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222 IDEAL HOME LIFE
then it may become necessary to separate some of the more pugnacious specimens which are inclined to "bully" the others.
Goldfishes, carps, roach, golden ide, and suckers live amicably together, and tadpoles and snails may be kept safely with them.
The fresh-water minnows, such as chubs, shiners, dace, etc., catfishes, killiefishes, the various sunfishes and snails and large tadpoles will live together, though the fishes should be nearly the same size. Sticklebacks, paradise-fish and chanchitos are better kept by themselves, and the black basses and pickerels, unless smaller than the other forms, should also be kept separate. With these fishes it is better to keep only snails, as even large tadpoles may lose their tails by the attacks of the fishes.
The three species of local salt-water killiefishes live well together, and tautog, scup, cunner, toadfish, sculpin, etc., if about the same size, can be placed in the same tank. Sea anemones, crabs, and molluscs too large to be swallowed may be kept with them.
Feeding
It is a common but very mistaken notion that an animal should have food at hand at all times to keep it in good condition. It is well known that various forms of domestic animals, as well as the wild species confined in zoological gardens, make the best growth and keep in the most satisfactory condition when supplied only with what food they will clean up at one feeding. This applies with equal force to the inhabitants of the aquarium, but besides there is a real and grave danger of contaminating the water by supplying more food than will be readily consumed.
It is a well known fact that some aquarium animals will live for a long time without feeding, especially when kept at lower temperatures, but to maintain them in this condition results eventually in death by starvation, and is the worst form of cruelty to which they can be subjected.
The amount of food a fish requires depends on the temperature. When this is above 60 degrees they may be fed once |
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