Evening star., 1933-01-18
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

tire hobby OF tropical fish culture has
arisen. Because few of these latter
fishes come to the surface to gasp, as
goldfishes do amateurs got the idea
that no attention need be given to the
number of animals per gallon of water
1t Is true that the tropicals can stand
unmerciful crowding, but not in the
hands OF amateurs. Real experts may
be able to so balance their tanks that
no harm comes, but the average anna
teur is as liable to be as far off the
norm in other matters as in this one.
There are other rules today with re-
gard to goldfishes, the most notable
being that SO many square inches of
water surface should be given to each
fish, according to length While sug-
gestive, this measurement really is no
better than the old standard inch-per-
gallon rule
The wisest thing for the amateur fish
culturist to do is to restrain himself
on the number of creatures he puts into
his aquarium, whether it be a small
bowl or more lordly tank.
II he can hammer this into his head
at the start he will begin right, but
If he c..nnot bring himself to restrict
the number OF his watery denizens he
might as well buy himself a nice dog
and be done with it.
Three small shubunkins calico fish
in two gallons of water, but in drum
shaped aquarium, with restricted air
surface, resulted in the death of one of
them
The pair remaining were put in a
two-gallon rectangular tank, but poorly
planted. They were forever at the sur
face OF the water, which had to be
changed every day.
Placed in a one-gallon tank. with
almost exactly the same area of water
surface as the foregoing, the shubun-
kins have lived happily for two months,
with scarcely change of water. The
planting Is better and the water is as
clear as a crystal, without green aIgae,
although the tank gets good light. The
fishes are happy, above all. And two
per gallonl Explain it as one will,
but the unsafe explanation is that the
old rule Is wrong. 1t is not wrong: it
is about right but If you get other
features solved better than usual. 1t
may be violated slightly. There is
more water surface for the amount of
water than in any other receptacle
these fishes have been in.
When we get around to the tropicaIs
dncludtng the ubiquitous guppy, which
isn't its real name at alD, we find much
IHe same SCdte OF R11alrS applying, with
even fewer to admit it. Fearsome cram
ming and jamming of aquariums takes
place everywhere
The man who has had disastrous re-
suits with seven pairs in a six-gallon
tank listens to fan" at the pet shop.
He is complaining about his fish diving.
How many have you?" one asks, in
nocently.
Why he says, II only have IA
pairs in gallons; that is not too
many, is it?"
Anything else?'
why, I have four weather fish, OF
course, and"
One does not stop to hear more. He
will find out for himself after a while,
which is the best way to find out any,
thing and the way it makes the most
impression.
Guppies are so small they strike the
observer as being able TO stand any
amount of crowding, but latest investi-
cations show that, left to themselves
they standardize themselves at CUPS
per 1l2 gallons of water.
Thus only three of these tiny fishes
are permissible for each two quarts OF
water. Six per gallon. Almost any
other tropical is scores of times larger
some of them hundred times as bulky
Perhaps the one-inch-of fish per gal
lon-of water here might solve many OF
the problems which the amateur aquar-
tst now faces.