My tank from the seventees

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Yup seen alot as well while in the Air Force for 10 years.
We ARE spoiled rotten here in the good ol USA.
But I wouldnt trade her for another country on this planet.
 
So we've learned from this thread that the keeping of saltwater fish began in `72? Does anyone know when people started to keep live coral? As I side note I love back in the day stories such as.... Back in my day we used to drink battery acid and piss turperntine.. and we liked it! Also no MH in the 70's?? I am going to have to look that up. Were street lights MV or HPS then??
 
watch what you say dood, you don't wanna hurt my canadian friends

No dood, we don't want to hurt them. And yes, I feed my reef bananas almost every day. They can't get enough of them.

People started to keep anamones almost from the start but I don't remember when we kept corals. It started very gradually. A store would only have one piece at a time and since we didn't have lighting except regular flourescents we had trouble keeping them. I think it was in the late eightees. I have a bunch of old pictures but I diden't put dates on them so I can't tell.
Street lights were not MH, they were mercury in the seventees and not long before that they were regular light bulbs.
Battery acid also tasted better then. Now it is hard to get the acid out of the "No maintenance batteries" We had to add water all the time. We also had to tune up our care about every 12,000 miles. Plugs only lasted that long and so did points, there was no electronic ignition or fuel injection. You had to replace your transmission at about 50,000 miles and tires lasted about 25,000 miles.
(I was a mechanic for General Morors before I was an electrician)
Silicone for tanks came out in the early sixtees, before that they were sealed with tar and the tank had metal corners and slate bottoms.
Air pumps had a piston pump driven by a belt with a leather piston that you had to oil every week and you had to put it in a box because it made so much noise. Skimmers were only made by Sanders and they were very small hang on units. I still have a bunch of "The Marine Aquarist" magazines in black and white. The only fish in them were damsels.
And of course, almost everyone was in the Army, just got out of the Army or was going into the Army.
Have a great day.
Paul
 
Just an FYI. Metal Halide became commercially available from GE at the '64 world's fair.

I lived a couple of blocks from the New York Worlds Fair and was there almost every day. I still am only a few miles from there. It is just a park now.
 
Someone on ebay just paid $129 plus shipping for one of those old metal frame 5 gallon tanks with hood/light. I have 2 in my garbage right now, unfortunately I already smashed them! :)
Kate
 
I found one of those metal corner, slate bottom tanks you are talking about in my Grams basement a few years back. I imagine its still there. It was actually pretty cool.
 
I have a friend with about 100 of them... her fishroom is cool. Of course it is freshwater :) She even has a stack of 3 in 75 gallon size on a commercial rack. She's going for the Guiness book of world records for old aquariums I guess.

I didn't know you were supposed to oil those old HO filters from the 70's, guess that explains why mine stopped working. I have a "Slim Jim" airstone powered hang on filter, makes a great fry trap. And the UG filter for a metaframe 20 gallon tall. Having a garage sale today... can't talk about that though, wrong forum! All my "collectable" crap has to go. Metaframe 10 gallon hood from the 70's, it's outta here. Needs the melted part clipped off. Boy do I have a lot of crap...

I am so greatful for some of the newer technologies! (Like non melting tank hoods) Confess I don't really get video games and text messaging though. I could do without the conspicuous obsession with using credit to by planned obsolete consumer goods that cost a lot of money. Not too happy with the shoddy clothing either, and furniture should be made of wood, metal, or something else that lasts more than 5 years! And people should dress better. Yeah, I feel kinda old. :)
Kate
 

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