Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1934-12-03
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

Paper has so many uses that the
devotee Of the home aquarium is
likely to forget just what an impor-
tant part it plays in fish keeping.
At least five different types of paper
may be utilized.
Probably Of first importance comes
the valuable little trick of using a
sheet Of note paper in filling an
aquarium.
Many beginner has come to grief
when he started to put water into a
tank. He found that it dug up the
sand and tended to swirl things
around in high old fashion.
Just how was he to obviate this?
The gentlest pouring he could do
nevertheless, created much mischief
in the bottom. It was an interesting
but disconcerting demonstration of
the power Of water, boring downward
In the same place, If but for q few
seconds.
The paper trick solves the whole
problem. A sheet of good note paper
Is placed on the sand and the water
poured directly on this.
As the water level rises the sheet
OF paper rises with 1t, always afford
ing a place for the water to be diff
fused, rather than to exert its boring
strength on the sand bottom
This method is SO gentle that plants
will not be disturbed in any way, mol
fishes either, If any are in the tank
at the time.
There will always remain some as
poets Of mystery about this highly
satisfactory procedure, in that one
might expect the paper to be knocked
down to the bottom Of the aquarium
1t never sinks, however its expanse
holding it serenely on the surface
like one of those gigantic water lily
leaves famed in story and catalogues
\ X X
Another good use of paper comes
In cleaning surplus food off the sur
face of the water.
Absorbent tissue Of some sort, such
as is used for paper napkins, is neces-
sary.
A sheet Is floated across the surface,
from one end of the other. 1t is held
by one side and the other dipped into
the water, then the remainder per-
mitted to contact the surface.
With the hand still holding an edge,
the paper is gently pulled along the
surface until it reaches the other
side of the tank.
At this point the hand raises the
sheet and slowly withdraws it from
the water, care being taken that water
Is not dropped outside the aquarium.
One or two such operations will
clean the surface of almost every speck
OF the finer bits. almost dustlike
which are left after the feeding of
many dried foods.
Some foods are worse offenders at
this than others, and usually not even
the very smallest inmates of the
aquarium will consume the dustlike
particles.
X X 4 4
Light-green tissue, notably the so.
called florists paper, used to wrap
cut flowers, makes fine background
for the window-side of a tank
Too much sunlight often causes
the water in an aquarium to go green
The aquarium keeper is between the
devil of too little light, resulting
in poor plant growth and brown algae
on the one hand, and the deep sea-
of too much light and possible free
living forms Of green algae, creating a
pea-green water in which the fishes
become scarcely visible.
Once this condition manifests itself
there Is nothing to do but cut down
on the light. One way is to move the
aquarium, but that is easier said than
done. The best practical solution is
to cut down on the amount of light