Evening star., 1934-06-05

What does a fish think of being
netted out of one aquarium into an
other?
No doubt it thinks nothing at all,
but suddenly finds itself drowning in
air.
1t struggles for its life.
Then 1t finds itself in its native
element again, and begins swimming
around.
Its breathing becomes normal, after
little while, when the excitement
Of its frantic floppings abates.
The only way human being can
know how fish must feel under such
circumstances is to imagine himself
suddenly the target Of some great i'm
possible creature which is after him,
then to find himself seized and his
head plunged into bucket of water.
Then suppose he were transferred
across the street to new home, his
head suddenly released from the
bucket, and he we're told that this
new, larger and better house was his
from now on.
Well, he would feel very well sat
isfied, no doubt, and that must be
just the way with a fish when it is
transferred from one home tank to
another, and especially into a larger
one.
The whole subject of oxygen for
aquarium fishes is interesting.
Especially at this time of the year
will these creatures have difficulty in
breathing, because most home tanks
are overcrowded. and the water Is
warmer The warmer water, the less
oxygen it holds.
If 1t were not for the crowding
however, there would be no particu-
lar problem in seeing that there is
enough air for the fishes.
1t seems impossible for 90 out of a
hundred amateur aquarists to be sat-
isf1ed with just very few animals
in a tank.
They want more and better fishes,
evidently, and especially more. They
want to see them always in motion
always something moving. To secure
this result they introduce a pair one
week, and then another pair the next
week, until in time the aquarium
| fairly bulgeS with inmates.
Often this inSiStence on putting SO
many creatures into comparatively
small body of water leads to disease
and other complications, but these
are as nothing compared with the
underoxygenation which such crowd
ing brings about.
For such underoxygenation is con-
slant, and becomes increasingly so as
warm weather comes around. The
temperature of tanks stays constantly
| in the neighborhood of 80 degrees
| and sometimes goes higher, especially
Where a tank GETS sunshine. The
smaller the aquarium, the quicker and
| higher it heats.
| The Germans solve this problem by
removing many of their fishes, ano
/ also cutting down on the vegetation
The average home enthusiast, how.
ever, wants to keep all his pets, ano
has no more tanks to put them in.
/ The only solution. then. is artificial
/ aeratlon. as it is called, the pumping
OF air through the water in sufficient
amount to introduce a bit more
oxygen and to clear out most of the
| carbon dioxide which results from
the life processes of the fishes.
1t is a curious thing, how home
aquartsts finally come around to this
after paying no attention to it a
first.
They see their charges gasping fol
air, especially in the morning, but ii
does not concern them very much
When they come home in the evening
the light of day has got in some o.
its good work, and helped the plant.
put in some real oxygen bubbles. Tht
gills of the fishes do not open Sc
rapidly, and their mouths stay shut
In time. however, the home aqua
rum enthusiast comes to look at tn,