[Jayme]

First things first, I apologize for any spelling/grammar/typing mistakes, and also for poorly lit, blurry photos. I am just entirely too excited to worry about all that right now. :icon_bigg

Ok, I saw this tank on Craigslist last Friday and have not been able to get it out of my head since.

I always browse the pet section on Craigslist because I like to torture myself with the cute animals and aquariums I can't or shouldn't have. But this, this was incredible. I wanted it more than, I don't even know what. It's not a great time to be spending money on things I don't "need" right now but I knew if I didn't get it I would kick myself for the rest of my life.

Even though I couldn't sleep because I was thinking about how bad I wanted this tank I still needed some encouragement, that last little nudge to make it happen. I e-mailed a fellow member of the forums that I read had experience and a collection of Metaframe tanks with the details of the tank and asked her opinion of it since I wasn't able to find much info online and wanted to make sure I was making the right choice. I was literally running and jumping around the house when I got an e-mail back which I basically read as "go for it!" (Thank you Rachel! :icon_mrgr)

I quickly scrambled to get in contact with the person selling the tank and clean out my truck to make room to bring it home, then rushed out the door and drove a little more than an hour to go pick it up.

When he opened the garage door and I saw the tank filled with water just sitting there being beautiful and shiny it was all I could do not to jump up and down.

I haven't done anything with it yet, this is exactly how it came. 36" long, 16" tall, 11" front to back. Came with a working light, back plate, air pump holder, and stand. The stand is solid steel, very beefy, comes with all the hardware and even the caps to put on the legs so they don't damage your floor. I would like to strip the paint off the stand and try and refinish the metal to have it match the tank.

:bounce:And now, if you are still here after all my rambling, I present to you, my new baby....:bounce:

 

[Jayme]

I have no idea what I'm going to do with it but whatever it is needs to be amazing!

 

[Elppan]

Oh what a GREAT tank, I love the size. Great find! :-D

 

[DogFish]

Cool!

Flash from the past!

Looks great! Even has the Air Pump holder.

 

[Jayme]

Thanks! I haven't been this excited about something in a while!

I've always wanted a retro themed room. One day when we own a house I am going to have that room and this bad boy is going to be the main event!

I can't stop thinking about a scuba diver bubble ornament for it though, lol. I think I really want to do a period correct style even though all my other tanks are "natural" style tanks.

 

[m00se]

Sweet find! You know, when I lived in PDX there was a fish store I think on Halsey and around 50th? It's been 30 years now, but it was called Boyd's and two brothers ran the place. It was immaculate and had row after row of those tanks. It was quite the sight! Dang I miss that place. The Boyd brothers retired and the store isn't there any longer. Sad day.

Have fun with your new toy!

 

[m00se]

Oh! I almost forgot! My first tank was a Metaframe, when I was about 5 or 6. In 1960. LOL Thanks dad!

 

[driftwoodhunter]

That is in awesome condition - what a find! (your cat is really pretty,too).
I think doing an aquascape that reflects the period the tank was built is fantastic - that's half the fun. A diver, a mermaid, think of the possibilities. You will be stepping back in time in your retro room - what a blast! I hope you'll do a tank journal, and show it in the retro room later if you go that way...

 

[steven p]

Sexy tank.

 

[Hilde]

I believe that is a 30G. What did you pay for it? What are you going to do for stand and light? Are you planning on low tech tank.

For the substrate cheapest is organic top soil covered with sand. I prefer river sand which I get at a landscaper, $3 for a 50lb bag. Another option is pool filter sand. May be hard to find sand this time of the year. Play sand was impossible to get free of dust particles in the water.

 

[msjinkzd]

I am SO glad you decided to get this. The hood and accessories really make it invaluable, in my opinion. I have been looking for ANY size hood for years, never have seen one in such pristine condition. I cannot wait to see what you do with this! Thanks for including me on the beginning of the journey

 

[nerdariostomp]

Dude I love that idea. A period correct tank would be fun to build

 

[DogFish]

....I've always wanted a retro themed room..... I really want to do a period correct style even though all my other tanks are "natural" style tanks.

