Evening star., 1933-03-20
THIS AND. THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

There are few hobbies in which that
peculiar manifestation Of human ma
ture, the self -sufficiency of the anna
teur, Is more manifest than in the
keeping Of small tropical fishes In the
home.
Persons who know nothing whatever
about this fine indoor sport neverthe-
less start of with a purchase Of the
rarest and most expensive animals, in
stead Of beginning easily, as they
would In any other game.
They rush IN where angels might
fear to tread.
past experience in other lines should
lead them to suspect that here, as else
where, some special knowledge Is
Perhaps the old-time fish bowl Is
primarily responsible for this unhappy
state Of affairs, which works itself out,
all too often, in sick, dying pets, and
disappointed beginners.
Every one has seen few goldfish in
bowl or small rectangular aquarium
Aside from eternally gasping for air
at the surface Of the water, the fishes
seemed. and certainly to the chance
spectator, to be very easy to keep.
why, all you have to do is feed
'em Q tiny bit of food once Q day."
said the proud owner.
He did not tell the observer that he
had to change the water in the tank
every day, although the books said
balanced aquarium" ought never TO
require the addition OF fresh water ex-
cept to replace that which had evapo-
rated.
Nor did he mention the slight fact
that already two Of his shiny inmates
had died, and had had to be replaced
with new
The goldfish bowl, In other words,
has given thousands Of persons the
idea that there is absolutely no need
for either experience or intelligence in
the proper handling of the home
aquarium, even when it contains the
beautiful small ''tropicals," which, as
their popular name connotes, mostly
come from the warm waters of strange
lands.
Forethought or experience-one or
the others necessary here. a. else
where
In the realm Of fsh culture, home va
rtety, there is no substitute for one or
both Of these.
II 1t isn't bit Of previously acquired
knowledge one uses, 1t will be experience
which teaches one how to care for these
little fellows.
Experience Is perhaps the best teach
er, but 1t Is tough on the fishes.
BY the time the intending fish cul-
turist learns how to handle them, he
has lost several or all Of his charges.
But by the time this has happened
he has worked up a reasonable amount
Of interest in his new pets, and this
means that he sorrows at their un-
timely demise.
Right here some may say How can
any one sorrow over flsh?"
Such remark would show either one
Of two things, that the maker did not
love Nature or that he was unacquaint-
ed with the so-called "tropicals."
1t is impossible. with the best will in
the world, to genuinely sorrow over fish.
either in sickness or death, unless one
has a real liking for the things Of Ma
ture. an interest which enters into the
individual as well as into the race. and
which, therefore, counts the specimen
of importance in itself.
A fish Is no more worthless in the
eyes Of those who revere Nature than
any other created thing. Indeed, it
may happen to be. as in the case OF
Ptherophyllum scalare the popular
"angel" fsh). very worthy animal,
filled with intelligence whose red-rim-
med eyes look out keenly at passing
world different from its own. but which.
with its very small brain, 1t nevertheless
tries its finny best to understand.