# Unique Antique Aquarium



## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

I bought this tank from a salvage company in Oregon. I thought of having the guys on American Restoration restore it for me and was approved to go on the show with this but there was just one problem, the price of the restoration. I thought $4500 was rather high for this project and the fact that the show doesn't pay for travel expenses or accommodations made it even more expensive. I guess it came down to how much I was willing to pay to be on national TV for 5 minutes or so. Anyway, I think I can restore this for a fraction of that price. I knew when I saw these photos from the salvage company that something was wrong with the plumbing configuration. It took some torch work to free a stuck screw in the top frame and a plug from the tank bottom to set it right. What's really odd and possibly unique about this tank and stand are the two lights that shine up through the bottom. I thought they might have been used to heat the tank but usually a dome of glass or metal rose from the bottom of the tank up into the water to allow for better heat transfer so I'm stumped as to the purpose of these lights. There are two candelabra base sockets each in a metal cylinder under the stand. The entire aquarium and stand are made from brass or bronze with solid nickel accents. The company who made this, J.G. Jacobs, is on the inside of the little stand drawer. The center fountain is unusual too. Here's the photos I got from the salvage company:


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## Amandas tank (Oct 2, 2012)

Wooooooow! That is awesome!!!!!! I would love to find something like that!


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

Amandas tank said:


> Wooooooow! That is awesome!!!!!! I would love to find something like that!


Thanks, here's the photos with the plumbing in the correct positions. The fountain in the center and overflow in the corner.


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## Amandas tank (Oct 2, 2012)

Man that is really neat! Would have been cool to have in on that show. I love that show! But talk about expensive! :icon_eek:

The lights on the bottom are very interesting. I love the fountain! This is going to be su-eet!


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## golfer_d (Oct 3, 2012)

wow that is pretty cool....going to be a fun process getting that back into working order!


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

golfer_d said:


> wow that is pretty cool....going to be a fun process getting that back into working order!


Well, other than adding a pump and possibly resealing the tank it could actually be used now. Only problem is that the tank is made from brass or bronze and the plumbing is nickel and copper all of which are toxic to fish, although I'm not sure about nickel. I can seal the inside metal surfaces of the tank with epoxy and the outside of the pipes. I can also seal the nickel tops. I thought about running vinyl hose inside the pipes but the fountain arms are such a small diameter I'm not sure I'll be able to do this. Even if I can I'm not sure how to seal them to the larger hose that would be in the riser of the fountain. I suppose I could coat the inside of these with epoxy as well but I'm afraid the small diameter of the arms would cause the epoxy to seal them off completely. Any suggestions would be welcome.


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## Shangrila (Oct 13, 2012)

When I find an old Metaframe I get excited. If I found something like this I'd have a heart attack!


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

Shangrila said:


> When I find an old Metaframe I get excited. If I found something like this I'd have a heart attack!


Oh man, that's funny!:hihi:


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## Amandas tank (Oct 2, 2012)

That is funny! LOL!:icon_lol:


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## [email protected] (Jul 17, 2008)

davrx said:


> Well, other than adding a pump and possibly resealing the tank it could actually be used now. Only problem is that the tank is made from brass or bronze and the plumbing is nickel and copper all of which are toxic to fish, although I'm not sure about nickel.


Don't clean the piping. The oxides have sealed the metal. 
If you do want it shiny, have a musical instrument (horn) company do the polishing and seal with a synthetic varnish. 

All the faucets in your home are made out of brass. Many of us have lead soldered copper water pipes. The water coming into my home has more copper in it than I'd get from the piping. A lot of older homes in cities have lead lines from the street to the meter. Even that didn't cause a lot of "old time" fish breeders from having issues, decades ago. Metal oxides aren't just rust. 

