# 1876 Fiske #8 Restoration



## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

*More Photos*

Here's a photo of the top edge showing the patent date, a couple more photos showing it down to the gray cast iron, another photo showing the original paint on the underside of the top frame, part of a Fiske advertisement showing that they offered their tanks bronzed, a photo of another restored Fiske tank that was bronzed, a couple of Fiske tanks with their fountains which are probably similar to what mine originally had, and finally the Fiske catalog with my tank on the cover and the page showing the model number.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

*Photos of more Fiske tanks*

I also had a Fiske #6 that I didn't restore and sold a couple of months ago. I've included a few photos of it to give an idea of the size difference. Also photos of a Fiske in Hemingway's house in Key West, Fl., photos of other Fiskes that were sold or are for sale to give some idea of the rarity of these tanks and to show the different stands that could be ordered with the tanks. The last few screen shots show a Fiske #8 on the same elaborate stand illustrated on the front cover of the Fiske catalog and of the same color that mine originally was. The original asking price was $20K and I was told it eventually sold for $14K.


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## Olskule (Jan 28, 2010)

I love those old aquariums! Thanks for sharing this, and be sure to post the follow-up on getting it going. I see these antique aquariums in online auctions, but they're out of my price range. I keep hoping to find one at a flea market or yard sale that's in rough shape but repairable, and priced accordingly, but I think the odds of that are slim. But, hey! I can enjoy seeing you get yours restored to its original glory and operating again!

Great find, and thanks again for sharing!

Olskule


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## AngeltheGypsy (May 2, 2017)

Man what a find! I too can’t wait to see the finished project! The original fountain was gorgeous. Will you be trying to recreate it? 


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

Olskule said:


> I love those old aquariums! Thanks for sharing this, and be sure to post the follow-up on getting it going. I see these antique aquariums in online auctions, but they're out of my price range. I keep hoping to find one at a flea market or yard sale that's in rough shape but repairable, and priced accordingly, but I think the odds of that are slim. But, hey! I can enjoy seeing you get yours restored to its original glory and operating again!
> 
> Great find, and thanks again for sharing!
> 
> Olskule


Thanks, and I too have looked for antique aquariums/terrariums in flea markets etc. but I've never found a single one other than what I've come across online. This one was bought online. They are just so rare because not very many were made in the first place due to them being out of range of everybody but the wealthy. Then you factor in two world wars which called on the public to turn in old metal objects to be melted down for the war effort and it's no wonder they're rarer than Tiffany lamps. Oftentimes they're out of my price range as well. This is the most expensive tank I've ever bought but it was much more reasonable than the two I showed screen shots of due to the fact it didn't come with an original stand. But as I said earlier I didn't need a stand because I planned on using the tank rather than just displaying it and being able to see modern equipment ruins the look for me.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

AngeltheGypsy said:


> Man what a find! I too can’t wait to see the finished project! The original fountain was gorgeous. Will you be trying to recreate it?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thank you, I'll be posting more photos later today. I think the chance of me finding one of those fountains is less than me finding the tank. The two screen shots of the Fiske tanks with fountains weren't for sale or were already sold as far as I know and I had done a pretty thorough internet search and only came up with those two images. I thought about connecting the original plumbing to modern equipment thereby hiding all the filtration/heating but the fittings were rusted solid. We attempted to unscrew the threaded pipe connection and threaded plug from the cast iron blocks on the tank's underside but they wouldn't budge. The only thing I was able to remove was the cap on the corner overflow. Then there's the problem of the plumbing going through glass and then cast iron, as glass is necessary to protect the bottom from rusting out. I tried using clear marine epoxy on a previous 19th. century aquarium that I had but eventually it began to fail in a couple places after a couple of years. Glass is the best option on these metal tanks if they have a flat bottom. The one I used the epoxy on did not which is the only reason I didn't use glass. So if I got any kind of leakage around where the fittings went through the tank bottom I would get corrosion and one of my goals was to preserve this tank.


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## AngeltheGypsy (May 2, 2017)

But I’m curious if you could recreate the fountain with modern materials. Maybe a 3D printer or something to that effect, and not plumb it through the bottom. 
It wouldn’t be “original” but it might work. If not, it is still a gorgeous tank. I’ve not seen anything like it, and the fountain is such a special piece. 


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

AngeltheGypsy said:


> But I’m curious if you could recreate the fountain with modern materials. Maybe a 3D printer or something to that effect, and not plumb it through the bottom.
> It wouldn’t be “original” but it might work. If not, it is still a gorgeous tank. I’ve not seen anything like it, and the fountain is such a special piece.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thanks again for your kind words and the fountain would have been a plus. As you can see from the images I attached of Fiske models #6 and #8 as well as the Fiske catalog, it was most likely sold without a fountain in most cases. Also you can see in the two photos of the bottom of the #6 that I used to own that it was never plumbed for anything. I've never actually seen an image of a fountain in one of these roman column tanks but nevertheless my tank was plumbed for one when it left the factory so I looked for similar tanks by Fiske with fountains. I don't know what the model numbers are of the two rusted examples with fountains that I included screen shots of.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

I looked again at the Fiske #8 on stand in green and I can see the same pair of holes for a fountain in its bottom plate as mine. I also looked at the Fiske #8 on a different stand in black that is currently for sale and it doesn't have the holes in its bottom plate for a fountain. I've attached their images:


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## Olskule (Jan 28, 2010)

The closest I can come to this, right now, is my planned 10 gallon stainless steel framed tank that was my mother's. I have all her 1960's era equipment to set it up with, including a pre-Metaframe Dyna-flo external filter (syphon fed, pumped back to the aquarium), a Silent Giant air pump (two, actually), the stainless steel light and hood combo (now using screw-in, angle adjustable LED "bulbs"), a vacuum-molded, colorfully printed 3D background with a diver and reef, confetti-like gravel, along with various air operated "decorations" (sic) such as a volcano, waterfall, "broken" sailing ship and a bubbling clam complete with a real, genuine faux Pearl inside! Gaudy as all get-out, yeah, but what can I say? That's pretty much what the trend was in the mid-sixties, with some exceptions, I'm sure. But, if I'm not mistaken, the trend for aquariums of the era yours is from was more toward a natural look, a "slice of nature" in your home, much as most of us on this forum prefer today, and much more beautiful. My "restoration" will be much less serious, more "childlike" and strictly for the fun of it. I'm sure my two year old granddaughter will like it, anyway. It's more of a nostalgia thing, kind of a "tribute" to my mother's more fun side and one of the few things we had in common (which needs more focus, since she had the maternal instincts of a guppy!)

