I bought this today for five bucks at a thrift store that had been closed for 20 years. Its in great shape, I am water testing it right now there are no leaks but the towel is wet after a few hours so I think the slate is seeping. There is a black seal on the bottom, it was painted over the slate. I noticed they did not use any of their sealant on the inside of the tank, the glass meets the glass and it is all done on the outside under the frame. I was thinking about sealing the inside with silicone so that I can clean up the black seal on the outside with a razor. It may be worth just siliconing a piece of plexyglass to the bottom on the inside. The frame is in excellent shape I think it could be polished into a mirror finish, and the glass has no scratches and seems very clear.
Its growing on me to use it, I was born in 1990 so these were never part of my generation and it seems everyone ditched these long before I grew up. I only saw them in science classes and usually they all had more of a tapered bell bottom shape to the frame. I am trying to figure out how old this tank is. When did they start making slate bottom stainless frame tanks? When did they stop? Did they start making tempered glass bottom stainless frame tanks before going frameless or did they drop the slate and go frameless all at the same time? I would think the advance in silicone and tempered glass came spaced apart?
I think I am going to use it, just something simple like a planted SW tank with mostly different types of micro-algae and a few simple corals. It will be really funny since the reef hobby did not even exist at the time these tanks were being used...a cool retro clash but I am not sure what the salt will do to slate. I have this old Tetra 30-60 filter that fits exactly across the back which would work perfect for SW, it has an adjustable flow but I can have the flow high enough to not need a power head in the tank. It would add volume and allow me to run a heater in the HOB keeping the display cleaner, I would grow a mangrove out of the back as well. If I found a stainless light hood it will help hide the HOB too. Just an idea.
Its growing on me to use it, I was born in 1990 so these were never part of my generation and it seems everyone ditched these long before I grew up. I only saw them in science classes and usually they all had more of a tapered bell bottom shape to the frame. I am trying to figure out how old this tank is. When did they start making slate bottom stainless frame tanks? When did they stop? Did they start making tempered glass bottom stainless frame tanks before going frameless or did they drop the slate and go frameless all at the same time? I would think the advance in silicone and tempered glass came spaced apart?
I think I am going to use it, just something simple like a planted SW tank with mostly different types of micro-algae and a few simple corals. It will be really funny since the reef hobby did not even exist at the time these tanks were being used...a cool retro clash but I am not sure what the salt will do to slate. I have this old Tetra 30-60 filter that fits exactly across the back which would work perfect for SW, it has an adjustable flow but I can have the flow high enough to not need a power head in the tank. It would add volume and allow me to run a heater in the HOB keeping the display cleaner, I would grow a mangrove out of the back as well. If I found a stainless light hood it will help hide the HOB too. Just an idea.
