Balanced Aquarium (1955)

[Music] the Henderson family likes the woods and streams there's always something new to see right now Susan and Fred are watching the fish in the pond the water is so clear they can see fish and plants deep down at the bottom Susan wonders could we have fish at home so that we can watch them whenever we like father thinks they could if the children promise to learn how to take care of them Susan is sure they can Fred and Susan make a good beginning with a clean indoor pool it is called an aquarium Fred and Susan have studied a book about building an aquarium first they must have a clean container and in sand two inches of sand will hold the roots of water plants grading the sand up to about four inches in the back builds a slope waist will slide down the slope and make cleaning easier D percent at the back also gives better support for larger plants green plants are as important as fish in an aquarium a little water over the sand makes planting easier water plants may be gathered from outdoor pools and streams or bought in pet shops some water plants have groups and must be handled very carefully the plants you buy may be held together by lead wire which should not be put into the aquarium it may spoil the water the plants look pretty but that's not the only reason for planting them it takes both plants and fish to make it healthy aquarium what do you think fred is going to do with this wrapping paper wrapping paper protects the plants if water were poured directly on them they would wash away and they might even break fish need fresh cleaned water city water is alright but only after it stands a day or more to allow a chemical called chlorine to evaporate chlorine keeps germs out of drinking water but it may harm fish Susan uses a sprinkling can and for a very good reason notice the many small streams of water falling on the paper this way air is allowed to mix with the water and the more air we get into the aquarium the better for the fish the water floats the plants in a few days they will straighten up stones will help to weigh down plants and to decorate the aquarium after all the plants and stones are in the water the aquarium should be left alone for a couple of days so that the water can clear up before the fish are put in Susan and Fred have bought the kinds of fish that liked to live together the temperature of the water in the small jar should always be the same as the temperature in the aquarium otherwise the fish may get sick the fish are kept in separate containers so that they can be placed in the aquarium carefully this way the fish simply swim out of the small container into the aquarium these are sword tails look at the tail fin do you see why this fish is called a sword tail these are blank mollies there are many other mollies some with orange stripes and some just spliced with black but these are truly black next a pair of dwarf gouramis from the East Indies this one is lighter than the other because the little one is scared when he calms down he too will regain his bright color these neon tetras probably came from the Amazon River in South America they are less than an inch long and you can see why they are called neon a large group of neon tetras swimming about would look like little neon lights in the aquarium angelfish they also came from the warm waters of South America no aquarium would be complete without Guppies Guppies are named after an Englishman a mr. Guffey who lived in Trinidad Guppies make up in color but they lack in size none of these fish will grow much bigger but with good care they will stay healthy and lively there are 14 fish in the aquarium now that is a good start the glass-top like a roof will keep off dust and dirt it will help to hold the water at an even warmth in spite of temperature changes in the room and it will keep the fish from jumping out the surface of the water is about two inches from the top edge of the aquarium to give the fish plenty of air an automatic electric water heater will keep the water at 70 degrees this is a handy gadget if you have fish from warm tropical waters in a room that might get cold the fish seem to enjoy their new home and the plants are doing well too that's because there is a balance between plant and animal life in the aquarium let's see what is meant by balance see the bubbles on the plants plants give off a gas called oxygen fish need oxygen for breathing in turn fish give off a gas called carbon dioxide plants need carbon dioxide and sunlight to make their food in this way fish and plants help each other when there is a balance between the plant and animal life in an aquarium we call it a balanced aquarium in a balanced aquarium there must be enough plants to provide oxygen for all the fish then the fish in turn will give off as much carbon dioxide as the plants need so the more fish in an aquarium the more plants will be needed nature provides such a balance in the ponds and rivers the team with fish just as in our aquarium the fish and the plants depend on each other in the pond fish usually find plenty to eat in the aquarium susan has to feed her fish healthy fish are hungry even so they must not be fed too much and only once a day at feeding time Susan usually looks at the thermometer to make sure the water temperature is right about 70 degrees a balanced aquarium needs some sunlight and should be placed near a window light from the north or east window is best plants need the light to make food Susan and Fred are really beginning to enjoy their aquarium than the balance of plant and animal life in it they keep all the things they need for the aquarium right beneath there is the fish food and a fish net the net is used to remove fish that gets sick or die and there are the glass suction tube such a tube is used for cleaning the aquarium by sucking up dirt from the bottom here are two more fish for the aquarium catfish catfish are cleaners or scavengers there are different types of scavengers and every aquarium should have some they eat waste material and help to keep the aquarium clean susan has decided to mock down in a notebook the things she learns about fish she has already written down the three most important rules for keeping a balanced aquarium give your fish the right kinds of food and not too much of it about what they can eat in a few minutes do not overcrowd the fish too many fish will quickly use up the oxygen in the water and get sick finally the water temperature must be kept right about 70 degrees in nature there is a balance between plant life and fish life and a balanced aquarium is a copy of nature you too can make an aquarium in your Hall at school and discover the enjoyment of observing by yourself