Keep us posted!

Olskule


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Soooo much fun..

anyways this book any good?

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Illustra...43443?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=10751


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## deeda (Jun 28, 2005)

Wonderful job so far, I'm loving the details and pics!!

On a side note, there is a 10 page article in the March/April 2018 issue of Amazonas on antique aquariums and decorations that is nicely done and a blurb on the author's plans to create a website dedicated to these items sometime late this year.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

Olskule said:


> The closest I can come to this, right now, is my planned 10 gallon stainless steel framed tank that was my mother's. I have all her 1960's era equipment to set it up with, including a pre-Metaframe Dyna-flo external filter (syphon fed, pumped back to the aquarium), a Silent Giant air pump (two, actually), the stainless steel light and hood combo (now using screw-in, angle adjustable LED "bulbs"), a vacuum-molded, colorfully printed 3D background with a diver and reef, confetti-like gravel, along with various air operated "decorations" (sic) such as a volcano, waterfall, "broken" sailing ship and a bubbling clam complete with a real, genuine faux Pearl inside! Gaudy as all get-out, yeah, but what can I say? That's pretty much what the trend was in the mid-sixties, with some exceptions, I'm sure. But, if I'm not mistaken, the trend for aquariums of the era yours is from was more toward a natural look, a "slice of nature" in your home, much as most of us on this forum prefer today, and much more beautiful. My "restoration" will be much less serious, more "childlike" and strictly for the fun of it. I'm sure my two year old granddaughter will like it, anyway. It's more of a nostalgia thing, kind of a "tribute" to my mother's more fun side and one of the few things we had in common (which needs more focus, since she had the maternal instincts of a guppy!)
> 
> Keep us posted!
> 
> Olskule


Neat! It will be a nice tribute to your mother. Do you know if it still holds water? Does it have a slate bottom? You may have already seen this on other posts but if it does leak you'll want to put glass on top of a slate bottom as part of your restoration since silicone doesn't adhere to slate very well. The first tank I used when I was very young was a "splatter paint" tank from the 1940's that was ~5gal. Around 1970 I got a "Living World" stainless steel framed 10gal. tank that was part of a kit for Christmas. It had the SS hood with incandescent light bulb, a corner filter with air pump, and an unusual brown plastic insert for the bottom that was meant to resemble a rocky substrate. I think there were plastic plants that fit into this plastic insert as well.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

jeffkrol said:


> Soooo much fun..
> 
> anyways this book any good?
> 
> https://www.walmart.com/ip/Illustra...43443?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=10751



I didn't know about this book, thanks for letting me know about it. I'll have to see if the library has one I can look at to see if it has aquariums in it since Fiske made all kinds of iron objects.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

deeda said:


> Wonderful job so far, I'm loving the details and pics!!
> 
> On a side note, there is a 10 page article in the March/April 2018 issue of Amazonas on antique aquariums and decorations that is nicely done and a blurb on the author's plans to create a website dedicated to these items sometime late this year.


Thanks! I need to get this issue and the previous one of Amazonas. Gary Bagnall, the subject of this issue and the previous one, told me he was going to be featured in the Jan./Feb. issue about his company's (ZooMed) history and this one.


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## Olskule (Jan 28, 2010)

davrx said:


> Neat! It will be a nice tribute to your mother. Do you know if it still holds water? Does it have a slate bottom? You may have already seen this on other posts but if it does leak you'll want to put glass on top of a slate bottom as part of your restoration since silicone doesn't adhere to slate very well. The first tank I used when I was very young was a "splatter paint" tank from the 1940's that was ~5gal. Around 1970 I got a "Living World" stainless steel framed 10gal. tank that was part of a kit for Christmas. It had the SS hood with incandescent light bulb, a corner filter with air pump, and an unusual brown plastic bottom that was meant to resemble a rocky bottom. I think there were plastic plants that fit into this plastic bottom as well.


Yes, it's got the slate bottom, and I wasn't aware of the slate/silicone issue, so thanks for that information. I used to have several stainless steel framed tanks, mostly small ones, a 4' long 10 gallon and a ~25 gallon, but I lost many of those and several other modern tanks (including some I'd made) when my house was burned. I still have the ~25, the 10 and the frame and slate from the 4' 10 gallon, which I hope to rebuild one day.

I remember the "Living World" brand of aquarium products, and I think I even have some in my mom's stuff, but that plastic bottomed tank sounds interesting; I've never known of anything like that. I wanted an aquarium when I was just into my teens, so my mother set me up with one of her smaller tanks (5 gallon, maybe?) complete with an internal box filter (I hated that thing!). Why she didn't let me use one of the syphon fed, air operated HOB filters she had, I don't know. Those were in the same chest as the box filter, and she never used any of that stuff again, anyway, but she made me use that crappy box filter. Those things were such a wet, messy pain to clean! I guess I was lucky she let me use any of it, because when I was out of college and wanted to use some of her old aquariums and equipment, she wouldn't let go of any of it, so it all just sat and collected dust in the storage building for thirty more years.

