| An aquarium is a place where fish, water animals | | | | Next, an aquarium needs water plants. The plants |
| and water plants are kept. A goldfish bowl or a | | | | should have their roots deep in the sand at the |
| home fish tank are aquariums. There are bigger | | | | bottom of the aquarium. The fish for an aquarium |
| aquariums in many cities of the world. They are | | | | should be carefully chosen. They should be the |
| large buildings, very much like zoos, except that | | | | right size for the aquarium. The worst thing is to |
| everything in them is a part of water life only. In | | | | have fish that are too large for a tank, and do |
| the large aquariums the life in the huge water | | | | not have enough room to swim around. |
| tanks is shown very much as it would be under | | | | Only fish that get along well together should be |
| natural conditions, in a lake or ocean. An aquarium | | | | placed in an aquarium. No fish that fight or eat |
| is a place where fish, water animals and water | | | | each other should ever be placed together. The |
| plants are kept. A goldfish bowl or a home fish | | | | fish in an aquarium will get some of their food |
| tank are aquariums. There are bigger aquariums in | | | | from the plants, but other food will have to be |
| many cities of the world. They are large buildings, | | | | placed in the water for them. If you have an |
| very much like zoos, except that everything in | | | | aquarium, you must know the proper kind of |
| them is a part of water life only. In the large | | | | food to feed your fish. You must also know how |
| aquariums the life in the huge water tanks is | | | | much food you must give to the fish. The wrong |
| shown very much as it would be under natural | | | | kind of food will cause the fish to get sick, and |
| conditions, in a lake or ocean. Many people have | | | | too little or too much food will do the same. You |
| tanks full of brilliant- colored tropical fish. People | | | | may think you are being nice to your fish if you |
| with large homes in the country sometimes have | | | | feed them a lot. This is not true. You may do |
| outdoor aquariums. | | | | them great harm by overfeeding them. An |
| These are usually small ponds in which fish, turtles | | | | aquarium should be clean before fish are put in it. |
| and frogs are kept. An aquarium is a nice thing to | | | | It must be thoroughly rinsed with clear water. |
| have in the home, and it is easy to care for. | | | | Any trace of soap or disinfectant will be harmful |
| There are certain things you must know, | | | | to fish. Once fish have been put into the |
| however, if you want to have an aquarium. If you | | | | aquarium, it does not have to be cleaned. The |
| are going to keep tropical fish, your aquarium | | | | plants in the aquarium will usually use up any of |
| must be heated. All other fish are kept in | | | | the waste matter from the fish. Sometimes small |
| cold-water aquariums. A heated aquarium is | | | | snails are put into an aquarium, because they help |
| necessary for tropical fish because they are used | | | | keep it clean. The snails are scavengers, which |
| to living in warm water. The heat in a heated | | | | means they eat all the waste matter and bits of |
| aquarium must be kept at the proper | | | | left-over food in the aquarium. Occasionally the |
| temperature. Otherwise the tropical fish will get | | | | water in an aquarium will evaporate, and the |
| sick and possibly die. Usually an electric light bulb or | | | | water level will go down. When fresh water is put |
| two will keep the water warm enough. An | | | | into an aquarium to raise the water level, it must |
| aquarium must be open at the top. The opening | | | | be the same temperature as the water in the |
| must be large enough so that air can reach the | | | | aquarium. If you plan to have an aquarium in your |
| water. | | | | home, the best thing to do is to find out from a |
| The size of the opening depends largely on how | | | | pet-shop dealer what kind of fish he can sell you. |
| many fish there are in an aquarium. The more | | | | When lie sells you the fish, he will tell you what to |
| fish, the larger the opening should be. Each fish in | | | | feed them, and other important things about |
| an aquarium needs a certain amount of oxygen. | | | | keeping them. If one of the fish in your aquarium |
| Some of this oxygen must get into the water | | | | looks sick, take it out before it makes the other |
| from the air above it. An aquarium should have | | | | fish sick too. Find out from your dealer what is |
| clean sand at the bottom. Small stones or shells | | | | wrong with it, and keep it in a separate bowl until |
| should also be at the bottom. These stones and | | | | it is well again. |
| shells can be arranged in any attractive way. | | | | |