Evening star., 1934-10-09
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES e. TRACEWELL.

Dear sir: What is the one big rule
for successful keeping Of fish in the
home aquarimum? I have read lot
of rules, but it seems to me there
ought to be one more important than
all the rest. I have my own idea, OF
course, but would like to hear
yours. Very truly, H. II. H."
The one big rule in successful aqua
rum management, whether one keeps
goldfish or the go-called "tropicals,
is plenty Of water per fish.
Just what this plenty Is depends
somewhat upon the varieties kept. but
as q general proposition it may be
laid down that there should never be
more than one fish per gallon Of
water.
All one has to DO is to think Of the
number of Guppies crammed into the
average amateurs small tank to realize
how grossly this preeept is violated.
Yet it Is fundamental to good man
agement, great deal more so than
many persons realize who may have
kept fish successfully enough.
This "one big rule" is so often vio-
lated that many persons would be
willing to rise up and declare 1t no
rule at all, simply because they do not
observe it themselves.
4 y II 4
Perhaps the total Of such persons
would not be very large. after all. for
there is something about keeping these
curious creatures Of the watery world
which enforces consideration Of them
at last.
1t is fair to say that at least two
years of constant preoccupation with
aquarium fishes is necessary before
the average human being comes to
look at the thing from the standpoint
of the animals.
Then one sees that even O gallon Of
water per fish is too little, especially
when the fish is more than an inch
in length, as most of them are after
maturity.
II a gallon per fish, however, could
be observed strictly, conditions would
improve in thousands of tanks, and
the fishes in them would lead happier
and healthier lives. The tanks would
be prettier to look upon and would
give their owners a great deal more
pleasure
The first idea in the mind of the
newcomer to this popular recreation
Is to crowd as many fishes into his
aquarium as he thinks it can hold
And he thinks it can hold O plentyl
This is one of the most curious fea-
lures Of the hobby, how many fishes
the beginner thinks he can put into
one tank, no matter how small.
4 4 ~
He Is led to this belief by the be-
ginner's ardor and by the universal
repetition of the fact that tropical
fishes can stand closer quarters than
goldfish.
A great many people overcrowd
goldfish cruelty and then wonder why
they die. One man lanients the de-
mise Of his II FISH, and we find out
that he was trying TO keep them in a
three-gallon bowl. Three small fishes,
at the outside, is all such bowl will
hold.
Old-time goldfish fanciers advocate
two gallons of water per inch of fish.
This, no doubt, is an advice Of per-
lection, but it is good advice, just the
same.
Tropical fishes can be crowded more
than that, but even they viii not
tolerate the crowding to which they
are usually subjected, such as 2e
fishes to a four-gsllon aquarium.
The owner declares 1t q flve-gallon
tank. He has forgotten his sand and
plants and the leaving of some space
at the top. These occupy from one
to two gallons of space in any tank,
SO the rating of the aquarium must
be lower than the manufacturers fig
ures, which tell capacity from slate
| to brin.
4 4 4 +
A five-gallon aquarium-really four