I do find it very interesting to see what all they did and didn't have to work with back then. Some things they thought were great new technological breakthroughs (undergravel filters) we now look at as archaic, but they did solve certain problems they had at the time. Some things (like the Dynaflo power filter) were the beginnings of our more improved modern versions, but others (the "Silent Giant" air pumps) were even better than anything available today. Either way, it's fascinating to see how much has changed and how much is still the same. I believe that heating an aquarium at the time yours was made involved candles or other open flame placed beneath the tank! 

Lots of things have changed since your aquarium was made, but one thing is sure, and that is that they definitely put in the effort to make them gorgeous back then. They were things of beauty even before anything was put inside them!

Olskule


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

*Bronzed*

Here's what the frame looked like after I got it back from the bronzer. I used slotted brass screws (since phillips weren't invented when this tank was made), washers, and nuts to reassemble the tank. The last photos show the tank at the glazier's getting ready for starfire glass. The corners and bottom presented a problem. In the corners the threaded rods that hold the top, sides, and bottom together were in the way of the glass. I had the glazier put thin strips of glass in front of the rods at a 45 degree angle so that there would be glass to glass for the black silicone. Also, the bottom had to be built up using a couple different thicknesses of glass, otherwise a metal lip on the bottom frame was in the way to again having glass to glass contact. This tank turned out to be the most difficult tank to reglaze of any that I've ever restored.
Sorry for the last three photos, they're correct when I upload them, if there's anyway to rotate them in editing please let me know.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

Olskule said:


> Yes, it's got the slate bottom, and I wasn't aware of the slate/silicone issue, so thanks for that information. I used to have several stainless steel framed tanks, mostly small ones, a 4' long 10 gallon and a ~25 gallon, but I lost many of those and several other modern tanks (including some I'd made) when my house was burned. I still have the ~25, the 10 and the frame and slate from the 4' 10 gallon, which I hope to rebuild one day.
> 
> I remember the "Living World" brand of aquarium products, and I think I even have some in my mom's stuff, but that plastic bottomed tank sounds interesting; I've never known of anything like that. I wanted an aquarium when I was just into my teens, so my mother set me up with one of her smaller tanks (5 gallon, maybe?) complete with an internal box filter (I hated that thing!). Why she didn't let me use one of the syphon fed, air operated HOB filters she had, I don't know. Those were in the same chest as the box filter, and she never used any of that stuff again, anyway, but she made me use that crappy box filter. Those things were such a wet, messy pain to clean! I guess I was lucky she let me use any of it, because when I was out of college and wanted to use some of her old aquariums and equipment, she wouldn't let go of any of it, so it all just sat and collected dust in the storage building for thirty more years.
> 
> ...


I've got a 1937 Jewel catalog that shows the heater and filter they sold (only one of each!). It was an outside filter and looked like a tall, narrow metaframe tank with layers of filter materials in it with plumbing entering and exiting through the open top. It was made by some other company and sold in the Jewel catalog. I'll have to see if I can find the catalog to see who the manufacturer was. I'm pretty sure I saw one of these filters (just the tank) on Ebay within the last couple of years. I didn't know what it was at the time but I remember how surprised I was at how much it went for, probably because someone knew what it was and its rarity. I've not seen another since.
I agree with you on the beauty of these antique aquariums, they're attractive in their own right.


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## lilhelper (Nov 24, 2008)

This is wonderful. Where did you find this?


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

lilhelper said:


> This is wonderful. Where did you find this?


It was listed on Ebay a couple of years ago but I went directly through the antique dealer after the ad had ended and negotiated a better price. I then worked out a deal to have it hand delivered by someone who lived in the Chicago area.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

*Starfire Glass in and a Vintage Stand*

I wanted a stand that was from the same time period as the aquarium so I started looking for an antique piece of furniture. I wanted it to have a marble top so I wouldn't have to worry about water ruining it. The depth of the tank made it difficult to find something that would fit. I finally found an Eastlake style sideboard c1880 that would accommodate it. It has a lot of storage and I think compliments the tank. I've added photos of the stand and the tank with its starfire glass installed on the sides and two layers of regular glass on the bottom.


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## Olskule (Jan 28, 2010)

Good choice; it looks great and will be very serviceable with the marble top. It will be nice to not have to worry about minor water drips ruining the antique piece, too. I like Eastlake furniture, and own a few pieces, myself. I inherited an old Eastlake pump-organ top that my mom used as a fireplace mantle. It originally held a mirror in the center, with small shelves to each side, but the mirror was long gone. I happened to see a beveled mirror at the flea market one day, and it looked like it would fit, so I picked it up for a couple of bucks, figuring it would be a little too large, but would fill the hole, anyway. Turns out, it looked like it was made to fit, with the beveling showing very nicely. It's always great to find something that works perfectly for what you have in mind, even though it wasn't made for that exact purpose.

What do you plan to use for lighting? May I suggest a horizontally mounted type of light, such as an early, decorative brass or bronze desk lamp? You can get LED light "bulbs" that have a standard screw-in base, but all the LEDS are mounted on one side, flat, and the panel can be rotated to the correct downward position. They are available in several sizes, from 5 Watts to 13 Watts, and in 6500K ("cool white"), so they would be good for plants as well as keep with the antique look.

I can't wait to see you get it up and running; looking forward to your next update!

Olskule


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## finfan (Jun 16, 2008)

Cool and unique thread. Looking forward to seeing this develop.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

*Tank is up and running*

Here's some photos of the tank setup with Brightwell Aquatics FlorinVolcanit Rio Cafe Extra Fine substrate, two driftwood bonsai trees with Fissidens fontanus in the forefront and a mixture of Fissidens and other mosses in the background, several Ohko stones with the two upright ones having variegated Anubias barteri var. nana 'petite' growing out of the holes in the stones, several Eriocaulon seboldianum, a bit of Micranthemum 'Monte Carlo' coming out around the tree roots, and some more variegated Anubias petite planted throughout the tank. I'm using a Fluval G6 filter, a Vecton-6 V2 UV sterilizer, an Eheim Skim 350, a Current USA Satellite Plus Pro #4012 LED light, a Hydor 300W external heater that is on the outside of the stand due to size constraints, and a paintball CO2 setup.


