Evening star., 1936-06-04

other metal, are highly dangerous to fish
life, and as little metal OF any kind as
is feasible should be used in water
wherever aquatic animals are kept.
Use permanganate of potash, in proper
dilution, if you simply must try to clear
up pool which has gone green.
1t is an admittedly hard task. Many
experienced fanciers of fishes and lilies
simply permit Nature to take its course.
After the water lily pads shade the
water the excess Of light will be kept
off and the green algae will tend to
die out.
OTTER pool will clear up in a week
after the lily pads cover half the ex-
panse.
The inclusion of much anacharis, one
of the best of the plants used to give
oxygen to the fishes, is a very good
means of keeping down the amount of
light. The pool owner is between the
famous devil and the deep blue sea here,
for if he does not have enough light
the lilies will not do well, and if he gets
just a little too much the water may
go green, as it too often does, alas.
Let the beginning pool expert not worry
too much about this, however.
Many pools never go green at all, but
show crystal clearness to the admiring
owner and his friends, who, seeing
straightaway determine to have a pool
some day.
If pool owners would keep the fish
life down to healthy minimum the first
Summer they would do a great deal
toward keeping their pools clear.
Oyerstocking the water with animal
life tends to set up various chemical
forces which are helpful, not detri-
mental, to the unWanted green algae.
Overfeeding the fishes is another fac
tor which results in augmenting green
algae. Being living things, they require
food, too, just as animal do The finer
particles of prepared foods, If placed
in the water beyond the capacity of the
fishes to devour, disintegrate, and make
a diluted soup, upon which the algae
feed. as any plant takes up nourishment
in dissolved form. All the food plants
consume must first be in Watery state
That is why we water plants.
In the outdoor pool the goldfiShes
probably would subsist on no added food
at all, taking their nourishment from
the mosquito larvae on the surface of
the water, from various flying insects
so unWary as to alight on the surface,
from earthwoTms which have crawled
into the pool. Baby fishes born in the
pool will live on invisible forms of misco-
scopic life for the first three or four
weeks of their life.
1t is better, however. to give the fishes
as much prepared food as they will eat
in about five minutes every other day.
Three times week is about right. Oats
make good food for goldfshes If care
is taken to supply them with a few
succulent earthworms they will double
their length in three or four months.
If the pool goes green, do not become
excited about it. 1t is a perfectly natural
happening. Most water in Summer is
green, after all. Think of the ocean. Wait
for the lily pads to grow and cut down
on the amount of prepared food. Re-
member that green water" is healthy
water, as far as the fish life is concerned.
Remember, too. that although the be-
ginner may think the water lilies are his
main consideration, he really is going to
be a great deal more interested in his
fishes in all probability before the end
of Summer.