Mail order fish from the 1950's

We are pretty spoiled here by the variety of fish and corals we can get online via 3reef sponsors these days, but a page from a 1950's catalog shows that Sears had them all beat with a variety of danios, platys, corys and more that one could have sent to their house in a "specially designed mailable carton" with live arrival guaranteed. If you happen to see one of these stainless-steel framed aquariums at a garage sale - snag it - they are worth a bit more than the $10 they went for then.


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Interesting!

 

Nice!

"Our Best Complete Aquarium Outfit $24.98"

My first tank was a metal rimmed with a slate bottom.

 

I only recently learned those antique aquariums have stone bottoms.

 

Why was the slate bottom used?

 

very interesting


Steve

 

It's water proof, maybe it had to do with the fact they seal the tanks with a type of tar.?

 

I honestly don't know why. The tanks were super heavy, though. The silicone used then would get hard and brittle. Very prone to leaking.

 

I don't know but I do know that windshields in cars weren't tempered until the late 50s. Maybe that's why.

 

It maybe that its easier to cut drains holes in a slate then glass(don't know if this is true,but I'm guessing you its a lot harder to shatter stone as Marble was petty much easy)