# Aquascaping in the dark ages, 1980s



## BruceWatts (Mar 1, 2008)

As old folks like me are so fond of saying, I remember back in the day. Back when there were no internet sites or even books to read on planted tanks. The Optimum Aquarium was still two years into the future and Amano's landmark book was still 6 years away.

Back then plants were hard to find at the LFS and there wasn't any high tech equipment to buy. Normal Output Flourescent bulbs were pretty much the standard and no one ever thought about CO2 or even fertilizers for aquatic plants.

The tank is a 60 gallon with 3 40watt NO bulbs (see the shoplight fixture in the second photo). The substrate was 2mm gravel and the filter a large Bio-wheel. The tank and stand are both homemade.

The first pic was taken in 1985-6 and the second set was a couple of years later.

Bruce

P.S. sorry the photos are so bad but I only had a cheapo camera back then also.


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## tfmcder (Feb 22, 2006)

That tank looked amazing. Algae free...how the hell did you do it?! Even today it would be a great looking tank. I remember my grandfather having a tank in the early 80's in his basement like that. He had fewer plants though...I don't even remeber/know what he had. Oh, and the tank was an ancient meta-frame tank.


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## Anti-Pjerrot (Mar 12, 2006)

My dad used CO2 from DIY back in 1985. He used garden soil and sand as bottom and grew various crypts. He did not make nice tanks like that thougth 

Good tank on #2


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## treefish (Oct 10, 2007)

Wow, very nice.
I guess this makes you a pioneer.


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## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

Very nice. It's good to have some historical perspective once in a while. I think people forget sometimes that the Dutch have been keeping some very nice planted tanks for several decades now.


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

Bruce... For no C02/ferts & only regular flourescents those tanks look great. All the plants look very healthy & no algae I can see. Thanks for sharing!


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## skinns (Apr 8, 2004)

1985....Holy smokes. I think I was trying to moonwalk on my parents dresser in my socks then. Awesome that you still have the photos.


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## MARIMOBALL (Jun 20, 2007)

very nice back then my tanks had plastic plants and rainbow gravel with a skeleton guarding a treasure chest.


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## fishfan (Feb 19, 2006)

Nice tank!
I can still picture my local fish store back then which is long gone now. Going into the dark fish room, all tanks bubbling with undergravel filters, one tank filled with cabomba and anacharis. My best friend's greatest pride with his aquarium was an air submarine ornament that bobbed up and down.


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## dirrtybirdy (May 22, 2007)

skinns said:


> 1985....Holy smokes. I think I was trying to moonwalk on my parents dresser in my socks then. Awesome that you still have the photos.


ahahaha damn i was only 1 year old!! thats crazy that you still have pictures! good job


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## tfmcder (Feb 22, 2006)

MARIMOBALL said:


> very nice back then my tanks had plastic plants and rainbow gravel with a skeleton guarding a treasure chest.


You made me laugh with this one! [smilie=b:


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## Brilliant (Jun 25, 2006)

skinns said:


> 1985....Holy smokes. I think I was trying to moonwalk on my parents dresser in my socks then. Awesome that you still have the photos.


Haha! Man sweet! We were scouring the neighborhood for appliance boxes trying to be Turbo and Ozone!

About the equipment in 80's...
My tank was like the other guy colorful gravel, corner filter with floss and carbon. Nice looking tank!

I cannot believe no one tried to hook their keg to their aquarium...  I mean they did have beer meisters in the 80's right!?!


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## BruceWatts (Mar 1, 2008)

If you did a lot of research back in the mid 1980's you were aware of CO2 fertilization but figuring out how to go about it was the problem. I even heard of people pouring club soda into there tanks to increase the CO2.

As far as lack of algae goes I think three things are worth mentioning. 
One is that the low tech tanks like mine were very stable with out all the CO2 and ferts. Having the kind of growth that modern plant tank owners expect can cause some to overdose that is why you are always trimming and have algae eaters in your set ups. I rarely had to do anything to this tank besides routine maintainence.
Two I had a very low bio load and almost pristine water right out of the tap. The tank had a few rasboras, cardinals and some corys.
Three I have always had a green thumb with tropical plants. I worked as a professionel gardener when I lived on Maui and have raised orchids and tons of other plants over the last 50 years.
Thanks for the positive feedback.

Bruce


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## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

Is that Crypt. aponogetifolia I see in there?


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## BruceWatts (Mar 1, 2008)

AaronT

I believe that the plant you are talking about is Aponogeton boivinianus. There are Crypts that have very similar puckered leaves but this plant grows from a bulb. There is also an A madsgascariensis on the right. I always liked the the Aponogetons because they are easy to move from tank to tank and of course they are very attractive.

Bruce


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## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

Bruce I tip my hat to you! That's a great looking tank at any time period. We're probably close in age, I remember when I was a kid (we're talking 60's here  ) I had a 10 gal full of guppies with an incandescent strip and a corner filter. That was the first time I ever tried to plant something in there. I stuck some Vals or Sag, don't remember what they were, but they grew really well, and mostly algae free. I never did anything to the tank other than top it, and clean out the filter occasionally. It took me about 25 years later with on-line info to be able to grow anything as well as those vals did.


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## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

BruceWatts said:


> AaronT
> 
> I believe that the plant you are talking about is Aponogeton boivinianus. There are Crypts that have very similar puckered leaves but this plant grows from a bulb. There is also an A madsgascariensis on the right. I always liked the the Aponogetons because they are easy to move from tank to tank and of course they are very attractive.
> 
> Bruce


Ah yes, okay now I see. Even so the health of those plants is quite impressive.


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## BruceWatts (Mar 1, 2008)

Bert 

If you look at the first pic you can see what was then called Val gigantea on the right side and covering the surface. I was never able to equal the success of this plant in other set ups. They grew long enough that when I removed them to thin them out they would reach the floor with me holding the roots over my head. I put a power head behind them and they waved in the current like they would in a stream. Very nice effect. 

Bruce


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