Evening star., 1937-02-09

does not last very long, mostly only
few hours at the outside. When they
begin to thaw out the necessary func-
tions of life resume.
There is an African fish which lives
in shallow pools and when these pools
dry up the fish dries up with them and
becomes as hard as the baked clay in
which it is embalmed.
These mud fishes may be cut out, along
with their natural sarcophagus, after a
number of years of drying and trans
ported across the ocean, put in water
and "thawed out" in reverse. 1t is ex-
planned that even in the dried state there
continues certain rudimentary func-
tioning, at least enough to keep the
strange creatures alive.
1t is a far stretch from such oddities
of Nature to the humble goldfish in
everybody's pool, or aquarium, but the
cessation of natural functions at the
touch of extreme cold is very much the
same.
Many persons have had the experience
of coming down in the morning on some
extremely cold day and finding the gold
fish bowl, probably small one, frozen
clear through, the fishes along with 1t.
If the bowl is thawed out not too
quickly the fishes come along with the
water and soon are swimming around
freely.
In most cases there are no bad after
effects.
In cases where the fishes do not sur
vive such freezing it may be deduced
that for some reason the animals were
less hardy in all their functions, and that
their hearts, before ALL could not stand
the strain"
Average goldfishes, on the other hand,
are able to stand warm water easily.
BY warm, of course, one means up to
about 80 degrees.
An aquarium placed directly in front
OF radiator of home heated by hot
water mot steam) will show a tempera-
ture Of around 78 degrees, almost ideal
for exotic or tropical fishes, but equally
so for goldfishes, which may surprise
some persons. 1t is commonly said that
goldfshes do best between so and 10
degrees, but our belief, after four years
Of experimentation, is that they live
better between 10 and 80 degrees, along
with most tropical fishes which are kept
in the home.
The goldfish, although a cold-water
animal, is a very adaptable creature,
and there seems little doubt that the
tank which shows a temperature above
70 degrees will also have less likelihood
of fungus on goldflshes than the aquar-
ium which perhaps is placed at cold
window away from a radiator
In placing an aquarium for warmth
and light near window with radiator
it always should be set in front of. and
not on, the radiator. In this situation
the water is warm enough and the plants
not too warm. 1t is believed that TOO
much warmth is harmful to some of the
species Of aquatic plants commonly used
in the aquarium. The situation atop a
radiator, especially a steam one, would
be much too warm for the best function
ing of plants. Also the undue warmth.
at least in theory, would foster inimical
water conditions
A fish is an interesting animal,
wherever you find him.
He may be only a goldfish in a quart
bowl, but he is capable of being frozen
clear through and coming out of it un-
hurt. He will have a better chance, of
course, If he is in gallon bowl Every
goldfish ought to have at least two gal
Ions Of water Thus, no more than two
ordinary goldfish in a five-gallon tank.