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## underH20garden (Dec 19, 2017)

man how cool is this! great job


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## The Dude1 (Jun 17, 2016)

Wow this is just incredible!! You did a fantastic job. That looks stunning.


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## ipkiss (Aug 9, 2011)

Practically no expenses spared. I'm duly impressed. Whilst I'm no aquascaper, and you or someone can correct me if I'm misinterpreting the intention, but speaking solely from a standpoint of a possibly ignorant dude who's looking at a piece of art, the stones feel a little out of scale compared with the bonsai trees. The look is amazing and I love the concept, but I'm a little thrown off when I see the stones next to the tree -- especially on the close up pic -- maybe bigger stones or smaller trees? 

Might want to watch that lighting intensity/period too. I see the beginnings of some green algae on the stones. If it gets to the plants, you know you're pushing too much. A Plus Pro at full blast and long photoperiods can be overkill for your plant mass and tank size. Unless you plan on carpeting, you can get away with much less light.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

ipkiss said:


> Practically no expenses spared. I'm duly impressed. Whilst I'm no aquascaper, and you or someone can correct me if I'm misinterpreting the intention, but speaking solely from a standpoint of a possibly ignorant dude who's looking at a piece of art, the stones feel a little out of scale compared with the bonsai trees. The look is amazing and I love the concept, but I'm a little thrown off when I see the stones next to the tree -- especially on the close up pic -- maybe bigger stones or smaller trees?
> 
> Might want to watch that lighting intensity/period too. I see the beginnings of some green algae on the stones. If it gets to the plants, you know you're pushing too much. A Plus Pro at full blast and long photoperiods can be overkill for your plant mass and tank size. Unless you plan on carpeting, you can get away with much less light.


Thanks, I'm using the Ohko stones in the one corner in an attempt to hide the filter intake and surface skimmer, plus there are areas in Asia that have pockmarked rocks rising up vertically like my representation and are an even greater scale larger than the the difference between my trees and rocks. It works for me, in the end we create to please ourselves, not others, but I'm open to comments either way. 
I have the light on about 8 hours a day and the Ohko stones come from a previous tank and were already covered in whatever is growing on them, I like them that way and it provides food for my pair of gobies which are obligate vegetarians. 
My mosses overgrow so much that I end up throwing a bunch of it out every couple of weeks when I do a water change. I don't think I have an algae problem, I think the mosses take up most of the nutrients in the tank.


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## 0stress (Jan 20, 2018)

Really something! Just excellent!


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## ipkiss (Aug 9, 2011)

davrx said:


> Thanks, I'm using the Ohko stones in the one corner in an attempt to hide the filter intake and surface skimmer, plus there are areas in Asia that have pockmarked rocks rising up vertically like my representation and are an even greater scale larger than the the difference between my trees and rocks.


That's my point, I 'wanted' to see the greater scale larger difference too!  I'm imagining the same scenery probably. 



> It works for me, in the end we create to please ourselves, not others, but I'm open to comments either way.



Of course, I truly agree. And I hope I didn't plant a nagging seed of annoyance by my nitpicking  



> I have the light on about 8 hours a day and the Ohko stones come from a previous tank and were already covered in whatever is growing on them, I like them that way and it provides food for my pair of gobies which are obligate vegetarians.
> My mosses overgrow so much that I end up throwing a bunch of it out every couple of weeks when I do a water change. I don't think I have an algae problem, I think the mosses take up most of the nutrients in the tank.



Ahh, I see. As long as things are working as intended. I'd hate to see something so cool be marred by silly algae issues. :thumbsup:


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

ipkiss said:


> That's my point, I 'wanted' to see the greater scale larger difference too!  I'm imagining the same scenery probably.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




I understand now what you meant scale wise, I thought you meant I should have smaller rocks when you actually meant smaller trees. The only problem with that would be that some of the fish would be out of scale then. I'm more into just putting whatever I think looks good in the tank and although I admire many of the aquascapes I've seen photos of, most of them would require more work to make/maintain than I'm willing to do.

No offense taken, this is why we have a forum to offer advice and to get ideas that we may want to use ourselves.

I sometimes run into algae problems but usually only with smaller tanks, the smaller volumes can be a real challenge since any changes are magnified more than in larger tanks.


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## Olskule (Jan 28, 2010)

Man! That is one fantastic display tank! The aquascaping is great, and the decorative tank frame just sets the whole thing off, like a piece of art set in the perfect picture frame. Another great thing about the frame, is that it helps the plumbing inside the aquarium go practically unnoticed in the corners; they blend in and aren't obvious at all. That's something you don't get with a modern tank, not even with the rimless aquariums, so maybe it's time to rethink things and instead of striving to eliminate the frame from the aquarium, we should start considering a full decorative frame as a desirable addition to the visual effect. Kind of like the retro styling on brand new muscle cars, it might be time to come full circle. It reminds me of the saying, "What's old is new again", and it certainly works favorably here.

The low profile of the LED light works a whole lot better than I would have guessed; in fact, it is so unobtrusive that I don't think you could have made a better choice. 

The Eastlake piece looks like it was made to fit the filter and other gear, and you still have drawers left for storage!

I'm sure you're pleased with the results of your efforts, and rightly so. That is one of the most beautiful aquarium displays I think I've ever seen, and that includes fancy rimless tanks!

I know you invested a lot in this project, but it sure paid off in the long run, and from what I can see, it was well worth it. I would love to have one like it, but I would be afraid that my aquarium keeping skills wouldn't be able to do it justice!

