Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-05-09

is not to add water until q tank has
become established.
This establishment may take from
two weeks to a month after setting up.
The propaganda against adding water
to such an aquarium Is mainly for
the purpose of preventing the owner
from worrying his charges to death.
They are much better OF, as rule,
in water that is never changed, than
| in water which Is changed constantly,
necessarily and without rhyme or
reason.
Between these extremes however,
there is O mean, which demands that
water be added whenever necessary.
There Is right way in adding
water.
Not more than one-fourth or one
half should be replaced at any one
time, and this operation should not
be moresth once a week, or twice
at the outside, and this latter only
when the tank has been In very fine
condition up until lately, and the wa
ter takes on the yellow cast previously
mentioned.
Water should be siphoned off from
the bottom of the tank, care being
taken to leave plenty for such high
filmed creatures as the angel fish. 1t
Is better to repeat this operation, a
quarter of the water twice, than to
leave so little water that the angels
become frightened.
The addition of fresh water, tenn
pered exactly to that Of the old, is
best done with a two-quart teapot.
This insureS that the entire job will
take some time, and thus not precipi-
tate too much water into the old all
| at once.
The water is best poured onto a
sheet Of writing paper floated on the
water. This prevents the stream Of
| fresh water from kicking up the sand.
| The paper will not sink, as one might
think it would.
Thus we reduce our principles down
to two points:
l. Do not be afraid to change the
water when necessary.
2. Do not put in too much fresh
at one time.
II these points are observed, there
is only good to come from proper
freshening up of the old water in an
aquarium. The fresh water, OF course,
must be OF the exact temperature as
the old.
Fortunately the water hereabouts Is
good, slightly alkaline, harmless to
fishes 1t is largely charged with
oxygen in Winter, as a result of COM
preston. This surplus of oxygen is
supposed to be bad" for aquarium
fishes, but we have never seen the
slightest harm 1t did.
II the aquarium inmates take i'll,
from any reason, these incrementS of
fresh water may be tried, but usually
the best thing to do is to take them
out Of the old tank and treat them in
an entirely new one of fresh water Of
the same temperature. Often fish
sickneSses are caused by obscure
| chemical manifestations in the water
which demand a complete change.
While there is some danger in this,
usually there is more in trying to treat
them in the old water. We have tried
both methods, and there Is nothing to
be said at all in favor of keeping the
fishes in the tank in which they be-
come sick.
So do not be afraid to change the
water-when necessary. Only be sure
1t is necessary. This being sure is
something which demands experience,
but any one who has fooled around
with fishes for a time acquires it, to
some degree, at least. Too great a re-
gard for "old water" as it Is called,
Is wrong. Fresh water, properly tenn
| pered, may be Just the thing, at times.