Upgrading an Antique Cast-Iron Aquarium

[@KirianTwins]

What a beautiful aquarium. Such cool innovations on your part. What a dream!

[@FishEZ]

Listened to the Aquarium Guys Podcast and just had to come see it. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@fherglmx]

Listen to the aquarium guys and me too had to see it...is gorgeous.. thanks for preserving this for future generations.

[@kyle212121]

Incredible set up!

[@moutaintopfish1597]

Thanks for the information

[@Jonny_Black]

I keep seeing this tank on my instagram-- it's so beautiful!! So glad I stumbled across your videos. Love it!

[@PawlikLab]

Thanks -- can't figure out why I get so few views, so please spread it around!

[@davidvento5481]

I mentioned in the comments of your older video there’s a British aquarist (“M D Fish Tanks” here on YT) who advocates and demonstrates building “bio-active” aquaria. These are closed units who use terrestrial plant roots (in addition to aquatic plants) growing in the tank to do all the filtration. Some plants he uses are ficus, pothos, philodendrons and ferns. He claims no other filtration is needed and he doesn’t even do water changes on his “bio-active” tanks. Beautiful tank btw. I have a smaller rectangular “Fisk” aquarium with twin herons on each corner.

[@PawlikLab]

Great! I collect the Fiske and Mott catalogs as well -- if you send me a photo of your tank, I might be able to find the catalog reference.

[@davidvento5481]

@@PawlikLab I’ve actually seen it in a Fiske & Mott catalogue at the shop up in Hudson, NY when I purchased it. The aquarium is rectangular; fairly large approx 36”x24”x24”. It has twin herons on each corner with some stylized cattails & marginal plants and the bottom has a similar filigree as yours. It lacks the flower pot holders but rather has stylized iron “sea-shell” finials in each corner. The bottom itself is metal (iron?) and there’s a hole right in the center. It also weighs A TON! lol Amazingly all the glass is original and i just recently noticed in addition to whatever “cement” they used the whole frame is assembled with screws! This will make refurbishing it somewhat easier. Not sure about a fish tank but I think I’d like to make it a paladarium with a very old, concrete fountain in the middle to circulate the water. There’s a cement statuary foundry out on Long Isl. that has new castings from old molds. He also sells original pieces from old fountains & ponds that were once on estates. I know he’d have something amazing! I wish it had the bottom but I can improvise with either the oak leaf table base or a cement base consisting of 3 seahorses all back-to-back. The cement guy makes them from old molds as bird-bath bases.

[@phinhager6509]

Thank you, really beautiful. The kessel is meant to be supplemented with warm LEDs of you want that nice natural light look, and uses much less power than an equivalent halogen.

[@alexswaekauski3273]

This is really a beautiful aquarium thank you fir sharing. And a really amazing job on the initial restoration and now this upgrade. In the previous video I believe you said you had 4 male and 4 female bettas in the tank. How did that go long term? Did they continue to live relatively peacefully?

[@PawlikLab]

Yes, all was well until I added some new algae eater fish, and unfortunately introduced a disease that killed them. Bettas seem to be very sensitive to diseases. I waited a month, then restocked and now I have 2 males and 3 females, and they are all fine together, and very active -- this group never fights. I won't be introducing any new fish anymore!

[@volteface69]

Merci pour cette vidéo !!! 👍👍👍

[@PawlikLab]

Thanks Guy -- you're my biggest fan!!

[@joer3493]

What's the weight of something like this?

[@PawlikLab]

Not sure, but very heavy -- it's sitting on bricks embedded in a concrete slab! My guess is that the aquarium is about 300 lbs plus 45 gallons of water.