It's also possible to have the inside of the pipes plated, but that would cost a bunch.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

[email protected] said:


> Don't clean the piping. The oxides have sealed the metal.
> If you do want it shiny, have a musical instrument (horn) company do the polishing and seal with a synthetic varnish.
> 
> All the faucets in your home are made out of brass. Many of us have lead soldered copper water pipes. The water coming into my home has more copper in it than I'd get from the piping. A lot of older homes in cities have lead lines from the street to the meter. Even that didn't cause a lot of "old time" fish breeders from having issues, decades ago. Metal oxides aren't just rust.
> ...


I did not know this. How come we are always told to use something like Novaqua to remove copper and other heavy metals from tap water? I do want the tank shiny but I could have just the outside done if the copper and nickel oxidized surfaces are truly aquatic flora and fauna safe. Wouldn't water turn the copper pipes green?


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## [email protected] (Jul 17, 2008)

davrx said:


> I did not know this. How come we are always told to use something like Novaqua to remove copper and other heavy metals from tap water?


Probably to sell Novaqua. Shrimp are known to be more sensitive than most freshwater fish. Saltwater fish are supposed to be more sensitive, too. I'll bow to other people expertise on specific species metal sensitivities. 



> I do want the tank shiny but I could have just the outside done if the copper and nickel oxidized surfaces are truly aquatic flora and fauna safe. Wouldn't water turn the copper pipes green?


A lot of things will turn polished copper, brass, and bronze colors. The patina seals the surface. Synthetic varnish will protect the shiny finish and shouldn't wear too much. Polished brass door hardware is sealed after polishing. It wears thin after years of use but you probably aren't going to be man handling the plumbing or corners of the tank often.

Since you can't see it, let any algae stay in the corners or use a soft sponge to clean those areas.


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## BruceF (Aug 5, 2011)

Love it! I don’t know how you find these things but they just keep getting better!


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

BruceF said:


> Love it! I don’t know how you find these things but they just keep getting better!


Thanks, too much time in front of the computer I'm afraid.


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## h4n (Jan 4, 2006)

Yet another cool tank!!!!!

-Sent from my Samsung Note, a "Phablet"


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## DogFish (Jul 16, 2011)

This might sound "out-there" but compared to $4500 for the TV star to clean up the tank I think this might map a little more sense.

You could remove the glass, return and overflow. Then install/build a new glass tank inside the frame, which would eliminate contact with all of the Metal. The bottom glass could be drilled for return/out flow access. You could use clear acrylic tubes attached to bulkhead fittings for your return/outflow plumbing.

A canister underneath could be house in an antique box or chest.

The substrate lights could still be used as they would be able to shine through the glass base. Maybe use LEDs in those fixtures.

Above hand a PAR38LED, the bulbs kinda steam punk to begin with.

Only down side is you loose the cool fountain outflow & return.


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## m00se (Jan 8, 2011)

I have never seen anything like this aquarium! What a find! Before I did anything I would ask myself how to determine what it's value is as a historical piece, and how much I would have to deviate from it's current condition to use it without losing that value as an antique. I'm sure you already know that but my oh my, what a unique find!

Is is crass and crude to ask you how dear it came? If so, just tell me to shut up.

Wow...just...wow!


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

h4n said:


> Yet another cool tank!!!!!
> 
> -Sent from my Samsung Note, a "Phablet"


Thanks man


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

DogFish said:


> This might sound "out-there" but compared to $4500 for the TV star to clean up the tank I think this might map a little more sense.
> 
> You could remove the glass, return and overflow. Then install/build a new glass tank inside the frame, which would eliminate contact with all of the Metal. The bottom glass could be drilled for return/out flow access. You could use clear acrylic tubes attached to bulkhead fittings for your return/outflow plumbing.
> 
> ...


