Maintenance

With the introduction of the fishes your aquarium is complete. If you have followed instructions in the previous chapters, it will give you very little trouble from now on. With a properly set-up tank, enough plants and light, reliable heating, and healthy fishes you will have a successful aquarium.

The Dip-Tube

Sometimes also called a sediment-remover, this is simply a piece of glass tubing, the upper end of which is closed with the finger. The lower end is placed over the sediment and the finger raised, when the material will shoot up into the tube; the moment this happens, close the top again and lift the tube out, emptying it into some other receptacle. The better types of dip-tube are fitted with a trap in the middle, so that several dips can be made before emptying. After a few dips of this kind the tank will be cleaner, and the mulm can be thrown away.

Since we are going to remove part of the water every thirty days and replace it with fresh, the siphon with which this is removed can be used to keep the gravel washed clean if necessary by using what we call a "bell" siphon. These are not available commercially as yet but the principle is that of using an inverted plastic cup about the size of an orange-juice glass to which is attached the rigid tube of the siphon. The edges of the inverted cup can then be pressed against the gravel and the flow of water will wash all of the foreign material, waste matter, etc., free of the gravel and yet the gravel will not pass up through the siphon tube. By moving the bell siphon over the bottom of the aquarium, nearly all of the sand or gravel can be washed clear at the siphoning periods.

Sometimes one is unlucky enough to be troubled with a microscopic plant, or alga (plural, algae), which forms dark blue-green sheets on the plants, glass or over the surface of the sand. This can only happen if the higher plants are not functioning properly, but by choking them it makes matters worse, so it must be removed; usually it can be wiped off them gently with the fingers or a piece of stick, and scraped off the glass with a razor-blade set on a long handle; pieces that fall to the sand can be siphoned out. Bury a penny in one corner of the tank, as the small amount of copper that will be extracted from it will discourage the algae without harming the fishes. And put in a few more healthy plants to compete with the alga, for this is the best way of fighting it.
Other kinds of algae, bright yellow-green, may appear in your tank, but are not so undesirable; some of them will encrust the rocks and give a mature look, and they do not look unpleasant on the back and sides of the tank. The front glass can be kept clear with a razor-blade.

Filamentous algae, long threads forming dense flannel-like mats, often called blanket-weed, may also make their appearance, and can be dealt with in the same way as the blue-green algae, except that they are removed by twisting a stick so that they wrap round it; filamentous algae, however, are sometimes useful in a breeding tank as refuge for baby fish.

Should the water turn green, so that visibility is lessened, this means that there is more nourishment and light than the higher plants can use. In that case the light should be reduced, either in wattage or hours, and some of the sediment removed. In extreme cases the water should be changed.

Foods And Feeding

Fishes can manage without food for several days, and are usually starved deliberately when traveling, so that they do not foul the water in the traveling tanks. So it may well be that they will be hungry when they reach your aquarium. But do not heap food into the tank on that account. More trouble results from giving too much food than from any other single cause.

Dried Foods

To begin with, you will be well advised to buy cans of ready-made dried fish-foods, of which there are several very good brands. Such a food should be well balanced, containing protein and a little carbohydrate, essential salts and vitamins. A few aquarium fishes like a good deal of vegetable matter, but most of them need more protein. Dried "ants' eggs"—actually ants' cocoons—are practically useless as food, and are not recommended.

An ordinary aquarium with 12 or 15 small fishes needs only as much dried food as will cover a penny, not heaped, feeding. The food can be sprinkled on the surface if the fishes are of a kind which will take it there; in the case of catfishes or loaches a little food should be soaked for a short time so that it sinks to the bottom where they can pick it up.

Dried foods are often sold in three grades, fine, medium and coarse. The medium grade is the most generally useful, the fine grade being for baby fish and the coarse for bigger ones with large mouths. It is, of course, important to use food of the right grade.
The vital thing is to ensure that the fishes eat all the food at once. If any is left over it will lie about at the bottom, rot and foul the water. The remnants can be easily removed with a dip-tube.

While the dried food is useful as a basic diet, it should be varied as much as possible. Fresh raw fish or lean raw beef, scraped, is usually appreciated, and small garden earthworms, finely chopped, provide one of the very best meals. Preparing the latter is rather messy, but is well worth-while— most fishes love this food and will grow on it rapidly. Any compost heap will provide the small pink worms which are the best, and they can be cultivated in boxes of damp soil, fed with refuse from the kitchen.

White-Worms1

Another very useful food is white-worm (Enchytraeus), a culture of which can be obtained from most good dealers. These are cultivated in a wooden box such as those used by seedsmen, which should be kept in a cool place. It is filled with clean, sifted soil, the worms are placed in it, and a piece of glass a little smaller than the box is placed flat on the surface of the soil, and the whole thing covered with damp sacking. It is essential to keep the culture damp (not wet) and dark. The worms must be fed regularly with a little bread and milk laid on the soil under the glass; they will accumulate round this, and multiply. But take care not to give too much food at a time, or it will foul the culture. The worms collect in clumps round the food, and enough for a meal can often be found clinging to the underside of the glass when it is lifted. They should be put in ajar of water to wash off any dirt before being given to the fishes. A pair of tweezers is useful for handling them.

