Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1934-07-21

Those who read the latest little
book" OF the Leisure League Of Amer
lea. entitled Tropical Fish, by Bu-
ellie Quarry Mann. may not realize
that the author is the wife OF the
superintendent Of the National Zoo
logical Park.
Not only has the Zoo several bal
anced aquarla on exhibition in the
snake house but DR.. and Mrs
Mann are ardent Ash fans, and
have their living quarters crowded
with tanks
II might be expected. therefore
that MIS- Mann would give the public
something authoritative. in the form
OF an inexpensive booklet. and this
brochure OF nearly 100 pages, Illus
trated with 10 line drawings by Gar
net w Jex, is just that.
In It she presents for the general
reader, who mas been attracted by the
growing hobby OF the culture of small
exotic fishes in the home, chapters
devoted 10 the aquarium the live
bearing fishes, the bubble nest
builders. the egg LAYERS. various
aquarium oddities, aquatic plants, and
diet and disease
She is chsrmingly naive about the
latter. and. what is more to the point
she IS right. Treatment Of the dis
eases OF fish is difficult" she declares,
and not highly successful"
Many a fancier in time comes TO
the conclusion that, with the execp-
ton OF one disease, known popularity
as white spot" there is not much
use in treating these little fellows
when they fall i'll.
In speaking Of the treatment for
this disease, Mrs. Mann declares.
This method may also be used for
fungus growths on fish. and If the
constant handling Of the fish does not
Kill him, he may recover. The great
difficulty in treating any fish disease
Is that catching the little creatures
In net and moving them to hos
pltal aquarium frightens them and
the shock, in their weakened condi-
ton, is liable to do more harm than
the treatment does good"
Her conclusion is interesting: "If
the fishes are kept warm. if they are
properly fed. and surrounded by
healthy. growing plants, they will have
resistance to disease that is worth
more than all the cures in the world"
The author gives her experience as
TO the balanced aquarium, setting up
an aquarium, temperature, light, scav-
eneerS, equipment. Under the sec
ton devoted to live bearers. she takes
up the famous guppy. the charming
little Heterandria formosa. or mo-
squito fish: the sword tail. the platys,
the gambusia, the mollienisia. or
'mollies," and q few others. Under
the chapter devoted to bubble nest"
builders she discusses the paradise
flsh, the BETA or Siamese fighting
fish, and the various Gouramis. Other
chapters consider the various popular
egg layers, most of which breed read
lily in the small home aquarium.
Mrs. Mann'S experience, as regards
temperature. has been that Of d great
many other fanciers. She says: The
tropical flSh demand fairly constant
warmth, and "a degrees is generally
conceded to be the lowest tempera-
ture at which they can be expected to
thrive. Some of the hardest varieties
can survive drop of 10 to Is degrees,
but it is not good for even the tough
est OF them. The only way to be cer-
tain-unless you want to wait for the
appearance of disease and sudden
death among your pets--that they
are. warp- enough and yst.not par
boiled, is to have thermometer"
We cannot quite agree with the
author that fish. as pets. require lit
tie attention beyond pinch OF food
The care of a dozen or SO aquaria Is
considerable, if one person does it,
and it Is precisely this care which
gives this hobby its true interest.
Writers on the subject tend, as
class. to keep in their minds eye the
perfect tank" Of which they may
have two or three at any given time.
Commonly they do not say anything
about their problem tanks" which