I plan on using a canister but I think I can just epoxy the bottom and corners to make it work. I epoxied the bottom of my Victorian tank and it seems to have worked fine. Replacing the glass won't solve the problem of the brass corners as the glass fits into grooves on the sides of each corner with the brass corners remaining exposed to the water. I think the tank would loose too much of its character by replacing the fountain and return. I can also coat the outsides of the pipes with epoxy and use vinyl tubing on the inside. Only problem with this is the arms of the fountain having such a small I.D. I examined the inside of the fountain head closely and see that it is actually one copper tube going through a hole in the nickel finial. There's a small hole in the copper tube in the inside center of the finial. The tube appears to be soldered into the finial and the thought crossed my mind of torching the finial to melt the solder and remove the copper tube. Then possibly a stainless steel tube could be used to replace it but then I'm losing the originality of the fountain. When this was new there would have been a contrast between the shiny nickel finial and shiny copper arms. The fountain arms are the only part of this restoration that I haven't been able to figure out yet.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

m00se said:


> I have never seen anything like this aquarium! What a find! Before I did anything I would ask myself how to determine what it's value is as a historical piece, and how much I would have to deviate from it's current condition to use it without losing that value as an antique. I'm sure you already know that but my oh my, what a unique find!
> 
> Is is crass and crude to ask you how dear it came? If so, just tell me to shut up.
> 
> Wow...just...wow!


Thank you. I don't think patina is going to be an issue here as this is most likely the only one of these tanks that has survived the last century or so since it was made. I'm either going to have a professional polish the metal on the tank, stand top, and stand nickel accents or do it myself. Then I'll coat the outside with whatever is used to prevent them from tarnishing again and epoxy all the metal on the inside to seal it from contact with the water. I'll remove all the original sealant that I can and reseal with black silicone. I will either rewire the original light sockets and switch or replace them. I'll probably use LED's so as not to build up too much heat. It will still look like it did when new so I don't see the value dropping but increasing once it's restored. I got it for a good price but it wasn't a steal. It was about half the price of what I paid for my Victorian tank.


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## DogFish (Jul 16, 2011)

I follow your thoughts on keeping the fountain & over flow. 

Would fabricating the riser pipes and fountain arms out of acyclic tube be an option? With acrylic riser pipes and fountain arms there would be minimal metal contact in the original fountain head.

You could use clear acrylic and use copper krylon spray paint to get a functional reproduction.


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## Jules (May 20, 2012)

Awesome find!!! I love those old Victorian tanks - totally jealous of you, I've never actually seen one in the flesh around these parts. 

+1 on the pipes being safe - unless your water is highly corrosive (like that ghastly copper-destroying stuff they have in Florida) brass, nickel and copper piping/fixtures are perfectly safe.

I was just about to refer you this thread, then I realized you were already there lol: http://www.thatforumsite.com/viewtopic.php?f=581&t=2845

Do you have a lot of parlour aquariums? Would love to see some more pics of your collection if you do!


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## peter_w (Sep 9, 2012)

What a great looking tank, i like antique tanks.


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## Amandas tank (Oct 2, 2012)

Wow Jules those are great images! IMO by the beauty of these tanks and the awesome fountains, they really had it goin' on back in the day!!! What a beautiful thing to see in person a tank like this must be. I have to get my hands on one of these! The foutains just make it for me! I'm in-love!


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## sayurasem (Jun 17, 2011)

I didn't even realize aquarium keeping can be dated that long ago.

Makes me want to hunt antique tanks!


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## Amandas tank (Oct 2, 2012)

sayurasem said:


> I didn't even realize aquarium keeping can be dated that long ago.
> 
> Makes me want to hunt antique tanks!


I didn't either! Amazing!


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

How interesting!! Definitely designed to be bare bottom with the under lighting... Just to cool!

Sent from a dark corner in my happy place


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## PaulG (Oct 10, 2010)

Fantastic find, making me pretty jealous. Been searching for one for ages!


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## [email protected] (Jul 17, 2008)

davrx said:


> I will either rewire the original light sockets and switch or replace them. I


You probably already know this, but for others, you can purchase brand new vintage looking electrical cord and plugs.


