among these may be mentioned pOll10tiS
0ulgGriS, or sun fish, es0r T6tjcuI0tuS, or
common pickerel, and perca tiOroScens, or
yellow perch. The leuc5s chs pygn16lts,
or rock fish, is great addition and is
! found very plentifully in our streams
The p5mel0das dtrGr5us, or common black
catfish, is another worthy of place. So
also is the Aydrarg50 d5aphana, or
! transparent minnow. But few fish
can live in an aquarium; and the needless
| crowding together, so often seen, is very
hurtful to health, and causes sound,
| strong fish in short time to become
weak and poor. The great difficulty in
keeping an aquarium is to secure enough
oxygen for the fish. To slight degree
it is the duty Of the plants to supply this :;
but if too much vegetation be present
! decomposition takes place and ruin fol-
| lows. 1t has been demonstrated that
only small amount is necessary to
! absorb the carbonic acid given off by the
! fish and and amphibians; consequently,
! if the water be daily aerated with a
! syringe, it will absorb an abundant supply
| of oxygen for the animal life, and the
! trouble arising from the decay of much
vegetable matter will be lessened or
altogether avoided. Scientific An16r5can.