Evening star., 1946-06-05
This and That
Bu Charles E Trnce,reU

oy Nn"tSS Il. 1TuCeUGH.
Between wars wartime, or after wars,
the guppy is still the pint-sized king of
the aquarium.
From his natural home in Trinidad
he has spread all around the world, so
that today it is safe to say that no
intelligent person is unaware of him.
Many larger and laughter fish has
been lost in the international shuttle.
but the inch-long guppy is>still seeking
his mate in every jar, bowl and
aquarium.
This multicolored fellow, with the
silver-colored mate, and tiny babies
born alive-no eggs. like vulgar fiSh-is
ready to make your home more interest
ing, if you will give him chance
Dealers predict great things for the
guppies from now on.
Returned soldiers, in the preliminary
months of their doldrums, take to gup-
pies because they are colorful, interest
Ing and take ones mind of the brooding
world.
People never seem to get enough
guppies. This column regularly gets
requests for information about them.
A pair, in small jar, will turn into
so guppies in a few months. That's bet
ter than guinea pigs.
A mother guppy has four patches,
even if she never sees her mate again
Each batch numbers from a dozen to 80
flshlets, each free swimming and able
to get its own food at birth.
If there are plenty of plants in the
aquarium, most of them will manage
to live so that their parents will not be
able to swallow them.
After that, they are kings in their own
little world, adding to the flashing pic
ture of world In miniature.
Guppies do not demand such uni
formly warm water as most other fishes
used in tropical aquariums.
| Seventy degrees will do for them, but
it is best to keep it the same day and
night. This may be achieved, except in
the coldest weather, by the expedient
| Of throwing warm cloth, maybe an
old sweater, over the aquarium at night.
This means that glass cover lid
should be used at all times. This not
only keeps any of the fishes from jump
ing out, but tends to keep the tempera-
ture much the same all the time.
The two-gallon tank is the least that
ought to be used, for all practical pur-
poses. -Four gallons is better, even for
guppies.
The tank should be where it gets
good light, some sun, but not more
than an hour or two of full sunlight
and even less on the hottest days.
If the tank cannot be moved-and it
is a job-it should be shielded from
too much sun by several layers of thick
paper, at the sunniest time of the day
Sunlight causes good plants to bubble
oxygen. which the guppies love to swim
through.
This sport affords one of the pref
tiest pictures In an aquarium.
No other fishes ought to be kept with
guppies except the Corydoras catfish
which unfortunately has not been avail
able recently. This is the fish which
will wink its eye at you, and it pays
no attention to the guppies.
A few red snailS may be used, but
guppies sometimes nip of their feelers
Prepared food may be used for gup-
pies, but care must be taken not to
put in too much, or it will foul the
water
Best feeding times are in the middle
of the morning and in midafternoon.
Let us make it plain that guppies
should not be kept in just plain bowl
or tank without sand or plants.
Good clean sand, a few plants, and
guppies-here is a world in miniature
To keep it this way a dip tube must
be used to clean the debris from the
sand. Algae on the rear glass; on the
sunny side and on few of the plants
are not harmful and add to the nat
ural look 1t is only when the water
itself gets green that something must
be done. This shows that the tank is
getting too much light. The remedy is
plain.