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## Shangrila (Oct 13, 2012)

I personally would not modify or adulterate anything on this tank. You could rewire the lamps using peroid correct wire and sockets, but as far as anything else I would leave it bone-stock original. Think about it if someone wants 4500.00 to restore it has to be worth way more than that. Once you start expoxying over this and removing that the value(and coolness factor) will drop drastically.


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## Amandas tank (Oct 2, 2012)

I'm in full agreement with Shangrilla. If you modify it you will loose value. Definetely scrounge up some period correct neccassities!


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

The only thing I want to do is remove the corrosion on the piece and shine up the metal so it looks like it did when it was new. The epoxy coating I plan on doing is just a thin clear coat that will prevent contact of water and metal. I plan on keeping the original glass and plumbing in the tank. I just don't believe it is safe to have any copper containing metal in contact with water and aquatic life. If copper is used to kill parasites then all you need to do to kill anything else is just increase the concentration. If I clear coat the outside of the plumbing I see no harm to its originality. It must have been coated with something originally or it would have turned completely green. Although I'm starting to wonder if the plumbing may actually be bronze rather than copper. Either way it would have to have been sealed with something or be bronze or brass or both the intake and output pipes would be green. I can place vinyl hose inside the pipes which can't be seen and is removable. I'm thinking about trying to have the inside of the fountain arms plated with a non-reactive metal because the diameter is just too small for an internal hose. I am aware that vintage electrical component reproductions are available. You can see what I did with the lamp over my Jewel tank in one of my other posts. I plan on leaving the stand alone except for the top which is really corroded and the nickel accents. The entire stand is either brass or bronze so would probably look great if the paint were stripped off but then it wouldn't be original so I'm leaving it alone.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

DogFish said:


> I follow your thoughts on keeping the fountain & over flow.
> 
> Would fabricating the riser pipes and fountain arms out of acyclic tube be an option? With acrylic riser pipes and fountain arms there would be minimal metal contact in the original fountain head.
> 
> You could use clear acrylic and use copper krylon spray paint to get a functional reproduction.


I can still use the original riser pipes by just coating them inside and out with clear epoxy or using vinyl tubing on the inside so I wouldn't need to use acrylic. I just need to figure out how to coat or line the inside of the fountain arms since they are so small in diameter.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

Jules said:


> Awesome find!!! I love those old Victorian tanks - totally jealous of you, I've never actually seen one in the flesh around these parts.
> 
> +1 on the pipes being safe - unless your water is highly corrosive (like that ghastly copper-destroying stuff they have in Florida) brass, nickel and copper piping/fixtures are perfectly safe.
> 
> ...


Thank you. I have two other vintage tanks on this forum, a Victorian cast iron tank and stand from the 1880's and a bronzed cast iron tank from the 1920's.
The tanks in those illustrations were cast iron so no problems with metal toxicity like my bronze tank. I had to epoxy the inside bottom of my victorian to prevent it from rusting out. It was originally coasted with a black tar substance which eventually failed. The 1920's tank has a slate bottom so I just covered it with glass so I could reseal the bottom and sides. 
The fountains you show spray upwards whereas mine sprays downwards. This is the only one I've ever seen with a fountain like this. I've actually seen some of the tanks in your illustrations come up for sale but they go for thousands of dollars and are usually heavily rusted, missing the glass, and are sometimes missing the fountain as well.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

peter_w said:


> What a great looking tank, i like antique tanks.


Thanks, me too.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

I agree with Shangrila, please do minimal restoration or just leave it as is. It is a really cool collector piece just as you have it now. 

My mom has a house full of "restored" antiques. She accumulated them back in the 70s before antiques began to gain so much value. Some of them would be much more interesting (and much, much more valuable) if they still had their original finishes.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

sayurasem said:


> I didn't even realize aquarium keeping can be dated that long ago.
> 
> Makes me want to hunt antique tanks!


