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Thread: Walk down memory lane

  1. #1
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    Default Walk down memory lane

    OK,a fun one for us older guys and gals! Name some of the first equipment you had when you entered the hobby,and the year if you remember when you got your 1st tank.I will start,and date myself in the process! First tanks in around 1967-68 I believe.

    Metaframe aquariums with slate bottoms and stainless steel trim! 5.5 gallon,and 50 gallon {that was a huge tank at the time} the 50G had a stainless full hood with twin incandescent AND fluorescent bulbs,groovy.

    Supreme Aquamaster,Aquaking,and Superking HOB filters

    Metaframe heaters{green plastic top HOB} and Supreme Heatmaster heaters that you could actually replace the contacts on yourself when they wore out!

    Supreme dual piston air pump,and metaframe "hush 1" airpump,and of course a silent giant air pump!

    Later,the Vortex diatom filter and undergravel filters!

    All the usual tacky air operated decorations popular back then. the scuba diver,the clam that opened/closed,the waterwheel,etc

    Lots of plastic plants in un-natural colors!

    Genuine mercury filled glass thermometers,what were they thinking????

    Almost forgot to mention the AA brand "lazy susan" automatic electric fish feeder,indispensable for those weekend family trips to the shore we took all summer
    Last edited by atlantadiscus; 11-22-2016 at 11:56 PM. Reason: addition

  2. #2
    Registered Member Ryan925's Avatar
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    Default Re: Walk down memory lane

    Quote Originally Posted by atlantadiscus View Post
    OK,a fun one for us older guys and gals! Name some of the first equipment you had when you entered the hobby,and the year if you remember when you got your 1st tank.I will start,and date myself in the process! First tanks in around 1967-68 I believe.

    Metaframe aquariums with slate bottoms and stainless steel trim! 5.5 gallon,and 50 gallon {that was a huge tank at the time} the 50G had a stainless full hood with twin incandescent AND fluorescent bulbs,groovy.

    Supreme Aquamaster,Aquaking,and Superking HOB filters

    Metaframe heaters{green plastic top HOB} and Supreme Heatmaster heaters that you could actually replace the contacts on yourself when they wore out!

    Supreme dual piston air pump,and metaframe "hush 1" airpump,and of course a silent giant air pump!

    Later,the Vortex diatom filter and undergravel filters!

    All the usual tacky air operated decorations popular back then. the scuba diver,the clam that opened/closed,the waterwheel,etc

    Lots of plastic plants in un-natural colors!

    Genuine mercury filled glass thermometers,what were they thinking????
    That's hilarious with all the deco

    I can't remember my equipment as a kid but I remember having a tank with a few random fish - jack dempsey, Oscar & red devil (he found a new home fast)

    I remember catching a crawdad in the creek and just tossing him in the tank lol. QT what's that? The dad actually got huge and started cutting all my fake plants so he had to go also. Should a boiled him

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    Default Re: Walk down memory lane

    I was fascinated by all those bubbling moving ornaments as a kid! I think I must have had more airlines running to decorations than a patient in the intensive care unit! Dumbest thing I did was throw out about 25 years of TFH magazines from the 60s-80s.Would love to go back and flip through them and see the ads for $3 powerfilters and heaters!

  4. #4
    Registered Member Ryan925's Avatar
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    Default Re: Walk down memory lane

    Quote Originally Posted by atlantadiscus View Post
    I was fascinated by all those bubbling moving ornaments as a kid! I think I must have had more airlines running to decorations than a patient in the intensive care unit! Dumbest thing I did was throw out about 25 years of TFH magazines from the 60s-80s.Would love to go back and flip through them and see the ads for $3 powerfilters and heaters!
    You mean you still are using 50 year old equipment and fish keeping methods?????

  5. #5
    Registered Member Jenene's Avatar
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    Default Re: Walk down memory lane

    I remember babysitting and they had a Boy's Life magazine that had adds in the back. One was for seahorses through the mail. Knowing nothing about salt water care and not knowing any better I ordered them. They must have been cheap because I think babysitters made like 75 cents an hour back then. They arrived live but not for long. One actually had babies. How sad that I contributed to the early demise of those beautiful creatures. My intentions were good. My judgement was awful. The company selling them was even worse!

    I also had the treasure chest that burped open. That was the bomb!

    And those box filters with the floss and carbon! Aquarium-Box-Filter.jpg

    Here ya go Ryan! I did have a glass box with a filter in it at one point!

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    Default Re: Walk down memory lane

    I remember those ads for the sea horses,they were in every magazine! I think they also had ads for "sea monkeys" which were really just brine shrimp,lol.

  7. #7
    Registered Member Jenene's Avatar
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    Default Re: Walk down memory lane

    Quote Originally Posted by atlantadiscus View Post
    I remember those ads for the sea horses,they were in every magazine! I think they also had ads for "sea monkeys" which were really just brine shrimp,lol.
    I fell for those too...Where were my parents? Are they not supposed to guide and advise?

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    Registered Member bluelagoon's Avatar
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    Default Re: Walk down memory lane

    Quote Originally Posted by Jenene View Post
    I remember babysitting and they had a Boy's Life magazine that had adds in the back. One was for seahorses through the mail. Knowing nothing about salt water care and not knowing any better I ordered them. They must have been cheap because I think babysitters made like 75 cents an hour back then. They arrived live but not for long. One actually had babies. How sad that I contributed to the early demise of those beautiful creatures. My intentions were good. My judgement was awful. The company selling them was even worse!

    I also had the treasure chest that burped open. That was the bomb!

    And those box filters with the floss and carbon! Aquarium-Box-Filter.jpg

    Here ya go Ryan! I did have a glass box with a filter in it at one point!
    My first 25 gal. had one of those filters.They have the same concept as a sponge filter.That tank also had a shiny aluminum frame.I'm not sure if we had silicon yet back then.

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    Default Re: Walk down memory lane

    I had my share of those internal box filters too,ugly suckers,especially as the floss turned brown when dirty.They swallowed many livebearers babies over the years! I remember as a kid going to the fish store where they had one burping in every tank,but instead of using carbon{we actually called it charcoal way back then} they used marbles....I thought how cheap of them!

  10. #10
    Registered Member bluelagoon's Avatar
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    Default Re: Walk down memory lane

    Yes,charcoal.Back then every tank needed it.Word of mouth was not as great as the internet is today.LOL

  11. #11
    Registered Member Neptune's Avatar
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    Default Re: Walk down memory lane

    Yep Metaframe stainless and slate bottom tanks. Had a couple 10 gallon'ers.
    The full stainless hood with edges that would cut off your fingers were awesome!

    Would go to town and in the back of the Ben Franklin they sold fish! The nearest real LFS was an hour away.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  12. #12
    Registered Member Neptune's Avatar
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    Default Re: Walk down memory lane

    Not aquarium related but if you know what these are....you are old! LOL..

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    Default Re: Walk down memory lane

    Yup,had that too! The discwasher record cleaner! Even had the giant red refill bottle!


    The greatest thing about those old Metaframe slate bottom tanks was that you could keep the tank warm during a power outage by burning a candle or can of Sterno just underneath and it would heat the slate real well and transfer it to the water!
    Last edited by atlantadiscus; 11-29-2016 at 12:03 AM.

  14. #14
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    Default Re: Walk down memory lane

    These old ads are funny.

    1-ek-ad.jpg

  15. #15
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    Default Re: Walk down memory lane

    ahhhhh GLASS WOOL!

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