Wow. Just wow.

Now there's just one question: how in the world are you going to top it with your next project?

Olskule


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

Olskule said:


> Man! That is one fantastic display tank! The aquascaping is great, and the decorative tank frame just sets the whole thing off, like a piece of art set in the perfect picture frame. Another great thing about the frame, is that it helps the plumbing inside the aquarium go practically unnoticed in the corners; they blend in and aren't obvious at all. That's something you don't get with a modern tank, not even with the rimless aquariums, so maybe it's time to rethink things and instead of striving to eliminate the frame from the aquarium, we should start considering a full decorative frame as a desirable addition to the visual effect. Kind of like the retro styling on brand new muscle cars, it might be time to come full circle. It reminds me of the saying, "What's old is new again", and it certainly works favorably here.
> 
> The low profile of the LED light works a whole lot better than I would have guessed; in fact, it is so unobtrusive that I don't think you could have made a better choice.
> 
> ...


Thank you for your kind words. 
Well said, and I agree that the tank itself may again become just as ornamental as its contents.
I have a few more vintage tanks that are in the works but nothing of this size. Tanks this size are few and far between among vintage/antique tanks which are few and far between in their own right. 
I have done mostly vintage/antique cast iron tanks that were bronzed or painted bronze and I'm pretty excited about a very rare vintage cast iron chrome plated tank that I've just begun to work on with its original stainless steel light and heater. They all date from the 1930s. I've never seen a heater this early other than in books.
So I've got years worth of projects ahead of me that I'll continue to post as long as people appreciate them.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

Here's what the tank looks like now. I'm planning on changing out the two current bonsai trees for a single larger grouping of trees with roots growing over rocks and adding to what I consider a semi-barren looking aquascape. In other words, I want to add some more plants and another Ohko stone. This was what my wife liked, a less is more approach but I'm more of a more is more type of person, hence the over the top tanks.


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## Olskule (Jan 28, 2010)

I'm looking forward to seeing your future projects. I wonder if anyone will ever make reproductions of these antique aquariums by taking casts of them (or just imitate the style). I'm sure that this can be done with modern materials more appropriate for aquariums than metals. Actually, since the glass could be held together by silicone alone, the frame could be more or less just decorative, aside from the base, which shouldn't be difficult to make sturdy. These days someone could even do it on a low production basis or even make just a few for themselves and some friends. I suppose it might be a niche market for such a thing, but it might be profitable on some scale. I, for one, would be interested in such a reproduction aquarium.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

Olskule said:


> I'm looking forward to seeing your future projects. I wonder if anyone will ever make reproductions of these antique aquariums by taking casts of them (or just imitate the style). I'm sure that this can be done with modern materials more appropriate for aquariums than metals. Actually, since the glass could be held together by silicone alone, the frame could be more or less just decorative, aside from the base, which shouldn't be difficult to make sturdy. These days someone could even do it on a low production basis or even make just a few for themselves and some friends. I suppose it might be a niche market for such a thing, but it might be profitable on some scale. I, for one, would be interested in such a reproduction aquarium.


Thanks, my next project is a OOAK Jewel tank from the 1920's. It was most likely a prototype that never went into production. It's part of their "Modernistic" line of Art Deco tanks of which they made two models, the #90 and #91. If you look them up you'll see them illustrated in one of Jewel's catalog pages that I uploaded several years ago. This would have probably been their model #92 which as I said earlier never went into production. It's the same height and width as the #91 but it's a third longer, perfect size for my axolotls. It's been dismantled, blasted, and the cast iron frame has been bronzed. It was one of last items that the now defunct Bron Shoe Company of Columbus, Ohio did for me. They closed their doors forever on 2/28/18 after being in business for 80 years. They did the bronzing on this Fiske #8 tank as well as a Jewel #91 that's on this forum from a couple of years ago. I guess I'm done bronzing vintage tanks. 
You mentioned that you wondered if anyone would ever make repro tanks. There were some Jewel tanks reproduced in the 1990's but very few were made and there are differences between them and the originals that a collector whose familiar with these tanks can easily discern.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

Just took these photos of one of my floating Marimo balls with one of my Orange Dwarf Mexican Crayfish hitching a ride on it.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

*Rescape*

Just completed a rescape of the tank a couple of days ago. I changed out the Ohko stones, added a couple slate caves for the L144 Plecostamus ancistrus long fins, and changed out the bonsai trees for a single larger one. I also added some Bucephalandras, which is my first time growing these. I was looking for the smallest leaved ones I could find. I changed out the Anubias barteri nana petites and the variegated nanas for some different Anubias: chili, pangolino, and nana micro. I also added some dwarf water lettuce. The buces I have are: golden bell, super mini brownie, brownie phantom mini, super mini purple, lamandau mini purple, super mini catherinae, and catherinae mini. I also added some Fissidens LL, Podostemaceae sp. 'bolbitis nano", Hymenophyllaceae Wayanad, and an as yet unidentified species of Hymenophyllaceae. 
Since adding the slate caves I've already had the alpha male breed with one of the females and he is currently guarding the eggs in his cave! First time I've ever had my placos breed.
Here's some photos I took today:


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## ipkiss (Aug 9, 2011)

Looking good! If tanks could talk, I bet it never expected to be in this situation in the twilight of its career!


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

ipkiss said:


> Looking good! If tanks could talk, I bet it never expected to be in this situation in the twilight of its career!


Thanks! I agree, it'd probably be pretty surprised, especially when it got a nice new bronzing.


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## EdWiser (Jul 14, 2015)

Great job on the restore. Admire the work you have done.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

EdWiser said:


> Great job on the restore. Admire the work you have done.