They go back thousands of years if you count keeping fish in bowls but the glass rectangular tanks we're all familiar with date back to the 1850's in Europe and the U.S. Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward, who invented the terrarium or Wardian Case in England in 1829, I think is the originator of the glass rectangular aquarium even though Robert Warington is credited with inventing the Warrington Case aka aquarium in 1852 also in England.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

hydrophyte said:


> I agree with Shangrila, please do minimal restoration or just leave it as is. It is a really cool collector piece just as you have it now.
> 
> My mom has a house full of "restored" antiques. She accumulated them back in the 70s before antiques began to gain so much value. Some of them would be much more interesting (and much, much more valuable) if they still had their original finishes.


I know this is true of wooden furniture but aquariums? They're so rare that I don't think this comes into play as long as they're all original. This doesn't pertain to the glass or the glass sealant or any equipment like pumps and heaters which aren't usually part of the aquarium. Also I don't think a corroded or rusted aquarium is going to be worth more than a restored one. Just like a rusted junk car, once restored to its original showroom condition is many many times more valuable than as found.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

NWA-Planted said:


> How interesting!! Definitely designed to be bare bottom with the under lighting... Just to cool!
> 
> Sent from a dark corner in my happy place


I plan on using a substate and keeping the windows in the bottom clear of anything. This may be a challenge and I may be able to do this with some rocks placed around the perimeters of the two lights.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

PaulG said:


> Fantastic find, making me pretty jealous. Been searching for one for ages!


They're definitely hard to find. I found all of mine searching on the net and contacting other collectors of antique aquariums. I've never stumbled across one in an antique store, antique show, or yard sale. They're just too rare due to the fact that the early ones were only available to the wealthy due to their high prices, so few were made. Many were melted down as scrap during the first two world wars. So you're left with very few survivors. 
I have a friend who is a prominent antiques auctioneer and has been making his living doing this for decades and he said he has never come across an antique aquarium or terrarium.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

[email protected] said:


> You probably already know this, but for others, you can purchase brand new vintage looking electrical cord and plugs.


Thanks, yes I know this. In one of my other posts I made a vintage light over my 1920's Jewel aquarium using reproduction lamp parts.


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## Kaerey (Jan 9, 2011)

You mentioned not stripping the paint off the base so as to keep it original, it was probably originally not painted and someone over the years painted it to cover up tarnish or make it match something else. How much metal was really painted in the late 1800's and if it was how much lead is in that paint? 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Amandas tank (Oct 2, 2012)

davrx said:


> The only thing I want to do is remove the corrosion on the piece and shine up the metal so it looks like it did when it was new. The epoxy coating I plan on doing is just a thin clear coat that will prevent contact of water and metal. I plan on keeping the original glass and plumbing in the tank. I just don't believe it is safe to have any copper containing metal in contact with water and aquatic life. If copper is used to kill parasites then all you need to do to kill anything else is just increase the concentration. If I clear coat the outside of the plumbing I see no harm to its originality. It must have been coated with something originally or it would have turned completely green. Although I'm starting to wonder if the plumbing may actually be bronze rather than copper. Either way it would have to have been sealed with something or be bronze or brass or both the intake and output pipes would be green. I can place vinyl hose inside the pipes which can't be seen and is removable. I'm thinking about trying to have the inside of the fountain arms plated with a non-reactive metal because the diameter is just too small for an internal hose. I am aware that vintage electrical component reproductions are available. You can see what I did with the lamp over my Jewel tank in one of my other posts. I plan on leaving the stand alone except for the top which is really corroded and the nickel accents. The entire stand is either brass or bronze so would probably look great if the paint were stripped off but then it wouldn't be original so I'm leaving it alone.


