The Guide to Nature Volume 2 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1909 Excerpt: ...are hatched out on the plants or sides of the aquarium, they are very small and are quite a delicacy to the fish. The African snail is very active and quite pretty, but very short lived. It is a serious matter having snails die and not know about it. They foul the water very quickly. Q. Do you change the water frequently? A. No, I never change it except to make up for evaporation and what dirty water is occasionally drawn off. Q. What kind of tubs do you prefer? A. Old wooden tubs are the best. New wooden tubs should have running water in them for at least a week. They better support the growth of algae or "green moss" as it is called. This purifies the water and helps the fish. Paper mache tubs are also very good. Q. What plants do you consider to be the best oxygenators? A. Sagittaria or Anacharis. Ludwegia is very popular and looks pretty in an aquarium but is a poor oxygenator, unless very well started. It does best in pots with soil. Q. In potting plants what kind of soil do you use? A. Any garden soil that is sweet. I fill the pot about four fifths with earth and fill the rest with sand. This keeps the fish from stirring up the earth and making the water muddy. Q. What do you give the fish as their principal article for food? A. For the fish over three monthsold, boiled oatmeal just as it comes off the breakfast table. To the fish that are hatched the present year, I give somuch that it takes nearly all day for them to eat it. If I were home I should prefer giving them two feedings not quite as large, but this is out of the question for most amateurs. It is not just the best thing to have so much food in the water for so long a time. The fish over a year old get just as much as they can eat at one time, that is, they get one good meal a day....