Tubifex

A larger kind of worm, found in the mud of rivers where sewage enters them, is also a useful food. It is red and has a rather tough skin. Many aquarists think that it upsets the digestion of fishes, and that diseases can be introduced with it, I have not found this so. Of course, one must make sure that the worms are clean, and when obtained from the dealer, they should be placed in a basin under a dribble of water from the cold tap in the sink and left overnight. This gives them time to empty the gut, and waste matter overflows with the water and down the drain. Kept under a tap in this way, Tubifex will live for many days; in still water, however,

1 See page 121 for more information on how to grow white-worms.

especially in warm weather, it dies very soon and smells badly. This worm can be fed whole to large fishes such as Cichlids, but should be chopped up for little ones. The whole worms, if not eaten at once by the fish, will establish themselves in the sand and live for some time; in this case do not put more in, but let the fish clear them out, because otherwise some of them will die in time, and may pollute the water.

Micro-Worms

These tiny soil-worms (Anguillula) can also be bought as a culture from dealers. This is divided up and put into several jam-jars containing a little porridge at the bottom. Thin strips of wood, or matchsticks, are then stood upright in the porridge, and after a time the worms collect on them; they can then be washed off into the tank. These worms, however, need warmth, about 7o°F. When a culture begins to smell, put some fresh porridge into a clean jar, place some of the old culture in it, and so start a new one.

These worms are suitable for only very small fishes, and are used mostly by breeders for rearing the fry.

Daphnia

The so-called water-fleas are found in ponds and ditches into which a certain amount of animal manure finds access. Many aquarists make the need for this valuable food an excuse for a pleasant country excursion; a likely-looking duck-pond or cattle-pool is swept with a large fine-meshed net, and a good bag may be obtained in the warmer months. It can be brought back in cans, or spread on sheets of wet muslin, if kept cool. Needless to say, many other creatures are caught at the same time, and unwelcome guests may be tank as a result. It is really better to get a clean sample from a dealer and breed your own.

FIG. I 8

Daphnia much enlarged

This is done by placing an old-fashioned sink in a spot where it will get some sun only in the early morning, filling it with water (hard water is best, and if the water in your district is soft the addition of a piece of marble will help) and placing therein a few of the largest specimens of Daphnia (Fig. 18). These will be females, and before long the population will increase enormously, for males are not essential for reproduction. They must be fed every two days with a little dried ox-blood, known as 99/9, dusted on the surface, and as soon as a good number are seen to rise to this food small quantities must be netted out to feed the fishes. Daphnia require a lot of oxygen, and if the sink is allowed to become over-populated they will die off. The aim is to take quantities out at about the same rate as they are reproducing so as to keep the culture stable.

The culture should be covered with a piece of muslin on a wooden frame, to keep out unwelcome visitors such as dragonflies and water-beetles.

When netted, Daphnia should be put in a jar or can of clean water before being given to the fishes. They can be graded into various sizes by passing through different meshes.

Daphnia is one of the very best foods for fishes, and few will refuse it. Those left over from a meal will generally live until the fish feel hungry again.

The little white crustacean Cyclops is often taken together with Daphnia; some fishes will eat it, but most do not; it seems to have a bitter flavour. This, and another shaped like a small haricot bean called Cypris which is also inedible, may become established in the tank, and can be a nuisance; the latter in particular must be kept out of a breeding tank, as they attack the eggs.

Bloodworms, the larvae of midges, are found often in rain-butts or other standing water; these blood-red "wrigglers" are found mostly in the sediment at the bottom, and if some of this is put in a gauze bag suspended just above the surface of a jar of clean water they will get through the mesh and are then clean enough to use.

Mosquito-larvae, found in similar places, are also excellent food for fishes.

As much live food as possible should be given; for experience shows that fishes thrive better on this than any other. But the diet should be varied as much as possible. Some species, particularly Goldfish and Livebearers, like a good deal of vegetable food. Ordinary duckweed is a favorite with Goldfish, and the Livebearers like some algae to browse on; if the latter is not available, some cooked spinach, chopped very fine, can be given. A little Bemax mixed with the food supplies valuable vitamins.

Unwanted young Guppies need never be wasted if you have a strictly carnivorous species of fish, for the task of stalking and eating them will brighten his life; some aquarists breed Guppies (not the best varieties of course) especially for this purpose.

Newly hatched Brine-shrimps are an excellent food for fish, particularly newly hatched young. For hatching Brine-shrimp, see page 120.

Feeding-Times

Fishes should be given at least one meal a day, and if only one it is best given in the morning. Generally speaking, "a little and often" is the rule—always assuming that the little is consumed before more is given. As the temperature goes up, so the fishes get more hungry, and vice versa; those wintering in out-door ponds will not eat, and should not be fed until spring, or except during unusually warm spells.

Those in aquaria at room temperature or higher have an appetite most of the time.