Sounds great! Excellent idea with the vinyl hose  This is so very exciting! You must be gleeming


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

Kaerey said:


> You mentioned not stripping the paint off the base so as to keep it original, it was probably originally not painted and someone over the years painted it to cover up tarnish or make it match something else. How much metal was really painted in the late 1800's and if it was how much lead is in that paint?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I don't know, if they went to the trouble of painting the entire stand then why wouldn't they have painted the brass top? Also the tank has a nice patina which I would think the stand would have had too. It may have been painted to match some decor but then I would think the top would have been painted as well.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

Amandas tank said:


> Sounds great! Excellent idea with the vinyl hose  This is so very exciting! You must be gleeming


Thanks, I just need to come up with an idea for the fountain arms and get some estimates from metal polisher/finishers.


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## Shangrila (Oct 13, 2012)

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


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

Shangrila said:


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


:hihi:


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

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?


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## Kaerey (Jan 9, 2011)

davrx said:


> 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.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

Kaerey said:


> 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.
> 
> ...


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.


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## Kaerey (Jan 9, 2011)

davrx said:


> 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?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Meganne (Sep 3, 2012)

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.


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

WOW that is vintage!

what is the approximate age/date of this aquarium?


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

Meganne said:


> 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.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

andrewss said:


> 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.


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## oliver77 (Oct 22, 2012)

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

subscribed!


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

oliver77 said:


> Wow. learn something new today - construct of old aquarium.
> 
> subscribed!


Thank you


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## HX67 (Jul 15, 2010)

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.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

HX67 said:


> 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.


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## ua hua (Oct 30, 2009)

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.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

ua hua said:


> 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.


Thanks


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Somebody might have mentioned this already, but _Macropodus_ paradise fish were among the first tropical fish kept in home aquariums and were in distribution in the late 1800's. They could be a fun option for this setup.


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

davrx said:


> 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.


wow that is so cool


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## Msheresy (Oct 3, 2012)

I, like others had no idea that fish keeping dated so far back. I now have a new life goal to find one of these antique aquariums before I die. I love antiques and I especially love the metal. Good luck! Can't wait for finished photos!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

Msheresy said:


> I, like others had no idea that fish keeping dated so far back. I now have a new life goal to find one of these antique aquariums before I die. I love antiques and I especially love the metal. Good luck! Can't wait for finished photos!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


There was one on ebay similar to mine a couple of months ago in that it was all bronze. It also had remnants of a center fountain as there was a pipe coming out of the bottom center. Someone had cut a piece of wood around the stub that still came up into the aquarium and covered that with glass and sealed it. The only way I've been able to find these tanks is from the internet. They're just so rare that the chances of coming across one in person by accident are probably like winning a lottery. I do know where you can get one just like my Victorian tank. PM me if you're interested. His is all original but will need to be restored if you plan to use it.


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## [email protected] (Jul 17, 2008)

if you go to that big online auction site and search for 

Jewel Cast Iron Art Deco Fish Tank

You'll see someone has a partial Jewel frame. Starting is $400. Buy it Now is $750. Interesting price range for some metal.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

[email protected] said:


> if you go to that big online auction site and search for
> 
> Jewel Cast Iron Art Deco Fish Tank
> 
> You'll see someone has a partial Jewel frame. Starting is $400. Buy it Now is $750. Interesting price range for some metal.


Yeah, I saw it. I have the same tank but mine has all the original glass. Problem with restoring that one is that the bulb edge glass that was originally used hasn't been made for over 50 years and I could never find any large enough to restore a tank like that. I think it's way overpriced for just being the frame.


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## Jules (May 20, 2012)

What epoxy product(s) do you use for coating the restored brass and copper? I currently use Permalac, but you clearly know what you're doing and I'm always up to learn better methods. 

Will you be posting updates to this thread as you restore this tank?


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

Jules said:


> What epoxy product(s) do you use for coating the restored brass and copper? I currently use Permalac, but you clearly know what you're doing and I'm always up to learn better methods.
> 
> Will you be posting updates to this thread as you restore this tank?


