Evening star., 1946-08-01
This and That
By Charles E. TraceueI.
"GAITHERSRuRG- M,


Dear Sir:
I'd be very grateful for a column on
tne care OF outdoor goldfish pools, this
time OF year. I have one of roughly
na1-circle shape, about 8 by II feet,
artlstlcally surrounded by moss covered
stones and various native ferns, with
native water lilies in the center and
several f1attish stones for birds to drink
and bathe from
My problem is proper feeding of the
nsh and to prevent accumulation of
green scum.
Where buy my fish food, they advise
feeding three or four times a week. but
cont oVerfeed-' which is very in
definite
There are 10 fish altogether, VARYING
in size up to inches in length.
Il also had pet frog, at least a foot
long, which finally grew so tame could
touch him.
But he suddenly disappeared one
night recently after one of our gully
washer thunderstorms an experience
I've had before. Last evening little
fellow about 3-inch size arrived to take
the place Of Big Fellow.
Let me lay claim to being one of the
most ardent readers Of This and That
almost from its very beginning in The
Star; being the proud possessor of
literally thousands of marked Thises
and Thates-how would you say it?
Sincerely, S. P. T."
We would say This and That's, for
the plural. The simplest and easiest is
always the best.
AS for feeding goldfish in an outdoor
pool, nature takes care of that during
the summer.
larvae, and these are among the finest
fish food
Indeed, every outdoor pool ought to
reason than mosquito control.
Without fish, mosquitoes breed and
grow up in such pools, infesting a
neighborhood.
There are, OF course, other fishes
which may be used. The gambusia, a
little fellow, Is one, but it must be taken
indoors in the fall.
Guppies, too, may be utilized.
None Of these smaller specimens can
be used with goldfish, since the latter
SuIlply RODDle CIlem up.
Goldfish eat flying insects, also various
water beetles and the like
They will eat earthworms so unlucky
as to crawl into the pool, as many do.
Nothing better shows how savage
human beings still are than the fact
that most Of us can get real laugh
out of watching two goldfish struggle
over an earthworm.
One gets hold of one end, and another
of the other, apd first one fish manages
to almost swallow the victim, to have
it withdrawn from its mouth by a
vigorous tug by the other.
Earthworms make fine fishfood. Great
long thick ones are not the sort but
smaller worms, without much segmen-
tation.
II prepared foods are used, only a
pinch, between the first finger and
thumb, should be put in every other
day. This is best in the early morning
Sit by the pool, and watch how it is
accepted. If all is eaten in minutes
another such pinch or two may be given
but II it Is not eaten, know your charges
already have had enough natural food
Heavy rains caused the large frog tc
migrate to another pool, or some stream
They are always doing this.
Chemical treatments for pools green
with algae may be tried, but our advice
is to let them alone, as they are always
a nuisance, and offer some danger to
the goldfish. 1t must be remembered
that green water is water chock full OF
oxygen. These minute water plants at
tract myriads of small water animals
all Of which are good fishfood. Let it
stay green. Green water is natural
water. Wipe the slime of the walls,
but do not worry about the color. The
fish do not. They like it.