Evening star., 1934-06-12

he will show the boys something by
keeping them cool.
His idea is to get them used to lower
temperatures gradually.
1t seems plausible-until one stops
to consider that they come from the
really warm waters of the world
Not so very warm, either, come to
think of 1t: put your hand into q
bowl Of water at rs degrees and it
will seem decidedly cool 10 the touch,
not warm at all.
Water at 80 degrees Is still coolish
to the hand.
No. the temperature at which tropi-
cal fishes should be kept in the home
is not very high, after all.
~
The best opinion is that they fool
themselves largely who believe that
they can accustom these creatures to
decidedly lower temperatures than the
ones which experience has proved
they enjoy.
Many have tried it, and all have
lost fishes at 1t. Those who believed
they succeeded invariably carried on
their experiments In very large tanks,
mostly $50 gallons or better.
The rate of increase or decrease in
temperature Is very slow in such large
tanks, and 1t Is an axiom that II the
temperature Is to be changed at all
1t should be done in Natures way,
very slowly.
Men who have handled these ami
mails for g lifetime declare that al
though they may show no i'll effects at
the time. after their water has gone
below a safe point, they are very like
ly to become diseased several months
later. after the keeper has forgotten
all about the cause.
1t may be realized, therefore that
the matter Of keeping tropical fishes
warm enough Is an all-year. around
problem, despite what some may say,
about never paying any attention to it,
and never using thermometer. 1t
Is here as with books, one may live
| without them, of course-but not as
we'll. One may keep tropical fishes
In the home, no doubt, without both
ering about Thermometers and the like,
but the chances are very decided that
In such an event the fancier will
! AcoC manly kllOWIIlk
cause Of his loss.
We regard "A as the absolute mini
mum temperature for safety's sake.
They may go lower without harm, no
DOUBT, but You are taking a chance.
II the water is "A degrees, you have
something to fall back upon, but IL it
Is 72. you haven't very far to descend
to strike 70-and below that come the
inimical Cos. always a source of dan
ger. even to guppies.
The danger comes, not so much in
the fall itself, as In the speed of it.
The best opinion is that even a fall
of a few degrees should be accomp-
lished over a comparatively long pc
riod. say "a hours. as 1t would be in
nature in large pools, lakes. rivers and
so on. Every one has experienced the
| comparatively warm water of the
ocean on a very cold day. following a
warm spell. The water has not cooled
OF as the air has done.
For emergency heating In Summer
small electric immersion heaters are
best. but only good ones should be
used, and these will amount up, in
cost, If one has a dozen or so tanks
For the man with or more tanks
the most feasible method Of adding
| a little extra heat is to use a so to
60watt bulb. placed on the outside of
the tank at one end near the bottom.
A thermometer should be placed in the
water either at the middle of the tank
| or at the other end. This method is
slow enough to emulate nature, yet
will not take all day. either. In two
years usage we have seen nothing but
benefit come from 1t.