Daniel Posted September 6, 2020 Author Share Posted September 6, 2020 As you can see from this quote, a greenhouse or a warm room were common methods of heating an aquarium. Apparently so were closed loops heated by gas flame. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted September 6, 2020 Author Share Posted September 6, 2020 (edited) The answer is that you would make a little dam of putty or clay and then pour in molten metal to make a mushroom like cap that could be used to transfer the heat from the flame of a bunsen burner. Edited September 6, 2020 by Daniel 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADMWNDSR83 Posted September 6, 2020 Share Posted September 6, 2020 Now THAT is some fancy stuff right there. How often will you have to change out your candle, Daniel? 😉 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted September 6, 2020 Author Share Posted September 6, 2020 I am too lazy to change candles and too risk adverse to run a bunsen burner under my aquarium. The tank moves between 72°F and 78°F each day which is a very, very good temperature range. My biggest problem now is what to do with a big hole in the bottom of my fish tank. I think the solution will be a big rubber stopper. I will just put substrate over the top of it so it won't be visible. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADMWNDSR83 Posted September 6, 2020 Share Posted September 6, 2020 Shame you can't put a hose there for easy water changes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted September 10, 2020 Author Share Posted September 10, 2020 Thought everyone would appreciate this quote from Innes on modified Walstad, So far I am considering sand from my creek as the substrate, and will probably go extremely light on the sheep manure. 2 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted September 13, 2020 Author Share Posted September 13, 2020 The 1930s Historically Accurate Planted Aquarium is finally coming together. I have already decided that it will go near a south facing window, so now the next decision is what kind of substrate. Innes recommends coarse sand, and even mentions builders sand. He doesn't want something that's too fine and could be compacted, but he doesn't want something that's too large where food can hide and become rotten in the fish tank. I decided to get the sand and grit from the creek in my backyard. My wife is the best wife ever and she helps me with all my projects. And this is the final result. It's a little course as I used a number 12 hardware cloth on the bottom of the sifting box. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexa Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 Nice work, that sand is beautiful. And it reminds me of the substrate in the BHG illustration! 😀 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted September 13, 2020 Author Share Posted September 13, 2020 9 minutes ago, Alexa said: Nice work, that sand is beautiful. And it reminds me of the substrate in the BHG illustration! 😀 Good eye! I thought that it looked alot like the BHG illustration (which is my visual guide for this project). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADMWNDSR83 Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 Looking incredible, Daniel! Can't wait to see it progress! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonik Posted September 14, 2020 Share Posted September 14, 2020 @Daniel This is a fascinating project. I am thoroughly impressed by your attention to details of the time period. I am so interested to follow this process! Bravo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted September 15, 2020 Author Share Posted September 15, 2020 For lighting the 1930s Historically Accurate Planted Aquarium I chosen to go with a full spectrum solar solution, that is, sunlight. This definitely has to potential to cause algae and cloudiness problems (although as noted elsewhere on this Forum, algae and cloudiness are possible even without sunlight). Right now the sun is at a high angle and only hits the aquarium for an hour or two a day. As the seasons progress the sun's path across the sky will drop towards the horizon and give the tank progressively more hours of sunlight each day until the Winter Solstice. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADMWNDSR83 Posted September 15, 2020 Share Posted September 15, 2020 I like it! This is such an interesting endeavor to watch shape up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted September 15, 2020 Author Share Posted September 15, 2020 And another thing about using sunlight are the glorious caustic lines, that is, the shimmer. To achieve this would normally require very expensive Kessil lights. Or it can be free. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy's Fish Den Posted September 15, 2020 Share Posted September 15, 2020 57 minutes ago, Daniel said: And another thing about using sunlight are the glorious caustic lines, that is, the shimmer. To achieve this would normally require very expensive Kessil lights. Or it can be free. I always liked the shimmer effect in a tank, when I kept reef tanks, I was very reluctant to switch my lighting from metal halide because I didn't want to lose the shimmering effect, but I eventually got rid of them because of the cost of operating them and the replacement bulb costs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted September 16, 2020 Author Share Posted September 16, 2020 (edited) I am not quite ready to stock the 1930s Historically Accurate Planted Aquarium with either fish or plants, but this morning in shifting