old aquarium (RMF, any secret?), Metal rusting frame  – 4/30/09
Hi,
I have searched the whole web for this info I hope you can help me. I recently got a 45 gallon aquarium with metal sides and top, the metal is rusty and we want to clean it and restore it. How do we do this safely?
Thanks Stacey
<Hi Stacey, you really can't. Obviously you could wire-wool away the rust and then coat with varnish, enamel or epoxy, but that would likely save you precious little money compared with buying a new one. Corroded metal is potentially toxic to fish, and in any case, it does imply the metal frame holding the glass panes together is weaker than when built. I can't see any point to using this tank for keeping fish. Compared to the cost of the heater, filter, lights, etc., a new glass aquarium is fairly trivial.
Cheers, Neale.>
<<What Neale suggests is about S.O.P. here... you may be lucky to have just slight corrosion, and be able to "rub off" most all with something like a "Scot Brite" pad or similar... Otherwise... starting with a small/fine "paper" (hand or power tooled) grit for metal polishing... and buffing out with finer... And as stated, for freshwater, likely this is all that will be necessary... I would not use such metal-framed tanks for brackish, marine. Bob Fenner>>

Re: A bit more re: old aquarium (RMF, any secret?) – 4/30/09
Its not rusted through and a lot of it is stained.... So do you think it will fail if used?
<Is it a "newer" old metal framed tank... with a bead of Silicone/Silastic in the inside corners? If not, I would definitely reseal it with (likely black... flows nicer and hard to see)... and otherwise, not likely that the tank will fail if set on a flat, level stand. BobF>

Re: A bit more re: old aquarium (RMF, any secret?) – 4/30/09
not sure of the age.....its like two 20 gallons put together long and skinny
if that helps determine the age. Also the metal is straight, not angled like on some tanks.
<Mmm, maybe a Metaframe product... you may be able to see the not-so distinctive spot-welds at the corner overlaps of the nickel/chromium frames... And any length, not an importance. B>

Re: A bit more re: old aquarium (RMF, any secret?) – 4/30/09
Also its only rusted on the top supports.
<Ahh! Even easier to clean... and not so much involved in structural integrity. Read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/oldetkrepairfaqs.htm
Bob Fenner>

MetaFrame Aquariums  8/16/07
Dear Crew,
August 15, 2007
I occasionally search for old MetaFrame fish tanks (aquariums) and for information concerning their repair, especially trying to effectively bond glass to slate. The best solution came from your WetWebMedia, so I have been reading and researching your site.
<Okay>
I still have my first (and favorite) 29-gallon slate bottom tank, which I was given in 1973 and still use. Since then, I have acquired at least a dozen old tanks (all different sizes), several of them with slate bottoms. I fancy myself repairing them, gathering lids, lights, hoods, etc. and selling them or making gifts of them as "retro" tanks, which seem to have some interest among fish hobbyists. My wife fancies me getting them the heck out of the house, along with all the other "treasures" I have "collected" over the years. Can't blame her. She needs room for her "treasures", after all.
<Neat!>
In reading your questions concerning the black adhesive used for the old MetaFrame, I have learned a couple of things.
1. To remove the black goop you must heat it. One way to do that is to put the tank in your oven and put it on a low heat, the lower the better. Then just watch until the goop starts to get warm and gummy.
Do not overheat, as the glass will break. Be careful not to burn yourself when removing the tank - the metal gets hot, too! If the tanks is too big for the oven, use a hair dryer. Much milder, less dangerous, and easier to handle than a propane torch, f'sure. And, it works fine.
Takes longer, but much safer. I am no expert, but would not recommend "hot tanking"; that seems unnecessarily harsh. And it may create new problems.
2. Silicone does not bond to slate. Period. That is probably why MetaFrame did not use silicone. I have not been able to find out what the black goop is, as I would prefer to use it, if I could. It is possible that you could get an adequate seal between glass and slate using silicone, but do not expect it to be permanent, because...o, yes, silicone does not bond to slate. That is why the best solutions to repairing a slate-bottom tank are: do not repair it and pawn it off to someone like me as it is and get a different tank, or, (my personal favorite) put a new piece of glass directly on top of the slate, and seal it to the vertical glass walls with (100%) silicone. Duh!!! Sure wish I had thought of this before trying several different bonding agents, including silicone, all to no avail!
In closing, if anyone wants to "network" with me on buying, selling, trading, or just swapping lies about MetaFrame aquariums and associated hardware, please get in touch. As I learn more about the history of the company, the bonding characteristics of glass, slate, and various adhesives, I will gladly share that. I am not in this to be a capitalist, but hate to give away such fine old aquariums. And it is fun!
I am more interested in learning and puttering than anything else.
<Great Mike>
Thank you for your time, and, if you are going to post any or all of this correspondence, please feel free to edit it as much as desired. I am not sure what you would consider relevant, and I do tend to go on and on. And, God Bless Elvis Presley (January 8, 1935 - August 16, 1977).
Michael L. Stewart
CactusMike@bigfoot.com
(480) 650-8650
(((Note to self: check this website for a reply. Otherwise, what is the point???)))
<Heee! I am going to take your offer as noting that we should go ahead and post your contact info. Will archive on a new subFAQ re "olde tanks". Thank you for sharing your passion, and techniques! Bob Fenner>

