Evening star., 1933-03-01

One of the pleasures of keeping pet
Is feeding them.
Fish, of all pets, eat the least witt
the most avidity.
Therefore they are the ideal type ol
pet for the duration Of the depression
A comparatively small sum will stocl
a larder for tropical fishes which viii
last the little fellows for months, ever
years.
1t Is always an amazing thing, even Il
the experienced, to note how really little
/ food an aquarium full of these house
hold pets will consume.
This, of course, only when they are
given the amount which is good fol
them.
And fed in the way which is for thei,
best interests.
Here experience comes into the pic
ture.
When the pet-store man sells you youl
first fishes, tank and the rest of it
he includes small can Of fish food.
Naturally enough, the inexperienced
fish fan" thinks one can Is enough.
AS a matter of fact, it isn't.
One brand IS not enough, not because
1t Is not large enough. or because the
fish will not eat 1t, but because 1t does
not give the piscetorials enough variety
Nest enthusiasts finally make a great
discovery, which they fondly believe i.
their own, but which later they discover
others have reached independently.
This Is nothing more startling thar
to feed the fishes new food every day
alternating one brand after another fol
at least q week.
Just how many changes one should
have must be left to the discretion oi
every owner.
Perhaps thent are no hard and fast
rules
The only thing to keep in mind Is
change.
II half a dozen foods are good, per-
haps dozen would be good, too, or ever
two dozen different mixtures. For all
these foods are mixtures, with the ex-
cepion OF ground shrimp and dried
daphnia.
An amazing difference exists between
the various foods. Seemingly no two
Of them smell alike or look alike.
The fishes seem to have little prefer
ence. by and large IL their tank is well
balanced, IN the best sense, and is In a
location where it gets plenty of sun
shine.
The theory of this plan of feeding i.
that If there is any element missing In
one food which they ought to have
they will get it in the next or the nexi
feeding. and If there is anything which
they should not have, they will shortly
get another food.
1t is universally believed that human
beings should enjoy variety of foods
not attempt to exist on Just one or two
sorts, day after day, and week after
week.
Every owner of tropical fishes, ano
even Of the old time-tried goldfish, feel.
that this same rule should apply te
his pets Of the glass-sided home.
1t has been announced, at least by
one enthusiast, that when he fed hi.
fishes on one food, no matter what i
was, they got various sorts of fungi
and generally were in i'll health, anc
that these indispositions were curee
when he put them on variety of foods
1t sounds reasonable. of course, bu
experience is the best teacher, after all
And when one has had a somewhat
similar experience, no amount Of diff
ferirg will do much to convince hin
| otherwise
The happy thing about this PROPOSE
ton Of feeding the finny pets variet,
of foods Is that an entire shelf Of then
costs so little. and lasts SO long
And, above all, they seem to last SC
well, not only because the fish eat 81
comparatively little of them, but also
because they are so put up that time
| does not spoil them.
Contrary to the belief Of many new
| comers to the pleasant pastime Of keep