aquariums around I need a place to stash some juvenile angelfish and some Vallisneria and Sagittaria, so in they went into the aquarium. Cricket has always been a big fan of angelfish, see earlier angelfish tank here So Cricket too went into the aquarium! Edited September 16, 2020 by Daniel 3 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tre Posted September 17, 2020 Share Posted September 17, 2020 (edited) Looking Great! I am loving it! I do enjoy the rippling...My son's tank gets that some days. We have a sibling pair of rescue cats, Linus and Lucy. My husband calls Linus Fail Cat..... He has fallen in a tank more then once and the evidence is always needing clean up....floating plants and/or water everywhere. This creature was not supposed to be a cat. >< This is absolutely my favorite thread. Hopefully a nice wall of plants in the back will help soak up that sun and leave your inhabitants in beautiful view out front. Cheers sir! I do have one thought. Modern windows now block out a large portion of UVB and sun rays. Are you concerned at all about any parts of the spectrum missing? I know that UVB is shown to be very beneficial to plants in photosynthesis and also in the production of certain molecules. Just thoughts...or maybe the windows are from the 1930s..... My son't school was built in 1930 and has a greenhouse...I'll sneak a picture if you like from when I went in....with tons of permission. >< I was helping set up the main building. It even has a mushroom cellar! Very cool place which since it has the 3rd oldest electric fridge made me think of electricity and the tank. Oh and I know the bottom is slate....stones retain heat so would the addition of the substrate change your temps by much? So many question.....so little time. below is the greenhouse...before the adolescent kids and grounds crew started cleaning it up better. Yes an ramp was installed so that the entire school would be ADA approved There is an English garden, wooded area, 2 fountains and a modern swimming pool Edited September 17, 2020 by Tre Added photos....I miss schools. ; ; 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Posted September 18, 2020 Share Posted September 18, 2020 (edited) 1930’s WPA poster Edited September 18, 2020 by Paul 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tre Posted September 18, 2020 Share Posted September 18, 2020 Fairmont Park philly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Posted September 18, 2020 Share Posted September 18, 2020 1 minute ago, Tre said: Fairmont Park philly? Yup Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casual aquatics Posted September 18, 2020 Share Posted September 18, 2020 On 7/27/2020 at 11:51 AM, Daniel said: We are about to find out, I think I once heard @Cory say he thought people fed their fish table scraps back in the 1930s. I’ve got a lot of research to do. might be historically correct but is it politically correct. will peta come banging on my door if i gave my Oscars rinsed off chicken liver chicken gizzards i know if made a stat in fb group saying just that there would be 500ppl that know better than the next all saying I'm crazy gonna kill fish etc. however i ask for advice on ich and get 20 likes and two comments. i too am curious what research you come up with on this if you would look up Oscars food im guessing back then a lot of tanked fish would still be wild or not created yet 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted September 24, 2020 Author Share Posted September 24, 2020 In getting ready to formally install the 1930s Historically Accurate Planted Aquarium I am re-reading Innes' 'The Complete Aquarium Book' from the beginning. The first chapter is in on aquarium management and sounds a lot like what we do on this forum. We help people but try to do so tactfully. In July a few days after this Forum got off the ground one first posters with a 'stable tank' with 'normal water parameters' but dying fish mentioned: That's 91°F! Hopefully I was tactful when I suggested that the original poster might want to check their heater. There was never any update so we don't know what happened. Over the next few days I will review Innes' recommendations for aquarium dimensions and water changes and such and then I will get started with adding plants and fish. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Ferdenzi Posted October 7, 2020 Share Posted October 7, 2020 Great thread you started, Daniel. If you listen to Aquarist Podcast 15, you will hear that I consider the 1930s to be a Golden Era of the aquarium hobby and why. Your project is very doable and you will have healthy fish and plants. I’ll follow with interest. Joe Ferdenzi 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemon Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 really interesting idea I'm exited to see how it goes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Posted October 12, 2020 Share Posted October 12, 2020 On 10/7/2020 at 6:12 AM, Joseph Ferdenzi said: Great thread you started, Daniel. If you listen to Aquarist Podcast 15, you will hear that I consider the 1930s to be a Golden Era of the aquarium hobby and why. Your project is very doable and you will have healthy fish and plants. I’ll follow with interest. Joe Ferdenzi Hey, Joe! Glad to see you made it to the forum and this post. @Daniel you really are making me want to find and get a metaframe tank up and running. As a shameless plug, here is the episode of the podcast that Joe is referring to. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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