Inexpensive Outdoor Aquariums
Even though the ornamental pond may be beyond the extent either of one’s pocket or of the space available, the enthusiast need not despair of having his outdoor aquarium. Small pools can be built in the rookery—care being taken that they are not too small, the smallest should hold at least two gallons of water: the area exposed to the air is usually comparatively great compared with the depth and if it is not visited for a day or so the water may be found to have evaporated, leaving fish and plants stranded. On the other hand, by virtue of this large percentage of exposed surface, oxygenating plants are unnecessary. A small flowering rush in the centre, if it will fit in with the rest of the rookery, and frog-bit or another of the floating plants to give shade to the fishes, add to the decorative effect. The rookery pool should be cement-lined and have its sides undercut, or failing that have rocks overhanging. There are two reasons for this precaution, the principal one of course being cats, the other reason is that, either when leaping for flies or just from exuberance of spirit, the fishes may leap right out of the pool and perish on the rocks below. To save the trouble of making a cement pool, an old kitchen sink, with the outlet covered by means of cementmg a tile or slate over it, does very well. Almost any builder will have one knocking about in his yard and rarely more than a shining or so is asked for them. If a deeper pool is required ready made then from the same builder an old, disused copper may be obtained. This should be set in a bed of cement so that when the bottom, generally worn thin by the fire, corrodes completely, the pool will not leak. This type of pool is too deep compared with its width, consequently it should have a six inch layer of sand and gravel on the bottom. In this can be planted the delightful Water Crowfoot; this is easy to grow and provides dense masses of feathery underwater foliage and from April to midsummer produces a succession of pale buttercup-like flowers standing about an inch above the water. There are small water-lilies, too, that may be cultivated, to say nothing of a host of other flowering aquatic plants which win add to the beauty of the rockery. But perhaps there is not room even for a rookery, the only available space being a small paved backyard. Even then there is hope. One of the most delightful water-gardens that it has been my good fortune to see was contained within a backyard not twenty feet square. In half a dozen tubs flowered exquisite water-lilies, Cape lilies, water hyacinths, etc. each tub had its complement of goldfish and shubunkins and between the tubs, supported on bricks to bring them to the same level, were glass globes of water on which floated Azolla, Frog-bit, Salvinia and other floating plants. Masses of Willow Moss adorned stones set within the bowls themselves, in which Cyclops, Daphne, Gammarus and Asellus were being raised as fish food. Most of the plants in this delightful garden were collected from country ponds,- as were the snails and mussels and the crustaceans already mentioned. One must be careful as to what the tubs have held. previously; a tar barrel, for instance, would be beyond the pale. If there is any doubt as to the tub’s qualifications, it should be burnt out before being stocked. Sometimes one comes across a perfectly good tub in an respects, save that it leaks. To remedy this it should be well soaked with water inside and a small quantity of cement mixed in it to the consistency of thick cream. This can be splashed around until the entire inner surface has received a good coating. If the wood is not weU moistened first the cement will peel off when dry. As already stated cement liberates poisonous chemicals into the water and so the tub should stand for a fortnight with nothing in it but water and permanganate of potash. Barrels, as such, are too deep for fish-keeping purposes. If they win not stand being sawn in half they should be half-filled with shingle, this win take up the space that would otherwise be occupied by dank water; the water at the bottom of a deep vessel contains very little oxygen, and fishes spend far more time than is generally realised in resting on the bottom. Moreover, water-lilies do not thrive so well in a deep barrel—the deeper the water a lily is in, so much more win it require a larger surface of water for its leaves. The old kitchen sink as suggested for the rockery may be brought into service for the water-garden. If loam, with a covering of shingle, lines the bottom, such beautiful plants as Water Lobelia (plate iv), Water Forget-me-not and other shadow-water lovers can be grown. In time, with good fortune, the whole of the sink will be covered like a carpet. Some sort of protection must be devised if fishes are to be kept in the sink; cats, of course, make this necessary, also the suicidal tendencies of the fish themselves. I once had a sink-aquarium in which were six lusty young goldfish. As a protection from the sun over one corner a large tile was placed. At times the entire six fishes would retire beneath this tile and there commune solemnly together. One day one of the fish died, the post-mortem revealed nothing; another died on the following day and the remaining four did not look any too pleased with themselves. Moreover, they avoided their old retreat beneath the tile. I lifted the tile and there squatted the ” Digger in the woodpile,” his nose just: out of the water, his eyes blinking in the sunlight—a large, fat toad. I imagine that the arid emanation from the toad’s skin had either poisoned the water or poisoned the fish by contact