If possible, it is best to keep regular hours, and you will be amused to see how soon the fishes learn to tell the time. They should be trained to come always to the same corner of the tank for the food, as this makes cleaning with the dip-tube much easier. Moreover, while they are busy, it will be possible to drop some tit-bits elsewhere for any individual who is too shy or frightened to get its proper share. If there are many active, surface-swimming species they may get all the food before it sinks, so bottom-feeding kinds like Corydoras may go hungry unless given special attention.

When you go on holiday, your fishes can remain without food for as long as three weeks, provided they have been well fed previously. It is safer to do that than to leave them to be fed by some inexperienced person, however willing. You could make up a number of meal-sized packets of food, and perhaps put the dates on them, to make sure he does not give too much. This is the time when it is worth while belonging to a club, for there is usually a good chance of finding a fellow-member who will look after your fishes while you are gone.

New Introductions

If, after your tank has been operating for some time, you wish to introduce new plants or fishes, it is wise to take precautions. Unless you have intimate knowledge of the source from whence they came they should be treated as suspect. This means that the plants should be given a sterilizing bath, as already directed in Chapter Five.
Fishes should be kept in a separate receptacle under observation until you are satisfied that they are in perfect condition. They should then be floated in a jar in the tank until the temperatures are equalized, and released in the manner already described.

Partitions

Sometimes if one fish is bullying the others, or one is too shy to feed with the rest, it may be necessary to give that individual a piece of the tank all to himself. This can be done with a piece of glass, cut just short of the inside width and height of the tank, to form a partition. Cut two pieces of narrow-gauge rubber or plastic tubing (as used for aeration) to the height measurement, and split them down one side; they will then clip on to the sides of the piece of glass, and when it is put in position, will wedge it firmly against back and front of the tank. Partitions of this kind should always be kept handy. But remember they make smaller tanks, and watch out for overcrowding.

Nets

A set of these is essential to every aquarist, and can be bought in several sizes from the dealer. Rectangular ones are most useful for the aquarium, but one small round one should be kept for using in round cans.

FIG.  19. DESIGN FOR AQUARIUM NET

Two pieces of netting, cut to shape, shown, must be sewn together along the double-dotted lines to form the bag. The top flaps are then turned over the wire frame and sewn down Nets are easily made, if you are so inclined. A piece of stout galvanized iron wire is bent round a square block of wood, or a brick, or a round jar (previously greased so that the wire will slip off) and formed as shown in Fig. 19. When twisted with strong pliers the handle is quite strong, with a loop for hanging it up.
The bag of the net is made in two pieces of the shape indicated, from muslin or mosquito-netting, or nylon net, firmly sewn together. Care must be taken that the circumference of the net is the same as that of the frame.

When catching fish in a tank, it is always best to approach quietly, gently and confidently. Two nets often help—one to drive the fish into the other. Frantic lunges not only terrify the fish, but stir up sediment and maybe uproot plants.

A neat trick practiced by some aquarists is to give some favorite food regularly in the net, so that the fishes associate the two, and so are willing to go into the net as soon as it appears. Should a fish jump out of the net on to the floor (and this happens to the best of us) never pick it up with a dry hand. Place the wet net over it, and pick it up lightly with the fingers outside the mesh. It is as well to hold the fish in this way as soon as it is caught, to reduce the chance of its jumping.

Snails

Generally speaking, I think the aquarium is better off without snails. There used to be a theory that they were necessary to "keep the tank clean and purify the water" in some mysterious way. Some of them certainly eat algae, and have limited value as scavengers, but like other animals they must excrete waste matter, and so negate this to some extent. Some herbivorous kinds eat not only algae, but the higher plants too, nibbling holes in the leaves. One kind, the Malayan Burrowing Snail, is strictly carnivorous, but its burrowing activities soon level out the subsoil to a flat plain, and being largely nocturnal it is rarely seen.

It is difficult, however, not to get snails in the tank, for their eggs are often laid in inaccessible places in plants, and hatch out after the aquarium is furnished. All you can do then is to keep them under control, by crushing them against the glass with the finger whenever they are accessible; they then fall to the bed of the tank, and the soft parts will be eaten by the fishes. If they are not thinned out in this way, they will multiply exceedingly, and not only help to dirty the tank with their heavy excretion, but make it almost impossible to use a siphon, clogging the tube with their shells, and maybe also spoiling your best plants.

When you have a number of tanks, and are keeping some of the larger fishes like Climbing Perch, Paradise-fish, Puffer-fish or Sunfish, it may be worth while to cultivate snails in one tank to serve as food. But otherwise, my advice is—discourage them.

As a final word about maintenance, let me warn you not to do too much of it. Aquaria are best left alone as much as possible. Many people fuss with them, moving the plants about, tinkering with the water, scraping and siphoning, netting and dosing the fishes and so on, all the time. The inhabitants get no peace at all, and so these aquarists have continual trouble; and the more their troubles, the more  they fuss.

So when your tank is established, let it take care of itself until something obviously needs doing. Welcome some algae on the glass or rocks, reducing them only if they become excessive

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