Vintage Aquariums?

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Does anybody here have a vintage aquarium? I love seeing those old Victorian ones with the embossed metal edges and fancy stands. I've seen a few photos online of people who have restored and setup from the late 1800s and I think they look awesome. One day I would like to find my own and make it into a cool project. It would definitely be a fresh water tank though as I don't think it would stand up to saltwater for very long.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

@Paul B

 

[Baldyreef]

this would be very fun to make as a freshwater planted tank or as a saltwater macroalgae tank

 

[JP Reef]

If I had the money it would be interesting to restore a vintage aquarium with monel so that you could use it for a saltwater aquarium. As long as it isn't in contact with the water it would look amazing.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

this would be very fun to make as a freshwater planted tank or as a saltwater macroalgae tank

That means you do it now.......

 

[Baldyreef]

That means you do it now.......

I might have to

 

[redfishbluefish]

Certainly not the vintage you're talking about, but when I started with freshwater in the 60's, tanks were slate bottoms with stainless steel frames and a mystery black glop to seal up the glass and slate. They looked like this:

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Certainly not the vintage you're talking about, but when I started with freshwater in the 60's, tanks were slate bottoms with stainless steel frames and a mystery black glop to seal up the glass and slate. They looked like this:

A steel frame tank sounds interesting. How well did they hold up?

 

[redfishbluefish]

A steel frame tank sounds interesting. How well did they hold up?

I've got to believe saltwater would do a job on the low quality stainless steel. Otherwise, I think at my peak I had seven freshwater tanks in my bedroom breeding guppies, mollies and swordtails.

 

[McPuff]

I have definitely come across some of those metal-framed tanks with slate bottoms in the past. They were all pretty small, perhaps 10 gal was the biggest. But they are really heavy!

 

[Paul B]

I also had one of those metal sided tanks but that was before stainless steel. They were painted iron with white streaks. The sealant was asphaltium varnish or tar.

They leaked quite often as mine did and they rusted badly, even in fresh water so I don't have it any longer.

Here is a Victorian tank. (not mine)

And the much newer tanks from the 50s. I had these and the older iron ones.

 

[mfinn]

Certainly not the vintage you're talking about, but when I started with freshwater in the 60's, tanks were slate bottoms with stainless steel frames and a mystery black glop to seal up the glass and slate. They looked like this:

Had a couple of those too.
I remember touching the frame and getting shocked. Crappy heaters back then.

 

[KrisReef]

Metaframe!