The Washington herald., 1911-05-06
THE AQUARIUM
AND IT'S CARE
Usually Fish Are Not Given
Enough Room.
By EDWARD 9. sOHMID.

An aquarium Is a vessel containing
water. aquatic plants. and fish in such
proportion as to be mutually supporting.
The plants contained in IT should be
sufficiently numerous to liberate or throw
of enough oxygen to supply the fsh.
The function of plant-life in the water
is to decompose the carbonic acid gas,
under the action Of sunlight. using the
carbon to build up their structures and
liberating the oxygen which is necessary
to the support Of animal life.
Fish. in breathing. absorb this free
oxygen in the water and also absorb 1t
from the air which Is always present in
suspension in some proportion when it Is
exposed to the air.
The proportion Of oxygen or Of air In
water is directly proportioned to its tenn
perature. Thus for about every sixteen
degrees Of lower temperature water will
take up and retain in suspension about
double the volume Of oxygen or Of at
mospheric air,
As water Is heated on a stove. the air
or free oxygen will be seen to be ex-
PEELED in bubbles, until finally 1t would
no longer support life.
Thus, the cooler the water the greater
the amount Of oxygen there will be, and
the greater number Of fish can be kept
in 1t.
Should Be Given Room.
Usually. fish are not given enough
room. The greater the space allowed
them. the greater the success in keep
ing them. There can be no rule as to
the number Of fish which can be kept
in given quantity Of water, as the con-
ditions affecting them in the aquarium
are exceedingly variable. being, as stated
above. affected by light (acting on the
plants and the temperature. as well
as the size of the fish. Owing to these
varying influences. the conditions Of sue
cess must be studied out in each case.
1t is better to first get the plant-life
growing healthily and then introduce
the animal-life gradually, taking care
not to overstock with fish.
Fish Globes and Fish.
Should you have a fish globe without
gravel or aquatic plants the water must
be changed at stated intervals. Observa-
ton will soon show how long they may
so without change Of water. When the
fish keep persistently at the surface
sucking air, the water needs to be
changed
General Rules.
The following general rules should be
aquaria:
Place fish globes. or aguaria. so that
they will have plenty of light, air, and
sun. Be careful to keep them IN a cool
place.
Globes, as well as aquaria, unless COW
cred, should not contain more than four
fifths water, as otherwise the fish might
jump out and get hurt, whie lizards,
snails, and other animals would have a
great opportunity Of creeping out and
being lost.
For % cents you can buy a wire screen
which prevents the fish from jumping
out. They are made for all sizes and
kinds of equaria. Owing to the neglect
of this precaution many have been caused
| to wonder at the loss of their pets.
Fish, like every other living creature,
requires food. / would advise supply of
fish food once or twice a week. Be care
full not to introduce more than the fish
will eat as what is not eaten will tend
to foul the water.
What to Feed Fish.
In case of such fresh-water fish as sun
fish, catfish, eels. turtles. &C.. worms are
! useful food, and, If worms cannot be
had, raw beef will be a good substitute
Beef, when supplied. may be hung on a
| string for them to nibble at. Bread,
cake, cracker, &C. should be avoided.
When the weather is very warm, aquaria
must be shaded from the strong sunlight
in some way
Shells and corals are not recommended
for the aquaria, as the carbonic-acid gas
decomposes the lime and hardens the
water, affecting both plants and fish. If
used, however, they should be allowed to
remain in water some weeks. Turtles
should be frequently fed on raw beef; in
| summertime flies will suffice.
The following are best adapted to fresh
water aquaria: Goldfish, silverflsh, sun
and rock. sunfish, catfish, stone or rock
fish. striped bass. shining-dace or sinner.
stickleback. eel; also small water turtles.
Holsters, frogs, nevis or lizards. tad
poles, muscles (fresh-water clam, and
beetles