I'm always on the watch for a tank set like you just found. I would do the same thing. There are a lot of vintage Aqua equipment and decorations on ebay

Oh! I almost forgot! My first tank was a Metaframe, when I was about 5 or 6. In 1960. LOL Thanks dad!

roud:
Same here although it really was more Dad & my tank. Back then it was all about Guppys. We had a cory and my favorite Kulie Loach. The only plant that really did well was Hornwort. I remember visually searching the floating nursery every day after school; to look for baby fish.

I also remember the Kulie loath getting in the under gravel filter tubes, disappearing for weeks then magically reappearing. :smile:

 

[Shangrila]

That is so cool! I would have easily paid big money for that tank setup. I have a 20 gallon meta frame I picked up off of Craigslist a few months ago. I grew up with these tanks. My father and uncle had a guppy breeding business when I was a kid and they had about 75 meta frame tanks! All that gleaming stainless steel side by side on racks was really something to see! That hood is awesome. Wish I could find one for my tank. I'm trying to recreate a retro tank from my youth. I got my hands on a Danner belt driven pump along with the tank. Good luck.

 

[Jayme]

I believe that is a 30G. What did you pay for it? What are you going to do for stand and light? Are you planning on low tech tank.

For the substrate cheapest is organic top soil covered with sand. I prefer river sand which I get at a landscaper, $3 for a 50lb bag. Another option is pool filter sand. May be hard to find sand this time of the year. Play sand was impossible to get free of dust particles in the water.

According to my calculations it should be 27 gallons, they might have sold it as a 30 back then, not sure. I paid a little more than $100. It came with the stand, just going to try and refinish it. I'm thinking about installing some LEDs in a way that will not damage the original hood for lighting. Definitely low tech, the most I do with any of my tanks is once weekly fert dosing after the water change.

I still have a decent amount of white construction sand left from the 100 lbs I bought for a couple other tanks but I'm still not sure what exactly I want to do with the one. I'm almost thinking a natural looking gravel with just some vals and some ornaments, very simple. I was thinking goldfish would be pretty period correct and good in a simple not heavily planted tank of this style but they all get too big I think, and I know they enjoy eating plants. I'd like to just have a couple/few larger (but not too large) fish since I already have a bustling community tank with a variety of creatures and want to keep this simple to show off the equipment more. Not sure if there are any smaller Angels (is this tank too short for Angels?) Maybe Cichlids?

First thing I need to do is work on the stand so I can get it put back together and see how everything looks set up and find a place for it. I was going to wait to set it up until our next move, and I still might, but my friend said if I don't get it set up soon she will come over and do it for me, lol.

I know I'll need to either purchase a new canister filter for it or use the one off my 50 (which is only rated for 40 gallons) and replace it with a larger one. Since I won't be painting the back of this tank I'll have to get more creative with hiding equipment and get nicer intake/outflow/tubing.

 

[BruceF]

Looks like a lot of fun. What is the stand made out of?

 

[Jayme]

Looks like a lot of fun. What is the stand made out of?

1/16" thick steel. The pieces of it are in the last picture. It's got 2 solid shelves and 4 cornered legs that bolt on.

I want to strip the paint completely off and work on getting the surface rust off. Then my husband was thinking a wax might be a good sealant that will help stop rust but won't be cheesy looking like if I were to spray clear coat on it.

 

[anubiasnick]

Great find ! I would be doing cartwheels if got my hands on one of those beuats!

 

[Amandas tank]

Wow that's awesome! I never seen one of these or even heard of this style of tank. It is gorgeous! Sounds like your going to have a blast getting this one decorated!

 

[[email protected]]

There were LOTS of tropical fish available when these tanks were made. There were also many more plants than Vals available, and they were things that grew fine in low light, non-CO2 tanks.

You might want to choose something like a nice strain of old fashioned green swordtails.

Here is a photo from the 1930's of a tank kept by one of our early BAS members: