The true Democrat., 1897-01-23

po'so "na snalls are the best.known
11oaseesers 1'a tor aquariums that hava
oeen 1 found, and they are raised to oN,e he
sold with the fish. Al'''o " 10
Goldfish ere, like all other animals
tl! tho!ect 10 diseases, and these attack
snen alllSe III the ponds and in aouor;-
oms' line most common disease is \
cory or dropsy, Which Is always fatal.
nao may destroy an entire aauarinm
III ashort time. On the underside of
tie body will be noticed 3 small nnfr
or swelling OF q different shade from
the , surrounding skin. The fish which
develops that puff is doomed, and tho
Sr kpones Il Is taken from the aquarium
she better for the remainder. There
Is g parasitic fungus, or phlcgm. duo
TO the deposit OF micro.oreanism
"hleh attacks the fins and gills of Tho
gold tish. This phlcgm soon ypreads
oyer the head and body, and kills the
hsa. Where the disease comes from
or two what it is due no one seems ia
KNOW, but the general belief is that it
Is caused ny impure water. In small
alnar1ums, whero the fish are crowded
or large, the water should be changed
every day, but with large bulk Of
water and IN a weil-ventilatel room
tAst is not necessary.
goldfish require but very little
1000, either in the ponds or in tho
aquarium. Mr.. Shorp feeds only
';' toasted bnkeE's bread twice week.
the bread is kept long while and is
perfectly dry when fed. This, to-
Sether with. small quantities Of moss,
IS all they ever receive IN the shape OF
food.
lhe goldfish is not SO tender an ami
mai as is imagined, for IN handling
ard moving them from one pond to
another they are dipped up in nets
and carried about in baskets, much
like corn or potatoes. Sometime they
are out OF the water thirty minutes,
and seldom it is that they aro injured.
How long they will live depends alto
gether on their treatment, In the
Government aquarium ut yVashin ston
is goldfish that is known to be tiftv
years of age, and it is not rcrceptibly
la1 ger than when first placed there.
There is eaid to be in the Royal
Aquarium at Rome, Italy, fish that
IS more than hundred years of age,
but it has grown slightly in the last
twenty-five years. lis color is the
same, except slight change with tho
seasons.
There are two great general varieties
of goldfish on the market, and all tho
fish offered for sale belong to one or
tue other Of these varies, the common,
or Chinese, and the Japanese. Both
kinds are raised on these farms, but
are kept separate, becanse the pure
Japanese ere more valuable and bring
higher prices. The Chinese 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 King
,dola," and all the different forms
OF Japanese fish arc the result
Of selecting and crossing their de-
scenaents. The Japanese are the more
difficult to raise because of their
peculiarities and because the easier
injured by exposure. More sluggish
by nature, as soon as they are large
enough to begin eating the little
commands gorge themselves and in
stupid condition float close to the sur
face Of the water, where they become
easy pray to all the insects which at-
tack them. The water beetle kills
many thousands every year.
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