Old Aquarium, sell... or repair?   2/22/07
I visited a local pet store and inquired about repairing a 55 gallon aquarium that has been sitting in my mother's garage for 20 years.  I am 63 years old and I remember my father having fish in that tank when I was a child. Obviously, it is close to 70 years old; it is on a metal stand with wheels.
<Neat!>
  The aquarium has a slate bottom with drain hole that appears to be in good shape.  The problem is that one of the larger glass sides was broken and needs to be replaced.  I have considered selling it in a garage sale or just giving it away, but the pet shop owner indicated that it might be of some value.
<Yes; might be>
He said that he doubts that a replacement glass would be advisable thinking it would probably leak and thought it might be better to use it as a terrarium.  It occurs to me that if I installed glass of appropriate thickness and was successful with sealant application, the aquarium should be adequate to maintain fish.  What would you advise.
<Mmm, well, unless you're in a big hurry, I'd "shop" it around... see what it might sell for... And if all you're interested in is having a useful system... I'd trade it in for the money and buy a brand new outfit. OTOH, I do like antiques in the field... so, repairing it might be the way to go... with "matching" technology (likely Pecora sealant...)>
  If I were to install a new glass, could I purchase the glass from a local retail glass dealer?
<Mmm, yes... if this were the route you settled on>
What thickness would you recommend.
<Likely 3/8 or 1/4" plate... The latter likely being what it is otherwise made of>
Also, is it your opinion that the aquarium I have described would be of value as an antique?  
<Yes... And I do encourage you to contact an old (okay, middle-aged...) friend, Gary Bagnall... of ZooMed... who is about the most "in to" person of such gear that I know... Have cc'ed him and another hobbyist/collector friend, Chuck Rambo here... And maybe try a pic or two... on eBay...>
Thank you for your assistance,
Charlie Marsh
Jacksonville, Arkansas
<Welcome, Bob Fenner>

Old Glass, Slate Tank repair, speculations re fish physiology re env. nitrogenous compounds   2/18/07
Dear Crew,
<<Hello, Anne. Tom with you today.>>
I recently purchased a 55 gallon slate bottom aquarium. I've scraped the old silicone out, cleaned and resealed the tank three times. I still have a major leak. The slate is flaking. Could it be leaking the water? It's very hard to lift the tank to tell where the leak is coming from. I am also not sure that I can safely dismantle the tank.
<<This one’s a little out of my area, Anne, but if the slate’s flaking, you won’t get proper adhesion with the silicone. Both the slate and glass must be perfectly clean and, in the case of the slate, sealed, in order for the silicone to bond properly. Now, my shortcoming, if you will, is in knowing how to properly seal the slate in order to get the bond that you’ll need to prevent leakage. I would hazard a guess here that you’ll need a clear epoxy sealer that’s, obviously, suitable for aquarium use but, beyond this, I’m at a loss to provide any hard information.>>
I have been researching fish for ten years and am hoping to get a PhD in aquatic animal medicine.
<<A commendable goal/pursuit.>>
I haven't started college yet and am having trouble understanding a few things. I understand pH and the measuring of Hydrogen ions. What I don't understand is the direct effect pH and ammonia have on fish. Is it merely the fact that fish don't come into contact with ammonia and nitrates in the wild?
<<From an evolutionary standpoint, I would offer that this is, in part, the case. Fish have adapted, around the globe, to a variety of differing conditions which is why we don’t have “one-size-fits-all” water parameters in the hobby. The most obvious example is the difference between saltwater and freshwater life but variations in pH in different areas of the world are certainly other cases in point.>>
Does it affect their bodily functions?
<<Absolutely. Ammonia, for example, adversely affects (burns) the gill tissues causing swelling/damage which inhibits/prohibits the uptake of oxygen and the expulsion of ammonia. The result is suffocation. Likewise, nitrites bond with oxygen-transporting hemoglobin in the blood resulting, effectively, in the same thing, i.e. suffocation. pH fluctuations can cause damage to the skin, eyes and gill membranes as well as altering, with sometimes fatal consequences, the very narrow range of the pH of the fishes’ blood.>>
From what I understand it's not that fish can't handle the levels it's how quickly it changes.
<<This is true, to an extent, with pH levels. Ammonia and nitrite levels, ideally, should never even be measurable but fish can/will adapt to pH levels outside of their particular norms as long as these remain stable. The current thinking in the hobby now is to adapt our fish to the pH levels of whatever our primary source of water – tap water, for instance – might be. Attempting to chemically alter the pH is, all too often, the recipe for a disastrous change in the pH levels of our tanks. Better to maintain stable pH conditions outside of the “ideal” than to set the stage for a potential calamity. (This almost always takes the form of a plummet in pH levels due to insufficient buffering.)>>
I know some fish can survive with gradual acclimation to abnormal levels. I have a bad feeling that I've got things very messed up!
<<I don’t think you have things “messed up”, Anne. These aren’t easy concepts to get a handle on. The important thing to do is take it slowly. Lots of folks become overwhelmed by the volume of information and throw up their hands in despair. Narrowing your focus to very specific topics until you’re comfortable with each one will help in avoiding “information overload”.>>
Please help a very obsessed and very confused fish fanatic.
Thank you so very much,
Anne  ( I hope to one day be as smart and knowledgeable as all of you)
<<Well, in my case that might be taking a step backward but, for all of us, thank you. I’ve got the feeling that you’ll far surpass my knowledge with a little more time and research. Best regards. Tom>>