Evening star., 1932-10-19

Many home gardeners who enjoyed
a water lily tub all Summer will be
bringing their goldfish into the house
| now.
They should not do so, however. until
they have fully prepared the awaiting
aquarium.
The old-fashioned way OF securing q
small round bowl and Pumping the fSh
into it will not do.
II the pool pets Of the Summer are
to take kindly to their new habitat,
as large a body of water as may be
feasible is necessary. and 1t must De
put in condition to make them feel at
home.
finicky.
They have their of moments and
their good moments and are not above
displaying petulance.
If any one thinks a goldfish can
not be petulant, he should take one out
of properly stocked outdoor tub and
in turn put it into an inadequately pre-
pared aquarium.
We stress the tub, because there are
a great MANY of these miniature pools,
and the annual problem IS what to do
with the live stock, since the depth OF
water is not sufficient to permit them
remaining in it all Winter.
There are tales, of course, OF fish
living frozen solid in ice. but also there
are tall stories" of goldfish being trans
ported long distances merely wrapped
in a wet handkerchief.
1t is difficult to believe that these
small carp like to be frozen in, as they
lol of in q
likelihood, or that they should be car
ried around in no more water than
afforded by handkerchief.
If the gardener constructed a real pool,
two or three feet deep, and furnished 1t
properly with other aquatic life, in
cludng the most essential oXygenating
plants, there is no problem In regard to
the goldfish. They can remain where
they are, since there will always be
sufficient water which will not freeze.
Nor should it be forgotten that cold
water absorbs more oxygen than warm,
and that, everything else not being
equal. the fish will fare better at least
in regard to that vital gas than in
Summer, even.
Indoor quarters must be found, how
ever. for the fish which have done well
in the lily tub.
While it is scarcely possible to work
up much sentiment in regard to goldfish,
the gardener who believes in the amen
tiles of life will find himself unable to
discard them.
Friends with pools do not want them,
and it is impossible to leave them in
their tub, or one feels it to be impos-
sible, which is just the same thing.
Therefore they must come indoors.
But one must not be in too great a
hurry about 1t.
If the aquarium Is not properly pre-
pared, and given a chance to become
filled with oxygen the goldfish will
resent their change of quarters nightly.
They will even go to the extent of
becoming petulant. as If determined to
carry on" as badly as possible. in
order to force the tender-hearted
gardener to restore them to their good
old pool.
Just how much of this finny resent
ment is put on and how much true is
very difficult for the amateur to know.
The fish will keep near the top OF
the tank, often sticking their noses
out, as if gasping for air.
Maybe that is what they are after,
but their actions will lead, in some
cases, to a belief that they are rather
showing off" trying to work the SYM
pathies of their owner for restoration
to the outdoors.
1t must not be forgotten that the
oudoor tub, though small gave them
more natural conditions, with a much
greater expanse of air surface.
The point is that the aquarium, even
a large one, must be put in condition.
1t will not do to place therein layer