Evening star., 1935-05-29
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

aforementioned capacity 1t possesses
of literally holding on its stems and
leaves a certain proportion of the
minute particles Of matter which are
floating in even the clearest tanks.
Careful use of magnifying glass of
some power will invariably show these
particles.
Now the amount of them which
Anacharis stalks and leaves can hold
is tremendous. When the ascending
bubbles of air. put into the water by
the porus stone attached to a rubber
tube. in turn hitched to a pump, cause
a circulation of currents in the
aquarium. thus emulating, to some
extent. the processes of Nature in a
pool, the tiny particles of matter also
are swirled around in all directions.
Most of them shortly come to rest
after the discrimination of aeration
upon Anacharis plants and are safely
held there out of circulation, literally
and f1guratively.
Such a paragon of plants as this,
of course, might be expected to have
I ldulJ vi iWO, anu AlIdClldlle Has.
The worst one no doubt is the fact
that It's tip is where the growth is.
When it grows too long the plant must
be taken out. the growing tip cut off
with certain amount of stem and
this latter poked down into the sand.
the remainder or old growth being
discarded.
This process. no matter how clear
the tank, causes certain amount of
confusion in it, but fortunately it will
all clear up disturbed matter will
Settle) in few hours time.
The use of filter is doubtful prac-
tice. When a tank becomes so full of
flying particles of debris that resort
must be made to filtration, the time
has probably come to make over the
whole thing
A certain amount of this sediment,
without doubt, is good for the animal
life in an aquarium We must re-
member that the desire of Nature is
not that of human inspecting some
thing or other which he finds before
him.
What Is dirt to us is not necessarily
so to Nature She tOlerates conditions
which We would not, simply because
she evidently has no Thickness in
her disposition.
The aquarium keeper, therefore, AL
ways must try to draw the fine line
between leaving his tank undisturbed
as much as possible and yet giving it
the proper care. The latter is de-
manded because even the largest
aquarium is artificial 1t is Nature
only in part. Hence a certain amount
of work around a tank is essential.
but this ought not TO GO to the lengths
where it becomes a burden, either
to the owner or his charges.
Rank growth is the other ma jor
fault of nscharis. Near cousins of
this plant in England are called water
pest" it being said that they once
choked entire rivers (some English
rivers are not very wide) with their
growth.
Yet as pointed out, this very same
growth is also this plants finest fea-
ture, since it means that it will func-
ton and thus help water and fishes.
1t will, however, keep the aquarist
busy cutting it of and replanting it.
While it may be pruned, the removal
of the growing tip is great depriva-
ton to it. The cut end turns slightly
dark and the growth from it is not
the same as from the growing tip.
1t will be realized that here, as in
all matters connected with the home
aquarium. there is a good side and a
bad side. pleasure and nuisance COM
bined Perhaps it is this very feature
this light and shade which makes
aquarium work Interesting