I used West Systems marine epoxy on my Victorian but I'll look into Permalac. I'm always open to new better ways of doing things. I will be posting updates but probably nothing until next year as the holidays are coming up and I also have firewood to make.


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## paybackranch (Jan 5, 2010)

Shangrila said:


> When I find an old Metaframe I get excited. If I found something like this I'd have a heart attack!


 Imagine what you'd do if someone gave you an aluminum Christmas tree!!!


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## ua hua (Oct 30, 2009)

There is a very cool 1920 aquarium w/ stand on that auction site right now for $8,500. The item # is 200416428094. I have never seen one with a stand like that before. It's beautiful.


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## jarvitron (Aug 6, 2012)

My two cents - I recommend you do whatever you want to it because it's yours and not anybody elses. Ruin it with awesomeness! Great find, such an amazing tank.


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

I know that a bunch of people have given you advice on what to do and I think you should do whatever you want. I don't know much about furniture or antique fish tanks but I know a lot about cars. There are 3 ways to keep cars valuable and I think each philosophy would be an appropriate way to look at the tank. 

Original-Keep it as is. Original is only a good idea if the condition is right. I can not tell how good it will look original but you would only do a basic clean up and fix any problems that prevent it from working.

Restored-Restore it to it's original glory. Depending on condition, that may mean getting it polished or replated. Glass would be replaced where not reusable and sealed cosmetically correctly, even if you used a more modern sealant. 

Restomodded-Restored and modified. This is, for many, the best of both worlds but in the car world, only valuable when done to a very high standard. I would think you would want to replace all glass with high clarity, reseal to a very high standard. Replate the tank if polishing won't be enough. Clear powder coat it to bright it up to today's standards so no water chemistry issues will arise. Powder coat the stand part and redo any wood.


I just think using one of the 3 philosophies above will get you the best experience without guilt. Again, I don't know how that would affect value but if you did sell, I would think someone would appreciate any of the 3, as long as it was done to a high standard, and would be willing to pay good money.


That's wack about American Restoration. My GF and I thought about going on a show when we purchased a house as we thought it would be fun but only if it was for financial benefit. We found very quickly that it was really setup for those who just wanted to be on TV, any financial gain or other sponsor involvement was absolutely minimal. It would have cost us more money to be on the show than to not be, not that we were ever accepted, just though it would have been fun but it didn't turn out to be a great idea for people who don't want 5 min of fame.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

ua hua said:


> There is a very cool 1920 aquarium w/ stand on that auction site right now for $8,500. The item # is 200416428094. I have never seen one with a stand like that before. It's beautiful.


Yes, I found this several months ago, I'd love to have it but that's way out of my league.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

jarvitron said:


> My two cents - I recommend you do whatever you want to it because it's yours and not anybody elses. Ruin it with awesomeness! Great find, such an amazing tank.


Thanks, so true.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

talontsiawd said:


> I know that a bunch of people have given you advice on what to do and I think you should do whatever you want. I don't know much about furniture or antique fish tanks but I know a lot about cars. There are 3 ways to keep cars valuable and I think each philosophy would be an appropriate way to look at the tank.
> 
> Original-Keep it as is. Original is only a good idea if the condition is right. I can not tell how good it will look original but you would only do a basic clean up and fix any problems that prevent it from working.
> 
> ...


Condition isn't right so no sense in keeping it original.
I'm going to try to go the restoration route.
The only part I plan to do as far as restomodding is to use a modern pump and filter. It would be difficult to find an original working pump and filters were not used when this tank was made.


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## Xerobull (Jan 9, 2012)

This thing screams steampunk setup. Pip, pip, my good man!


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

Xerobull said:


> This thing screams steampunk setup. Pip, pip, my good man!


Thanks!:icon_cool


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## PinkRasbora (Jan 22, 2005)

Amazing, any movement on the resto? I wanna see pictures of it shiny =D


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

PinkRasbora said:


> Amazing, any movement on the resto? I wanna see pictures of it shiny =D


Thanks but I'm going to wait until after the holidays. I still need to find a metal polishing/plating outfit.


