Evening star., 1934-05-25
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

far as the home aquarist Is concerned,
is really unexplained. He helps do
something to the water, we are con-
vinced, which is aside from and In
addition to his scavengering.
Two aquariums with snails in them,
at the very same time an aquarist may
be kicking against them, show clearer
water than tanks without them, al
though in other respects the care Is
the same.
1t may be that there is some such
action on the water as is attributed
to the clam, which siphons the water
and helps clear it of minute particles
of vegetable matter.
A local aquarist recently had pair
of three-spot Gourami spawn In a 10
gallon tank. There were three large
Scalare, or angel fish, In the tank,
and about a dozen very small snails
which had not been doing particularly
we'll
The water was clear, but not as
good as 1t was to become. The larger
fishes were taken out. and the tank
given over to the several hundred fry
and the dozen snails.
There was little question that the
tank, which had been running along
nicely for about four months without
change Of water, contained many
microscopic animals popularity called
infusoria, which formed the first food
of the fry.
These were supplemented with doses
of powdered food twice day. All Of
it diSappeared-and the fry and the
snails grew nicely.
At first minute worms appeared on
the sides of the glass. These were
small fiatworms, or Turbellarians
which seldom appear in an aquarium
unless there is too much food put in.
and this Of very fine character.
In two weeks time these undesirable
inmates had disappeared, whether
eaten by the snails or by the largest
Of the fry the owner could not say
definitely.
Friends had predicted that he would
ruin the tank" by using powdered
food, but they had not reckoned on
the snails. These were up with the
fry, at every feeding time, floating
about and getting their share OF the
provender. In three weeks they had
grown into big fellows. But what was
best of all was that the water took
on an amazing clarity, and this despite
the fact that the fry were now being
given five feelings a day, the surface
Of the water being fairly well but
thinly covered with food each time.
Within two hours time, each time, the
water table was as clean as the
proverbial shiny plate of the hungry
animal.
Plants throve.
And that water clarity was amazing
ly fine, even to an aquarist who Spe-
cialized on water clearneSs believing
that no aquarium is what it might
otherwise be unless every trace of
cloudiness or other inimical water
factor has been removed.
The owner was forced to grant that
the two tanks in which his despised
red snails-and he had not liked them
in the leaSt-held forth possessed
certain water transparency which his
other tanks, although all displaying
exceedingly clear water. could not
equal.
Were the snails responsible for this?
He did not mean freedom from the
so-called free-living algae, for none of
his tanks had that. but simply that
little extra something which made a
tank as clear as a crystal" and
real pleasure to behold, If one were
of an aquatic turn of mind.
The result of this experience was
that the amateur decided not only to
keep his snails. but to put a few of
them in each one of his tanks. This
STEP for one who had hitherto spoken
against these curious creatures, was
radical one, indeed. Here, again, the
last had become the first.