Evening star., 1936-04-15
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRAcEWELL.

Signs of health in the aquarium are
six in number, as follows:
/. Good appetite. 2. Normal activity.
g. Erect dorsai fin. 4. Easy breathing
S. Good coloration. 6. Black excrement
Lack of one or more of these will
indicate to the close observer that the
animal is less than well.
Looking little" therefore, Is a neces-
sity for the person who wishes to ascer-
tain the first indications of piScatorial
Ill health.
1t is catching these signs when they
first occur that offers the keeper some
chance of doing something about it.
X
The beginning enthusiast, whether he
has exotic fishes or the humble goldfish,
usually fails to look small" enough and
therefore often overlooks signs of ap-
preaching illness until it is too late.
To look small" means exactly what
it says.
There are two ways of looking at an
aquarium. One is to look large" seeing
the tank and inmates as a whole, pic
ture, or view.
This is the usual attitude of the unin-
tereSted person, who, viewing a tank OF
rare, exotic specimens, says, apathetical-
ly, "Oh, I see you have some goldfish
The other way is that of the enthusiast,
who is SO interested in all the aspects of
his hobby that no detail is too small to
escape his eagle eye.
X n y
Lack of appetite usually is the first
sign OF beginning fish i'll health.
Conditions must be checked. First, the
fish, then the water. There are some
diseases manifest by visible signs, and
these must be carefully looked for. If
they are present, proper remedial meth
ods must be taken.
The fish must be checked for lowered
dorsal, or top fin. This fin, in health,
in almost all species, is carried stlf1y
erect, as rule. There will be moments,
of course. when it is lowered somewhat,
but mainly it should have Starched ap-
pearance.
Once this sign has been realized by
the keeper, he unconSciouSly looks for
it at all times. He keeps his eye on that
upper fin. for it is barometer of health
and i'll health. Like a signal flag, it
indicates one thing by one position; an
other by another.
water must be checked. Does it smell?
If so, the probability is that too much
food has been fed, so that some of it is
not eaten, but remains to foul the water.
Such a condition cuts down on oxygen
and helps bring about lowered resistance,
as well as setting up another of the
signs of Ill health-excessive gaSping for
air"
If the water condition is not good,
either to the nose or eyes, it should be
corrected at once. Fortunately for anna
teur fish culturists in this vicinity, the
water hereabouts is very good and may
be used freely, provided it is brought to
the same temperature as that which it
is intended to replace.
The old idea was to be very chary about
changing water, especially in exotic
tanks, but fortunately this is giving way
to belief that at least one-fourth of
the water should be replaced every week
with fresh tempered water. 1t is not
necessary to season" it. as in less for
tunate communities, even to the extent
of permitting it to sit for a day.
Fresh water has a laxative action on
fish life This is easily observable in any
aquarium. The idea of feeding salts and
other laxative substances to them is not
good, mostly because totally unnecessary.