Thank you


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

*Reference*

I wanted to share this quote from "The Toy Fish - A History Of The Aquarium Hobby In America" by Albert J. Klee. "It was a Victorian period of great ostentation and ornamentation that was also reflected in the home aquaria of the day. By this time many iron and zinc works had gone into the manufacture of tanks, a notable example being the J. W. Fiske firm of New York City. This company manufactured tanks from 14 inches to 4 feet long, although the ornate bases and corner spires might make them unrecognizable as such today!"
"It was customary to bronze such tanks and it was also usual to furnish fountain sprays that sat in the middle of such aquaria. Even the rectangular tanks could be supplied with such fountains. Sadly, the aquariums of this vibrant Victorian age are no longer available to us today, except as antiquities not easily affordable to the average hobbyist."
Page 44.
This perfectly describes my tank, made by J. W. Fiske, 4 feet long, bronzed, and originally had a center fountain.


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## babystarz (Sep 25, 2012)

@davrx I'm so glad to see you're still doing these restorations. I LOVE antique aquariums and I pinned a few of your projects and aquarium catalog scans to one of my Pinterest boards a few years ago and they have been re-shared many many times: https://www.pinterest.com/bull0143/antique-vintage-aquariums/ 

I just thought you'd like to know that your reach goes beyond this site to inspire people. I continue to hope I'll stumble across my own Jewel or Fiske aquarium some day!


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

babystarz said:


> @davrx I'm so glad to see you're still doing these restorations. I LOVE antique aquariums and I pinned a few of your projects and aquarium catalog scans to one of my Pinterest boards a few years ago and they have been re-shared many many times: https://www.pinterest.com/bull0143/antique-vintage-aquariums/
> 
> I just thought you'd like to know that your reach goes beyond this site to inspire people. I continue to hope I'll stumble across my own Jewel or Fiske aquarium some day!


Thank you so much, it's nice to know that people appreciate my work.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

I replaced my substrate and did some re-scaping of the tank. I used Carib Sea Peace River Gravel to replace the Brightwell Aquatics FlorinVolcanit fine. I think it was starting to break down into its original volcanic ash form as any time I'd move something in the tank or startle the fish there was a cloud of fine silt, so the tank never looked clear unless the fish weren't disturbed. I attached several different bucephanandras to some Ohko stones and planted some new Fissidens. I removed some large mats of Monte Carlo which had started to spread nicely across the tank and had rooted in the florinvolcanit. I tried covering the edges of the Monte Carlo with gravel but it kept coming up in the center so I placed some smaller ohko stones on top of it to try to hold it down until it roots itself. I'll have to rotate the stones to try to keep from killing the Monte Carlo under them. I also replaced my intake to incorporate a skimmer as the Eheim one I was using kept getting clogged with floating plants/moss. I also had to glue my driftwood bonsai tree back together as the right side came off as well as a branch. It took several attempts to get the right side to adhere. I tried regular super glue and then some coral glue. After several attempts with the coral glue it finally held together. Here's some photos I just took:
The last photo is of the tank bottom after I removed the old substrate. Everything still looks good.


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## Thelongsnail (Dec 2, 2015)

I love this tank in all its iterations, especially the last two.

Have you ever considered keeping paradise fish in this? I believe they were some of the most popular ornamental fish at the time your tank was manufactured, although you'll probably know more about this than I do. I've always wanted to set up an antique tank with gravel, native flora, and a paradise fish, much like the original owners may have done. Even better, you wouldn't need to hide a heater as they're temperate!


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

Thelongsnail said:


> I love this tank in all its iterations, especially the last two.
> 
> Have you ever considered keeping paradise fish in this? I believe they were some of the most popular ornamental fish at the time your tank was manufactured, although you'll probably know more about this than I do. I've always wanted to set up an antique tank with gravel, native flora, and a paradise fish, much like the original owners may have done. Even better, you wouldn't need to hide a heater as they're temperate!


Thank you, I've never kept Paradise Fish and haven't researched their temperament. I have a couple pairs of Killifish and they do fine in my community tank. If I had the original center fountain and corner drain plumbing in place then I might try to keep the tank more in line with the way it would have originally been done. I'd have to come up with another lighting source and if I had the original plumbing I could better hide the heater and filter in the cabinet below but then I'd have to lose the marble top or have the top drilled.


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## Little Soprano (Mar 13, 2014)

This tank is absolutely gorgeous. Even without water.


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## Thelongsnail (Dec 2, 2015)

@davrx they can be nasty, no two ways about that. Used to have a lovely one as a kid though that would hand-feed, they make quite a nice "pet" fish and are easy enough to look after should you ever think about it.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love what you've done with the tank, I'm just projecting my own wishes!


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

Thelongsnail said:


> @davrx they can be nasty, no two ways about that. Used to have a lovely one as a kid though that would hand-feed, they make quite a nice "pet" fish and are easy enough to look after should you ever think about it.
> 
> Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love what you've done with the tank, I'm just projecting my own wishes!


No problem, I'm open to new ideas.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

babystarz said:


> @davrx I'm so glad to see you're still doing these restorations. I LOVE antique aquariums and I pinned a few of your projects and aquarium catalog scans to one of my Pinterest boards a few years ago and they have been re-shared many many times: https://www.pinterest.com/bull0143/antique-vintage-aquariums/
> 
> I just thought you'd like to know that your reach goes beyond this site to inspire people. I continue to hope I'll stumble across my own Jewel or Fiske aquarium some day!


