Evening star., 1933-11-08

Death in the aquarium sometimes
co1nes by accident as in the outside
world. as well as from lack of hygiene
and proper aquatic management.
The most unusual accident occurred
in the tank of local enthusiast this
week Entering the living room in the
dark, he placed small electric heater
in the community tank and left the
room.
when he came down next morning,
he discovered that one of his guppies
was dead beneath the end Of the heater,
where it had been imprisoned as he
pushed the instrument down into the
tank.
Evidently the fish had been asleep,
and had not been able to escape the
descending heater.
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This accident shows the need for
doing all aquarium work in the light.
One should no more fool around an
aquarium in the dark than take medf-
cine from the home medicine chest
without seeing what the vial happens
to contain.
Most varieties of fishes suitable for
indoor keeping are comparatively
lethargic during the night.
The average person is so used to
watching his fishes at play that he
never stops to think that they, too,
! can rest, or that, indeed, they ever DO
cease their swimming.
II one will snap on the light sud-
denly however, he will find that prac-
tically all his charges are at rest.
These will include those most active
fellows, the Pearl Danios, and the So
called Zebra fishes.
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All fishes assume their darkest hues
when the lights go out. If the owner
wants to see his angel fishes, for in
stance, with their best dark bands, be
can do so any time he wishes by SD
denly switching the light on them, after
the darkness has been on the tank for
some time.
plain fact that most of his fishes are
very small and that they have no way
of crying out if imprisoned, or, as in
the above given case, crushed.
1t is well, therefore. If any sort of
work whatever in or around the tank
be undertaken in full light, no matter
how small the task.
Another fact often overlooked is that
fishes of the same variety look very
much alike, indeed, and that it will be
well to count noses" from time to
time, to see that all are present.
Only In this way can the owner Of
several varieties be quite sure that one
of his pets has not leaped out of a
tank.
Many pet fishes are lost by permitting
them to jump out of the aquarium.
Only experience will teach some per-
sons that the so-called tropical fishes
are great leapers.
If a friend with prior experience
warns them that q cover of some sort
is an essential, they reply by some wit
ticism, and disregard the warning until
too late.
The fact Is that the glass cover for
the tropical aquarium should be pur-
chased at the same time as the tank,
and should never be left off for any
extended period.
Guppies, plates, and other small
liverbearers, which are forever courting,
even during meal times, viii leap out Of
the water upor. the slightest provocation.
Sometimes the jumps will be just
enough to carry them over the edge.
If the fish is found within two or
three minutes, and put back in the
! water at once, it has chance Of sur
vival, but after It's gills have dried
there is little If any chance for it,
although 1t may show signs of life for
several hours If put back in the water.
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The only sure way of preventing this
unhappy accident is to keep the glass