The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-30

In the various ponds. One strange feature
in connection with this farm Is that, in a
smaller pond near the breeding ponds, Mr.
Shoup raises tadpoles and on a small plot
of ground he raises an immense number
OF snails, The tadpoles and snails are the
hest- known scavengers for aquariums
that have been found, and they are raised
TO be sold with the fish. OF course, 1t is
risky business raising 'tads'' so close to
the gold fish, but it is one of the necessary
risks of the trade.
Goldfish are like all other animals sub
Ject TO diseases, and these attack them
alike in the ponds and in aquariums. The
most common disease Is a sort OF dropsy.
which Is always fatal and may destroy
an entire aquarium i'm a short time on
the underside of the belly will be noticed
q small pun or swelling of a different
shade from the surrounding skin. The
fish which develops that puff is doomed,
and the sooner ii Is taken from the aqua
rum the better for the remainder. There
Is a parasitic fungus, or phlegm, due to
the deposit of a mlcro-organism, which at
lacks the fms and gills of the gold fish.
This phlegm soon spreads over the head
and body and kills the fish. Where the
disease comes from or to what II is due
no one seems to know, but the general
belief is that IL is caused by impure wa
ter In small aquariums. where the fish
are crowded or large, the water should
be changed every day, but with a large
bulk of water and In a well ventilated
room that rs not necessary
Goldfish are queer animals. lt Is gener-
ally believed that they are very easily in
stand more rough usage without injury
than most other varieties of aquarium fish.
Over-attention and neglect however, are
responsible for the short life many OF them
live after they are moved into people 3
conserVatori and drawing rooms. The
fright of moving them into new quarters
is likely to do them harm, and they do
better il allowed 10 rest in quiet part
of the room. At night il Is better 70 cover
the aquarium with a cloth to keep out the
artificial light from gas or electricity, Tor
they must have darkness like other ami
mails. The rooms must be ventilated, FOR
pure air is essential. Always change the
water reasonably often, and the fact that
bubbles collect around the globe Is a sign
for changing the water Occasionally a
saltwater bath will be beneficial, but It
must be very dilute. In every aquarium
should be. put a pinch of salt once in a
while TO sweeten and clarity the water. A
lady friend of the writer heard that salt
water bath was good for goldfish, and she
made strong solution. The consequence
was she picked her fish and they died.
When the fish have been neglected for
some time they do not Immediately snow
the effects. The water may be changed
and they seem all right, but in short
time they droop and die, apparently with
out cause.
Goldfish require but very little food, eth
err In the ponds or In the aquarium. Mr.
Shoup feeds only toasted bakers bread
twice a week. The bread Is kept a long
while and Is perfectly dry when fed. This,
together with a small quantity of moss.
is all they ever receive in the shape Of
~
aquatic plant of the water lily family,
which has finely dissected submerged
leaves and long peltate floating ones, and
small three-Darted yellow flowers. Mr.
Shoup gives to this moss great credit for
his success in raising fish. The leaves
grow on long, thick, soft stem, sometimes
five or six yards in length. Besides serving
as food, aquariums which use II require
much less attention, because IL oxygenizes
the water and less air Is needed. In fitting
and caring for an aquarium of goldfish
different VarlflCg of fish should never be
placed together, for the more active and
gamey will surely destroy the more peace
full. Never leave food in the water until II
sOurs.
The goldfish is not so tender an animal as
Is Imagined for In handling and moving
them from one pond to another they are
dipped uD in nets and carried about In
baskets, much like corn or potatoes. Some
times they are out OF the water thirty
minutes, and seldom Is II that they are in
jured. How long they Will live depends al
together on their treatment. In the govern
ment aquarium at Washington is a gold
fish that is known to be fifty years of age,
and 1t is not perceptibly larger than when
first placed there There is said to be In
the Royal Aquarium at Rome, Italy fish
that is more than hundred years of age
but 1t has grown slightly in the last TWEEN
ty-five years. It's color Is the same, except
a slight change with the seasons.
There are two great general varieties Of
offered for sale belong to one or the other
OF these varieties, the common, or Chinese,
and the Japanese. Both kinds are raised
on these farms, but are kept separate be-
cause the pure Japanese are more val
liable and bring higher prices. The Chi
| nesc variety Is sold to those who cannot
| pay fancy prices, and many thousands of
| them are shipped for Christmas presents
| every year. The first Japanese stock was
| imported by Mr.. Shoup twelve years ago
direct from the royal aquarium of the
| "E'lowery Kingdom" and all the different
forms of Japanese fish are the result OF Sc
lecting and crossing their descendants
The Japanese are the more difficult to
raise because OF their peculiarities and be-
cause the easier injured by exposure. More
sluggish by nature, as soon as they are
large enough to begin eating the little
gourmands gorge themselves and In
stupid condition float close to the surface
of the water, where they become easy
prey to all the insects which attack them.
The water beetle kills many thousands ev-
cry year.