Unique Antique Aquarium

[Shangrila]

They can keep the Powerball jackpot, I'll take one of these instead.

[davrx]

Originally Posted by Shangrila

They can keep the Powerball jackpot, I'll take one of these instead.

[davrx]

I just had an idea cross my mind for after the tank is restored. I could use a couple of UV lights to shine up from the bottom and stock the 5 gal. tank with some S. Korean bioengineered glo fish. That would definitely be a steampunk tank. It would be a departure from the naturalistic look of my other tanks, might be fun or maybe cheesy?

[Kaerey]

Originally Posted by davrx

I just had an idea cross my mind for after the tank is restored. I could use a couple of UV lights to shine up from the bottom and stock the 5 gal. tank with some S. Korean bioengineered glo fish. That would definitely be a steampunk tank. It would be a departure from the naturalistic look of my other tanks, might be fun or maybe cheesy?

Doesn't have to be UV. My kids glow just fine under blue LED.

Maybe do glofish and build a solid land structure on the surface with plants and moss and have the fountain form a stream or pond that drains down a waterfall to the water below where the glowing fish are living under the surface like in a cave.


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[davrx]

Originally Posted by Kaerey

Doesn't have to be UV. My kids glow just fine under blue LED.

Maybe do glofish and build a solid land structure on the surface with plants and moss and have the fountain form a stream or pond that drains down a waterfall to the water below where the glowing fish are living under the surface like in a cave.


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Wow, I like the idea but it sounds too complex to me. I may build a cave or tunnel out of rocks though because I like the cave idea.

[Kaerey]

Originally Posted by davrx

Wow, I like the idea but it sounds too complex to me. I may build a cave or tunnel out of rocks though because I like the cave idea.

You could use one of the floating turtle docks and get some terrarium moss and other plants and see what you could grow on it, maybe with some pots or modify the dock to have a lip that could hold soil?


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[Meganne]

sooooo steam punk! my daughter would be in heaven! very very cool.
I think it was painted black some time along it's long life and would bet that is not original, folks to some tacky things!
stripped and let to tarnish would bring it back to steam punk, old but somehow very sci-fi. I'd clean and seal what I could in the inside and leave th outside to tarnish and patina.
some very matalic fish would finish off the look better than glo fish IMO.

[andrewss]

WOW that is vintage!

what is the approximate age/date of this aquarium?

[davrx]

Originally Posted by Meganne

sooooo steam punk! my daughter would be in heaven! very very cool.
I think it was painted black some time along it's long life and would bet that is not original, folks to some tacky things!
stripped and let to tarnish would bring it back to steam punk, old but somehow very sci-fi. I'd clean and seal what I could in the inside and leave th outside to tarnish and patina.
some very matalic fish would finish off the look better than glo fish IMO.

Thank you, I hadn't thought of metallic fish, nice idea, they would go well with the nickel diamonds on the tank and stand. The top of the stand and parts of the aquarium outside are corroded green and although the butterscotch patina color is nice, I don't like the green. I wish I could find a photo or illustration of this tank when it was new so I'd know for sure whether it was painted or not. I like to keep everything as original as possible when i do a restoration.

[davrx]

Originally Posted by andrewss

WOW that is vintage!

what is the approximate age/date of this aquarium?

Don't know for sure, has to be after 1880 due to the electric lights but the fountain is something from the earliest aquariums so I'm guessing late 19th. century but could be early 20th. I'm hopeful when I dismantle the two light bulb holders that I may find the manufacturer of the sockets and switch or maybe the style of the electrical components will give a better idea.

[oliver77]

Wow. learn something new today - construct of old aquarium.

subscribed!

[davrx]

Originally Posted by oliver77

Wow. learn something new today - construct of old aquarium.

subscribed!

Thank you

[HX67]

This is so cool!
Thanks for sharing it with us.

I know the feeling, wanting to keep everything as original as possible.
But I would be very, very tempted to make it usable and seeking the right material for surfacing the brass/copper parts.

[davrx]

Originally Posted by HX67

This is so cool!
Thanks for sharing it with us.

I know the feeling, wanting to keep everything as original as possible.
But I would be very, very tempted to make it usable and seeking the right material for surfacing the brass/copper parts.

Oh, I'm going to make it usable. I already know which epoxy to use on the inside, I'm not sure what to use on the outside or if I'll use anything on the outside.

[ua hua]

I don't know how you find all these very cool old aquariums but I'm glad there going to somebody that will appreciate them for what they are. Can't wait to see where this one goes.