What were aquariums like in the 80's and 90's?

[FishieMomma]

I can't tell the difference between 10 and 20 ppm on the nitrate scale either and I'm NOT color blind. I am working on fully planting my 55 gallon to reduce the Nitrates. Just 1/2 planted keeps it at 5 ppm with twice weekly water changes.

 

[foster53]

When I started out in aquariums the only tanks that were available were Metaframe brand. The stainless steel framed type with slate bottoms. The were sealed with some type of tar type substance. A HUGE tank back then was a 55. The filters available were an unpowered siphon driven HOB. They were a bear to get the siphon started. A round stick with a plastic cap was provided to cap one end of the siphon tube to hold the water in the U tube to start the siphon. (never worked) The lights were incandescent, inside a shinny stainless full hood. Oh and another canister type filter was the Supreme Diatom filter. It was a mason jar with motor mounted on top. You added diatomaceous earth powder and shook it up until all mixed up then started the filter. Inside the jar, and connected to the pump/motor was an S shaped filer cartridge type affair. Once again they were a bugger to get started. The only really popular medicine was Aquarisol. I think it was copper based, but not sure. We used Instant Age for water conditioner. The majority of equipment back then was made by Danner Inc. and marketed under the Supreme name.
My tanks were cleaned twice a month. Took all the fish out, put them in a bucket. Took all the water out of the tank, took the gravel out and washed in a strainer under tap water. Put everything back in the tank, added some good old Instant Age, and waited for the tank to clear out. Its a wonder I didn't kill every fish I had This was all way before the Nitrogen cycle was understood( or even heard of) LOL So that's my trip down aquarium memory lane

 

[BillD]

My experience goes back to early 60s. As mentioned corner box filters were the norm. All glass tanks were just coming on the scene, "invented" by a local from the next community. I met a man who had built his own 100 gal all glass tank. When I was 15, in 67 I built one my self, which still holds water. In fact I have a couple of 10s from the 60s in the basement. I still have a couple of heaters from the 60s that still work, and some airline. There were power filters available back then but were relatively expensive. When Hush air pumps came out from Metaframe, they were a huge hit because they were so quiet. They are the basis of the Hagen Elite series of filters, as the diaphragms are the same and the internals are too.
My first "tank" was a glass Exide battery case that was probably a gallon or a little more, that housed a large group of guppies. There was no filtration but lots of Vals that had to be thinned regularly. It was given to me by a women who had maintained it that way for several years. Next was a 10 gallon metal framed leaker, that I fixed and used for many years. In 67 I built the 28 gallon cube I still have and kept some cichlids that were given to me. In 1973, while at university. I bought a 32 gal for $15, and neons were 15 for a dollar. As well, UGFs were very popular in the late 60s, and they worked quite well, as they still do. So, while equipment has advanced in many ways, some things have remained the same. The Sodium Thiosuphite we used back then is the same ingredient in most dechlors sold today. I make my own now. I don't believe the chlorine level in the water has changed much if at all in the intervening years and there are still lots of people doing 50% water changes without using a dechlor.

 

[NoNitrates]

In the 80s when I was a kid I remember my parents and grandparents had aquariums. The glass tanks were about like the ones of today. I'm sure there were other filter types, but they always had corner filters or UG filters driven by air pumps. I prefer hang on back power filters.

 

[tarpon]

there was another thread that talked about this a little and someone said their first tank was a loonng time ago in another country. the "tanks" they would make consisted of a wooden barrel that they cut and fit a glass window into, and they kept guppies or similar fish. it was really cool, hopefully this mystery person finds this thread and can elaborate

 

[vicdad999999]

I remember growing up with dynaflows and silent giants. there was another hob Ive never been able to remember or find a picture of. You had to place 2 plastic strips on top on the hob, and the motor would balance on top of those 2 strips, the impeller was inside at the base of this motor which would seat on a circular impression on a grate on the bottom of the hob. Those used to push out alot of water. but very tipsy as those little plastic strips would eventually bend.

 

[Andy Sager]

I remember growing up with dynaflows and silent giants. there was another hob Ive never been able to remember or find a picture of. You had to place 2 plastic strips on top on the hob, and the motor would balance on top of those 2 strips, the impeller was inside at the base of this motor which would seat on a circular impression on a grate on the bottom of the hob. Those used to push out alot of water. but very tipsy as those little plastic strips would eventually bend.

Sounds like you are describing the old Supreme Aquamaster/Aquaking Filters. Those had rubber strips that supported the motors on top of the filter box. ( I still have the boxes and grids from 2 of my Aquamasters The motors froze up and I just recently sent them to filter heaven ) Those strips would harden and crack which meant little support for the motor housing.

 

[Fishlover3578]

That is a very old 10 gallon. Tanks older than the 1980s had the metal frames and slate bottoms. One of these days I'm going to fix it up (presently, it leaks).

I fixed my 2.5 gal I had to seal inside outside and bottom lol it looks just like yours in that pic

 

[vicdad999999]

Andy, thanks, you are correct. Ive thought about those filters alot over the years. Those were great filters with the exception of those tabs.

 

[Andy Sager]

Andy, thanks, you are correct. Ive thought about those filters alot over the years. Those were great filters with the exception of those tabs.

Glad to help
What's funny is the night before I made that post, I was with 2 of my buddies (that are still or were in the fish business) for dinner and we were talking about those filters. Between the 3 of us we have a combined 125+ years of fish keeping experience so we have a lot of experiences with the old equipment. It's because of all this experience that I say that even today, the art of fish keeping isn't really different, it's just using different machines to achieve the same goals. For example, "Cycling" was called "New Tank Syndrome", HOB filters were the Slim Jim bubble up filters, Inside corner filters with floss and charcoal are now filter cartridges (made of floss and filled with carbon) in HOB filters. And the list goes on. LOL But it was a fun dinner talking about the "old days". Wish I could have recorded it

Feel free to contact me if you need any other names

 

[johnny leftist]

Not too different but a lot had poorly functioning undergravel filters rather than poorly functioning HOBs.