The bottom glass should be a good fit, but the sides
and ends should be made slightly shorter to allow the cement, E,
to form a dovetail joint as shown. When the glass is put in the
frame a space, D, will be found between the glass and the
horizontal pieces, B, of the frame. If this were allowed to remain
the pressure of the water would spring the glass and cause a leak
at E; so it is filled up with plaster of paris.
The cement, E, is made as follows: Take 1 gill of plaster of
paris, 1 gill of litharge, 1 gill of fine white sand, and 1/3 of a
gill of finely powdered rosin. Mix well and add boiled linseed oil
and turpentine until as thick as putty. Let
[Illustration: Detail of Aquarium Frame]
the cement dry three or four days before putting any water in the
aquarium.
In choosing stock for the aquarium it should be remembered that a
sufficient quantity of vegetable life is required to furnish
oxygen for the fish. In a well balanced aquarium the water
requires renewal only two or three times a year. It is well to
have an excess of plants and a number of snails, as the snails
will devour all the decaying vegetable matter which would
otherwise poison the water and kill the fish.
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