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## caoder (Nov 18, 2011)

Any updates?

Sent from my XT885 using Tapatalk 2


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

caoder said:


> Any updates?
> 
> Sent from my XT885 using Tapatalk 2


I'm embarrased to say that I've done nothing to the tank since my last post. I've looked it over some more and decided I need to try to dismantle the aquarium in order to restore it. There are hex nuts at each corner on the bottom of the tank sealed with some kind of black tar. I need to remove the tar to unscrew the hex nuts which should allow removal of the 4 sides, glass, and bottom. I can already remove the top. Thought of possibly having the parts then taken to a professional to have the bronze oxidation/corrosion cleaned off. Not sure if they dip it in chemicals or soda or bead blast them. I need to see if I can remove the top to the stand as it's really corroded but I think it's welded to the four legs. 
Still haven't decided if the stand was originally painted black or not. Does seem odd that they would paint brass/bronze but I don't want to remove it if it's original as it's still in pretty good shape. Still wish I knew what the lights underneath were for. Doesn't make sense that they'd be for heat or they would have had a glass or bronze dome for more surface area to increase heat transfer. Since it's just little flat glass windows I think they were just for illumination rather than heating.
The nickle finials on the stand have holes going all the way through them and two are treaded so something was apparantley hanging above or behind the tank originally. Probably will never know for sure but my guess would be some sore of plant holders as several of these early aquariums had plant holders as part of them.


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## paulrw (Apr 14, 2009)

sick, just caught this thread. that tank is awesome. huge qotsa fan btw.


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## d2creative (Jan 24, 2013)

That's an awesome tank.
I'm surprised they were going to make you pay for it yourself.
I was going to be on Tanked! and I was told in a not so straightforward way that they would cover the costs. Wasn't until i found out that they only work with acrylic (i wasn't that familiar with the show at the time) that I backed out.


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## caoder (Nov 18, 2011)

Best of luck with the restore. We're sure it will be properly done in your hands.

Sent from my XT885 using Tapatalk 2


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## Coltonorr (Mar 12, 2008)

This is very cool...
Looking forward to seeing this restored.


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## PinkRasbora (Jan 22, 2005)

How is this tank doing?


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

PinkRasbora said:


> How is this tank doing?


Just sittin' around waiting for me to do something with it.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

*Update*

Finally got around to dismantling the aquarium. All the glass was removed intact which really surprised me. I cleaned out all the old tar sealant, most of which was petrified. The bottom windows were loose but I pried them off only to discover that they had been soldered into place. Will have to take a torch to get the old solder off the bottom of the tank. I'm hoping that they can be reset with black silicone. Now I need to figure how to bring it back to its original finish and seal it with clear cote. There was evidence of the original shellac or varnish on several areas of the brass.


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## hedge_fund (Jan 1, 2006)

This is really cool. Any new updates?


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## caoder (Nov 18, 2011)

Congrats on starting looking forward to more updates.

Sent from my XT885 using Tapatalk 2


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

*American Restoration*

The producers of American Restoration just contacted me again about possibly going to Vegas next month to film for their upcoming season but the cost is still an issue for me so I guess no dice again. 
I had the frames for the bottom windows soldered on properly. The original job was poorly done according to my father-in-law who was a welder in his younger days. So it's better than new now. Still need to bead blast it back to its original luster which we will possibly do this Sunday.


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## fishyjoe24 (Dec 10, 2009)

looks like a old saltwater steam punk tank.


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## davrx (Feb 19, 2010)

*For Sale*

I sold this to an avid collector of antique aquariums who is the CEO of a well known reptile/small pet supply company. I have no doubt that he'll be able to complete what I have started. He said this tank is the only one like it he has ever seen so is most likely a OOAK and I believe he has the world's largest antique aquarium collection so he would know. I'm glad it's gong to a good home.


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