Evening star., 1949-12-31
This and That
Rv Charles E. TracereW

'D0 not oVercrOWQ,
This is the first rule Of home aquarium
management. Many persons received tanks
and fishes for Christmas. and they must
bear the above rule in mind If they wish to
be successful with their new hobby.
Too many fishes in too little water
This is cause of many failures and one
might as well realize 1t at the beginning.
The creatures in bowls and tanks may not
die right away but their end is sure.
1.-TWO is company. three's a crowd" ap-
plies to fishes in tanks as well as to people
in rooms but with great deal more point.
It applies to the goldfish as well as to the
costly specimens Of exotic fish. It applies,
as q matter of fact, just bit surer to the
former, since they demand more oxygen.
Unfortunately, the beginner. whether
child or adult, Immediately wants more
fishes. If he has small bowl. he wants
to fill it up. If he has large tank, his
imagination glows with the picture OF many
more finny creatures Fish lobbyists Gus
tomarily tell you never to use bowl, always
use a rectangular tank. and OF course they
are right. But there is no gainsaying that
thousands of round bowls are sold and USED.
Many beginners do not know there is any
thing else to put fishes in. Bowls are cheap.
and as long as they are on display they
some fishes in 1t, try to keep the outfit out
of the sunshine, for the curved sides build
up too much heat in the water The water
line should always be at the point where the
bowl is widest. This will cut down the
amount of water, and therefore will mean
fewer inmates but 1t also will mean that
the ones there will have more water surface
and hence more transfer Of air to the water.
The rule for goldfshes is one medium sized
fish for every two gallons. This. 1t must be
admitted, is a real rule of perfection. but
when one stops to think of to IL of, these
poor creatures trying to exist in the same
amount of water, one finds 1t easy to UNDER
stand why many beginners lose their pets
almost as soon as they acquire them. i
can't keep goldfshes." is common cry
but every one could keep them If the above
rule were observed OF course what one
usually sees is to IL in about one gallon
of water, or occasionally even in "a quart
or two! The creatures have their noses to
the surface all the time. and one is found
dead every day. One shouldn't treat dog
that way, as the saying has it. Be sure,
then, to try to keep the number OF goldfish
down to minimum. II you cannot live up
to the rule. then do the best you can. and
give each fish at least one gallon of water.
You viii come in time to feel that this makes
tf1e prettiest aquatic picture even though
the scene seems to lack actors.
-.
When we come to that other Christmas
gift fish. the guppy, we are in safer water.
Here we may crowd them in without SO
much danger, but even here everything will
60 OF better II we do not want too many in
The straight sided aquarium is best for
all tropical specimens, including the guppies.
II only 8, to a dozen guppies ought to be
placed III two gallons Of water. it may be
realized shat fewer tropical specimens Of
n larger size should inhabit that amount OF
water - ,,..-.
NOW all these rules may be violated sue
cessfulIy-but not by the beginner. we
have seen go guppies living happily in two
gallons of water, but they were owned by
q man who had spent several years attend
ing IA aquariums holding 200 fishes of
many types and sizes. The beginner will
do best to put two pairs of guppies in
gallon or two Of water and let nature take
its course The beginner is safest, and his
fishes are happiest. If hard and fast rules
are taken as standards to go BY. He will
come to realize In time that the sparsely
inhabited aquarium or bowl Is the best to
look at as well as the healthiest. It Is
much more like nature.
Even In the smallest outdoor pool there
is so much room that the question Of over
crowding seldom occurs. In the indoors, in
tank or bowl, overcrowding Is prime prob
lem. The beginner tends to overcrowd, and
20 his charges do not get enough oxygen
and their water becomes foul. He has set
no vicious circle which can end only in
disaster. Unfortunately. he seldom attrib-
,,tes bad conditions to the right cause. 1t
is easier to lay the blame on the store
than On ones self.