Evening star., 1934-12-13
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

8. The addition of water from the
faucet tempered, Of courSe). is per-
hapS the best way to raise the aka
Unity of the old tank, and thus keep
its water neutral, ready to be made
slightly acid again by the life proc
eSSeS in it.
4. Plenty Of plant life in the aquar-
ium will help to keep the water neu-
tral or slightly acid.
The deliberate making of a tank
acid by the addition of very small
amount Of an acid salt may not be
harmful. may even do good. but 1t is
not as natural method AS permit
ting the aquarium itself TO do this
read justing.
Similarly. the addition Of an aka
line salt. even in the smallest amount,
does not seem so natural and there
fore not as good as TO permit the addi-
ton Of naturally alkaline water TO
boost the alkalinity OF the tank.
The above tests, as elementary as
they were, showed the operator quite
plainly that snails have a decidedly
acidifying action on aquarium water,
and that II too many OF them are per-
mltted In tank they may make the
water too acid for the best comfort of
! the fishes.
Just what is this best comfort is
not known exactly. but when tank
has stood for eight months, let us
say, with the addition OF not more
than gallon Of water in that time,
and the fishes and plants are III
| thriving condition, then whatever that
/ water tests must be about right.
| The best tanks tested somewhat
acid, therefore one may believe that
slightly acid water is. indeed, good
| tor tropical fishes.
A fair deduction from these tests
| is this:
/ That without knowing how the
/ water IN tank tests, the enthusiast
may work severe hardship upon GER
/ tain fishes by complete change Of
water in tank, no matter how care
fully he makes the change IN regard
| to keeping the temperature the same.
/ Thus. i'll the case Of the tank OF
/ three-Spot Gotramls, instanced above,
! II these animals were given a complete
/ change of water. or were transferred
| TO tank of new" water, they would
/ be plunged from water testing Ga,
rather on the acid side, to water test
ing perhaps as high as rs, distinctly
on the alkaline side
| Those persons who may have lost
| several fishes. after transferring fishes
| from "old" water to new" water. will
realize that this is the reason, that the
/ readjustment which the fishes were
/ required 10 MAKE was one which the
/ weaker animals could not accomplish.
| 1t is q satisfying belief. whether ex-
/ actly true or not. that fishes will work
out for thems elves their best water
! conditions. II they are given u chance
| Too alkaline water tends To extract
acid materials from fishes and plants
TO render itself more neutral. Nature 5
demand Too acid water tends to ex-
tract alkalies from the living crea-
/ lures.
| For average. everyday fish keeping
it perhaps will be we'll to Use few, il
any snailS. and preferably TO put
newly secured fishes in old water
rather than i'll newly drawn.
The tendency OF the Snails. owing to
/ their SeCretions. is to make the water
/ too acid for best results with certain
sorts Of fishes.
If tank is going along nicely 1t
may be kept i'll good condition by add
/ ing a small amount of fresh tempered
water once every two weeks, perhaps.
better than by adding any chemical
| salts of any description. If these are
are used, not more than one-SiXteenth
of level teaSpOOnful should be used
/ per gallon OF water i'll the tank. The
next dosage, if needed, should be even
| smaller