A Practicable Way to Study Mollusks Alive in Your Own Home
Cylindrical tanks, with circular bottoms and perpendicular 10 The Balanced Aquarium and the Snailery sides, are considered the most dependable shape for the home or school aquarium. Many of these are maintained in the New York schools. The slight distortion of the shape and size of an object in the water is its main fault. This is easily forgiven in a tank that gives the maximum of strength for its size. Choose one of even thickness, and perfect clearness, and free from flaws.
Glass globes are beautiful but dangerous. They have too small air surface for the water they contain. Their curved sides act as a burning glass, concentrating the sun's rays, and heating the water. A sun-lit bowl of gold fish is a dazzling object. But the unfortunate creatures are suffering with the heat, blinded by the glare, and suffocating for breath! The owner is unaware that anything is wrong. It is the height of cruelty to animals to set a fish globe or any aquarium where sunshine can strike it.
Three- to eight-gallon sizes are recommended by the best authorities. Smaller ones are feasible for observing the doings of particular animals. Larger ones are unmanageable in a house.
Place the aquarium where the whole family can enjoy it. Set it on a small table, so it can be viewed on all sides. Set the table in front of a north window if practicable, so as to have light, but no direct sunshine. Any window may have the right light if protected by a veranda roof or an awning. if the table has a marble or metal top, set the aquarium on a wooden base, to prevent danger of cracking.
Stocking the Fresh Water Aquarium.—First put into the (per fectly clean) tank two inches of coarse gravel which has been thoroughly washed. "Bird gravel" is not so good as a coarser grade. Put in bits of rock that please your fancy, a piece of rock work if your taste leans toward artificial structures.
Plants with good root systems are easily anchored in the gravel. Others may be attached to sinkers of some kind which will hold them down. A cluster of stalks may be wrapped with a strip of sheet lead and planted in the gravel. Choose vigorous young specimens, of not too many kinds. Three or four are plenty, and do not crowd the tank. Let each plant display its good points. Give it room to grow.
The " Fontinalis"' of aquarists (Antipyretica fontinalis) is a feathery moss-like plant that grows on decayed logs or on stones in the beds of streams or by springs. This is a most beautiful and useful plant for the aquarium. It can be found, and it keeps
I1 The Balanced Aquarium and the Snailery growing, the year around; and it is one of the few best aerators of water.
The Milfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) ranks next. Its plume is rounded and full. It has the fault of dying away at intervals.
The Hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum) resembles the mil foils, and it lasts longer.
The Eel-grass or Tape Grass (1/alisneria spiralis) has narrow flat leaves, like green ribbons. It is an intensely interesting study, as well as a valuable tenant of the aquarium. It takes root easily, and throws up vigorous new shoots. At blooming time the solitary buds of the fertile plants rise to the surface on slender coiled stems. The sterile flowers tumble off of their short stems and rise to the surface. Floating about, these pollen-bearers brush against the pistils of the fertile flowers, thus effecting their pollination. Thereupon the coiled stems draw down the flowers which mature, under water, the seed thus set. The sterile flowers wither.
Water Thyme (Anacharis Canadensis) is one of the most vigorous of aquarium plants, and is easily obtained in many regions, where it chokes streams and canals.
Pond weed (Potamogeton densum) has a fern-like leaf, and grows well in the tank. Though not so easily obtained as the Parrot's Feather, a close relative which florists grow, it is much more desirable. The latter exhales very little oxygen, though it has a dense, showy plume.
The Stoneworts, Nitella and Chara, bear tufts of silky hairs that sway most gracefully when a tadpole or a fish flips his tail near by.
Water-silk (Spirogyra) is a fine network of green threads, which floats, and is often mistaken for "scum." A hand-glass brings out its beauty.
Duckweeds (Lemna) float like pale threads, their minute green leaves flattened on the surface of the water. Many tiny snails and other creatures harbour and forage on them.
Riccia, which looks like a sprinkling of green sawdust, is a good plant.
Conferva is the botanical name of several kinds of algae, microscopic plants, which appear as a green film lining your tank, especially if it is in a well-lighted place. Fairy ropes of it festoon the walls and connect the plumes of the plants. This is 12 1 Fresh-water aquarium, with pond snails and pond 2 Marine aquarium, with hard-shelled clams and sheets of weeds, green sea lettuce.
The water in these tanks is kept pure by the plants.
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