I thought you'd like a sneak peek my next project, a very rare Jewel late Model 90 from the 1930s. It's the only one I've ever seen, although I have seen a late Model 91 in another collection. It's chrome over cast iron and it's taller than the Model 90 from the 1920's and has peaked glass sides to hold an early stainless steel light which came with the tank along with the original double test tube heater! The only thing it didn't come with were the original filter and pump, both of which I've seen on Ebay, pumps come up from time to time but the filters are very rare. The last photo shows the difference between it and the "Model 92" that I was in the process of restoring and is now in a separate tank journal.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

I decided to change out my heavy glass top for a double walled polycarbonate one to decrease the weight and hopefully cut down on the condensation. I'm using some metal clips to hold it in place for now. They're meant to go over a door but aren't quite large enough for this aquarium frame and aren't esthetically pleasing but they'll do until I find some that I can hide inside and underneath the frame. Condensation has been decreased but not eliminated. These are some photos I just took of it.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Great stuff as usual...
Thought I'd just throw this in..
https://www.advancedaquarist.com/blog/beautiful-1930s-art-deco-aquarium-up-for-grabs-on-ebay


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

jeffkrol said:


> Great stuff as usual...
> Thought I'd just throw this in..
> https://www.advancedaquarist.com/blog/beautiful-1930s-art-deco-aquarium-up-for-grabs-on-ebay


Thanks. This is a rare one and I know the owner but too rich for my blood.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

*Merry Christmas*

Thought I'd try decorating my driftwood bonsai tree this year with some Christmas lights. I did some research and found some submersible micro LEDs. I needed to remove my moss anyway in preparation from some bucephanandras later. I think they turned out pretty well. I didn't research this but I've never seen a string of miniature Christmas lights in an aquarium before. I took these photos tonight:


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## ipkiss (Aug 9, 2011)

Lol. Very creative!! I was just showing a buddy yesterday your tree. Oh man. If only I could've seen the look on his face if he saw it lit!!


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

I finished the lightweight polycarbonate top. I replaced the temporary metal clips with six clear plastic angles glued to the inside walls of the tank. They were cut from a corner wall protector and are hidden by the top frame. I had to do a bit of tweaking to get it even with the inside of the top frame. Here's some photos of it in place:


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

I have done several searches on the patent stamped into the top frame of this tank and have not been able to find anything out about this "Durant's Patent" from December of 1876. I had a fellow collector who was gracious enough to send me an image from his Fiske catalog showing this as a model #8 but nothing beyond that. If anyone comes across any information about this I'd appreciate it if you'd share it with me. Here's an image of the stamp:


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

It was time to take down the Christmas Tree Lights so I took the driftwood bonsai tree out of my tank and started unwinding the string of micro LED's. Unfortunately they aren't very durable because the wires started breaking as I was unwrapping the light string. It wasn't wound tightly and I was gently removing them but it broke in several places so apparently this one is junk. 
I decided to try attaching various species of Bucephalandra to the tree instead of moss. I used some Gorilla super glue to attach clumps of plants to the branches. I didn't have enough to complete the tree but just placed an order for a few more clumps to complete the upper part. I think the small leaved buces look neater than moss. I had issues with the Fissidens and other mosses I've tried over the years getting messy and ratty looking with time and I had a constant issue of pieces of the moss coming off into the tank and clogging my filter intake. 
Here's some photos I just took of the tree minus Christmas lights and the partially buced tree. One of my killifish photo bombed a couple of the photos.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

Finished up the tree last week. I like this better than the mosses I had on it previously. I think it looks more like a miniature tree with the bucephalandra leaves. Here's some photos I took:


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## KayakJimW (Aug 12, 2016)

Very cool! It does look like a living tree in there


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## Grobbins48 (Oct 16, 2017)

What a prefect scape for a unique tank like this one. Well done!


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## babystarz (Sep 25, 2012)

That's gorgeous! The pentagonal glass panes on the sides are so interesting.


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## Ventchur (Apr 29, 2018)

The execution on the tree is top notch. Interested to see it once established and filled in. Just imagine the tree sending out 20+ flowers at once someday..


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

KayakJimW said:


> Very cool! It does look like a living tree in there


Thank you


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## ReeferRob (Dec 24, 2018)

I need to see if I can find the picture of the one with the candle holders for heating. A friend of mine in England has one, I want to say it's from the 1840s. The candle holders are on a jack screw so you can keep them at the correct high and a more stable temp. Can you imagine that? Honey, did you remember to raise the candles on the fish tank? I've seen a few of those Jewel tanks and they're a little pricey. If I found one in decent enough shape, I'd do a restoration on it. We're losing too much history not to. You did a hell of a job on it, thanks for sharing.

Being a machinist by trade, it appeals to me to make one out of stainless. I know I have a piece of 30mm stainless plate in the shop. I love the Art Deco period so it would have to be something like that. Nice rounded edges with Starfire glass.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

Grobbins48 said:


> What a prefect scape for a unique tank like this one. Well done!


Thanks


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

*Update*



babystarz said:


> That's gorgeous! The pentagonal glass panes on the sides are so interesting.


Thank you. The glass panes in the corners were necessary to prevent the rods that hold the tank together from being exposed to water. Originally they were buried in aquarium cement but I didn't want to go that route as I don't think it would have been aesthetically pleasing and would have been prone to leaks I believe.

Update:
I just saw this aquarium for sale on Ebay yesterday and it appears to be in its original state with original glass (per the seller) and what looks like original cement. The corners have the same basic structure as mine with rods in each corner holding the top and bottom frames together. You can see that this tank used the same technique as mine with thin strips of glass covering each corner rod. Only difference between mine and this one is that the rods look like they were embedded in cement then covered with glass and sealed. Mine has the rods exposed behind the glass strips and works because silicone rubber was used to seal it instead of whatever was used around 140 years ago.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

Ventchur said:


> The execution on the tree is top notch. Interested to see it once established and filled in. Just imagine the tree sending out 20+ flowers at once someday..


Thanks! I hope they do flower, that'd be something to see if it were covered with flowers.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

ReeferRob said:


> I need to see if I can find the picture of the one with the candle holders for heating. A friend of mine in England has one, I want to say it's from the 1840s. The candle holders are on a jack screw so you can keep them at the correct high and a more stable temp. Can you imagine that? Honey, did you remember to raise the candles on the fish tank? I've seen a few of those Jewel tanks and they're a little pricey. If I found one in decent enough shape, I'd do a restoration on it. We're losing too much history not to. You did a hell of a job on it, thanks for sharing.
> 
> Being a machinist by trade, it appeals to me to make one out of stainless. I know I have a piece of 30mm stainless plate in the shop. I love the Art Deco period so it would have to be something like that. Nice rounded edges with Starfire glass.


