Evening star., 1934-01-20

It Is not color, gentlemen!
One might wish that people would
stop talking so much about the colol
of the small tropical fishes kept in the
home aquarium.
It Is not coloration which is respon.
sible for the appeal Of these bits Of
aquatic life to many persons.
If one wants color in a fish, there 4
nothing better than a fine goldfish. Ir
a properly planted tank, In clear water
nothing In fishdom can outshine 1t.
or one of the fancier varieties Of the
same, 1t still makes mighty pretty
picture, and puts to colorful shame the
most glorious Beta that ever got plenty
of publicity.
No. 1t isn't color There are thret
factors, we believe, which account fol
the tremendous appeal of the hobby Of
keeping the smaller tropical fishes ir
home aquaria. The three are:
l. Diversity of form.
2. Diversity of habits.
3. The opportunity to learn some
thing-and to apply it.
In these lie the true appeal OF this
pleasant recreation, and 1t Is worse
than foolish to keep on talking about
the "vari-colored jewels of the sea.
and so on.
Continual placing of the accent or
coloration is harmful, in that 1t tend.
to take the attention from the rea
reasons which animate the fish fan
to continue.
With several exceptions. the fishes
available to the amateur, even in these
days, when scores of new ones are being
imported, some by airplane. are rather
of the pastel variety.
If one counts out the Bettas, and the
Platys, and a few others. most OF the
available Species are what the average
person would call delicately colored
That most charming Of small aquarium
deniZens, the stately Scalare, or angel
fish. Is silvery fish colored except fol
his bars, which come and go, sometimes
black, sometimes light brown, at others
tending to lemon.
So many of these small animals, such
as the Copeina guttata (no popular
name); the Hyphessobrycon hammeus
the Priscilla riddlei, possess bright
fms, but as a whole impress the be-
holder distinctly as pastel-colored. The
many-hued male Guppies are so small
that their really beautiful colorations
often are overlooked even by those who
own them.
The diversity Of form is amazing but
no more so than the diversity of habits
When these two factors are taken mt(
consideration. 1t is no wonder that the
man who begins with pair of Guppies
soon goes on to many tanks with many
varieties.
In making his selections. from time
to time, he is not lured so much by
coloration as by the difference in the
general appearance of the fishes, anc
by the differences in their life habits
especially as manifested in breeding.
The third factor, however, the oppor.
tunity to learn something-and to ap-
ply the knowledge-is the real secret al
the bottom of 1t all. we feel. although
perhaps not many aquarists have
thought Of the matter In that light.
Yes, the chance to learn, and to ap-
ply ones knowledge-what a charming
thing that is! And how often Is II
lacking in this life!
Schooldays-whata are they but an op-
portunity-and then one must wait for
years to apply the ''larnin" If ever
Consider all these multitudinous fact:
poured into one during grade school
high school and possibly college
Slowly one forgets the little one
learned. and wakes in middle life To
realize that not e-hundredth of wha
one was supposed to acquire Is evel