Evening star., 1950-01-02
This and That
By Charles E. TraceweI

I1eIe > SIlOFL Te1TeSfler course on nome
aquarium management for the beginner:
The notorious good fortune of beginners
seldom applies to keeping fishes in the home
aquarium. More often than not the first
attempt is an abject failure. resulting in the
deaths of the animals, whether these are
goldfishes or exotics.
What the beginner fails to keep in mind
Is that he is handling or attempting to
handle life. Almost always, too, he UNDER
estimates the amount of skill required in
setting up tank properly and managing
his section Of aquatic life so that the health
of the inmates. both animals and plants, is
conserved. These two stumbling blocks over,
as the result of disaster and the good pas
sage of time. he or she who used head as
we'll as eyes, and has the capacity for profit
ing from personal failures stands a good
chance OF becoming an expert aquariSt. If
one realizes that life is what is being handled
and that the fishes in their new home must
find approximately the same living condi-
tions Of their native habitats, within reason,
several facts come to mind. The first is that
fishes seldom are subjected in nature, to
drastic changes of temperature. This means,
of course, change of water temperature, of
that element in which the animals swim and
breathe and have their being. Hours are
required for the water in even small outdoor
pools to go down as much as 10 degrees.
Every one has had the experience of some
sudden weather change at the seashore,
when the ocean water next day is still warm,
despite the icy wind which sweeps in from
the Nor'east. The great sea does not change
It's temperature quickly The same fact
applies 10 the smallest stream or pool No
aquatic animal, or plant. is subjected to
drastic change either higher or lower tenn
perature. all of sudden. If the change
comes. 1t comes only as the result of several
hours, or days, even, so that the temperature
OF the cold-blooded animals keeps pace,
slowly going up or down, in keeping with
the water temperature. A drastic change is
a shock such as not even a cold-blooded
creature appreciates nor knows how to
handle Subtle changes are set up in tissues
which work to the disadvantage of the
animal. The question of osmosis, or the pas
sage of liquids slowly through membrane,
comes to the fore. Fishes, always in the
swim. are subject to constant osmotic action.
Chemicals in the water pass into the animals
body and some already in tend to be drawn
out. Temperature has great deal to do
with these changes.
Use OF thermometer, then, in handling
all aquatic animals, is the first wisdom in
amateur fish keeping. Usually it is wis
dom which comes only as the result of sad
loss and much misgiving. One might as well
start off correctly. Buy small thermometer
with your first fishes. Whether they are
humble goldf1shes or more costly "tropicals"
makes no difference The first are more
hardy. no doubt Of it, but are fishes just the
same, and the good rules which apply to one
sort apply equally to the other, although the
amateur may be inclined to disbelieve Is
not the goldfish q child's toy, he asks him
self. and have not thousands of them been
kept without q thermometer? Thousands
upon thousands Of them have died, too after
Spending a few miserable days and nights
in bowl or tank of water which happened
to be 20 or 80 degrees warmer than the
water In which they were brought from the
store. Give the fishes a break. Buy and
use thermometer from the beginning. Take
the temperature Of the bucket of water after
it is home, and then equalize the water into
which they are placed. One or two degrees
difference will do no harm, but over that
the fishes must add just another difficulty
to their change, which is drastic at best.
Suppose the water in the bucket shows so
degrees. If tank already has been set up
and is planted, it probably will show SO de-
grees, or maybe 70. and even Is, If the
aquarium is placed in sunny window or
close to hot-water radiator. There is
nothing to do, then. If you want to do right
by your new charges, except to place the
bucket near the tank and let it remain for
several hours until the water is the same
temperature, or practically so, in both tank
and bucket.
Very few persons, alas, have enough fore
thought to set up tank in advance and get
the water seasoned" Usually it is whoop-
hooray affair of putting in sand (unwashedo !,
planting and dumping in the fishes. all at
the same time. # this is done, be sure to
test the water and see that it is the same
temperature o. the water In the bucket.