Thank you. I'd love to see photos of that tank. I had an 1880's Eastlake style tank and stand that I restored, and is on this forum, that had a holder integrated into the stand for a kerosene or oil lamp to heat the bottom of the cast iron tank. I even found an antique metal diffuser that fit into the top of the glass chimney to better distribute the heat.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

davrx said:


> Thanks! I hope they do flower, that'd be something to see if it were covered with flowers.





Ventchur said:


> The execution on the tree is top notch. Interested to see it once established and filled in. Just imagine the tree sending out 20+ flowers at once someday..


I just had one of my bucephalandras flower, too bad I can't get more of them to do that.


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## Mike A. (Jan 6, 2018)

Here's another. Put ebay in front of:

/itm/Fiske-Cast-Iron-Antique-Aquarium-or-Fish-Tank/302732290727?hash=item467c402aa7:g:~2IAAOSw0-Ba8Itp

Way too much at $18K but interesting to look at.


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## EdWiser (Jul 14, 2015)

[Ebay Link Removed]


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

Mike A. said:


> Here's another. Put ebay in front of:
> 
> /itm/Fiske-Cast-Iron-Antique-Aquarium-or-Fish-Tank/302732290727?hash=item467c402aa7:g:~2IAAOSw0-Ba8Itp
> 
> Way too much at $18K but interesting to look at.


This is the same as my aquarium but unrestored and mine doesn't have the optional stand.


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## Mike A. (Jan 6, 2018)

davrx said:


> This is the same as my aquarium but unrestored and mine doesn't have the optional stand.


Yes, thought that you'd be interested to see another one and with the stand.

This one isn't original but still kind of cool:

/itm/Antique-Bronze-and-Marble-Seahorse-6-Sided-Aquarium-40-Years-Old-and-Free-Ship-/133006864940?hash=item1ef7d3b22c%3Ag%3Ajj8AAOSwcttcKAOm&nma=true&si=1dYshrFIXGfQYbqhABZ58XCbr2A%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

Mike A. said:


> Yes, thought that you'd be interested to see another one and with the stand.
> 
> This one isn't original but still kind of cool:
> 
> /itm/Antique-Bronze-and-Marble-Seahorse-6-Sided-Aquarium-40-Years-Old-and-Free-Ship-/133006864940?hash=item1ef7d3b22c%3Ag%3Ajj8AAOSwcttcKAOm&nma=true&si=1dYshrFIXGfQYbqhABZ58XCbr2A%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557


Yes, I've seen this one on Ebay. I had a chance to buy an original one of these a year or two ago for $8K which was a good price but more than I'm willing to spend on an aquarium or terrarium.


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## sittinglynx (Feb 18, 2019)

Wow that's a rare find! I grew up in the antique business (over 30 years now around antiques, auctions, etc.. and my parents shop) & I've never seen one that large. I've seen the small antique terrarium boxes here and there, but not one like that. Looks like you have fun restoring it. It truly is beautiful; even that 1860 -1880s walnut buffet is a beautiful piece.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

sittinglynx said:


> Wow that's a rare find! I grew up in the antique business (over 30 years now around antiques, auctions, etc.. and my parents shop) & I've never seen one that large. I've seen the small antique terrarium boxes here and there, but not one like that. Looks like you have fun restoring it. It truly is beautiful; even that 1860 -1880s walnut buffet is a beautiful piece.


Thank you. Victorian Era tanks of this size are exceedingly rare which is why they command such a high price, especially if they have an original stand. I preferred not to have an original stand for two reasons: one being cost, and two, the inability to hide equipment under an original stand. It took awhile to find a stand that was from the same era as the aquarium, had a marble top, and was deep enough to accommodate it. The depth was the most difficult part.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

I've had some difficulty keeping my Monte Carlo rooted since I changed out my substrate a while back. One section in particular had bubbled up to the point that one of my plecos was hiding under it. I had a plastic model of the Nautilus from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and since the book was written around the same time this aquarium was made I thought it would be appropriate and I could use it to hold the Monte Carlo down until it could root into the substrate. It's not the best model I've seen of the Nautilus but it sinks and is heavy enough for this purpose. It's obviously temporary or it would eventually kill the plants underneath it. I thought I'd include a couple of photos I took. One shows my Kuhli Loaches around the tail section making it look like they were responsible for permanently sinking the sub or lurking around to attack one of its passengers should they decide to leave the sub.


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## ipkiss (Aug 9, 2011)

I like it! Your eye for what looks good with this tank is faultless. Theres nothing wrong with trimming out the monte carlo underneath it and leaving the nautilus there. As my monte carlo finally floated from my lack of consistent attention, I've now resorted to growing them in patches and burying their edges in substrate. I did this to provide extra detail and space for other plants but I think the idea would work for you here.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

ipkiss said:


> I like it! Your eye for what looks good with this tank is faultless. Theres nothing wrong with trimming out the monte carlo underneath it and leaving the nautilus there. As my monte carlo finally floated from my lack of consistent attention, I've now resorted to growing them in patches and burying their edges in substrate. I did this to provide extra detail and space for other plants but I think the idea would work for you here.



Thank you! I think the scale of the sub in relation to the size of the tank is off. I wanted to use a smaller one I have that actually looks nicer (it has clear windows) but it floats.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

*Update*

It's been awhile since I did any updates on my tank. I took these photos a few days ago. New scape, new plants, some new fish. New top of the line CO2 system.


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## deeda (Jun 28, 2005)

Well done, thanks for the update!


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