What Is It?

Post by **Doug** » Fri Jan 24, 2014 1:34 pm

Who knows what this is?
Sent from my HTC Aria using Tapatalk 2

bluwtr · Post by **bluwtr** » Fri Jan 24, 2014 1:38 pm

An OLD electric pencil sharpener!

Post by **Doug** » Fri Jan 24, 2014 1:42 pm

No, but if you had a saltwater aquarium in 1977, you had probably at least four of them. And you could buy them at the aquarium department at Sears. Yes, that's right, saltwater at Sears.

eric the red · Post by **eric the red** » Fri Jan 24, 2014 1:47 pm

So what is it?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Post by **Doug** » Fri Jan 24, 2014 2:13 pm

Let's see if there are any more guesses.

Stokes12 · Post by **Stokes12** » Fri Jan 24, 2014 10:05 pm

Looks like an air pump to me.

Post by **Gerwin** » Fri Jan 24, 2014 10:22 pm

Quite giant

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Post by **Doug** » Fri Jan 24, 2014 10:37 pm

You are correct. This is a "Silent Giant" air pump, about as big as a 1 lb. coffee can, weighs about 2 lb, mainly because it's filled with gravel. The actual pump mechanism inside, a large vibrator type air pump, is sealed in a metal can about the size of a small can of corn. The gravel served to deaden the sound, filter the incoming air, and, I guess, make you feel like you were getting quite something for your money. Regardless, at the time, they were about the only thing on the market that could sit on the floor under your tank, pump air up 4-5 ft. of tubing to an airstone or two at the bottom of a 20" deep undergravel filter airlift. It took 4 to do a 75. They were reasonably reliable, if you kept the foam intake filter clean and saltwater out of them. The Sears store here had an aquarium department managed by a guy who was reasonably knowledgeable (for the times), and he had a free hand to order whatever he wanted, thus making his saltwater livestock selection as attractive as the other LFSes. Also attractive, to the owners of abused Silent Giants, was Sears' liberal return policy, which took back most anything. Have a dead Silent Giant you bought from anywhere? Buy one from Sears and put your dead one in the box and then return it to Sears for a refund. Or exchange it for another, new one. Probably why Sears got out of the saltwater business.

The patent:
https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=pate ... 961149.pdf

Post by **Gerwin** » Sat Jan 25, 2014 8:02 am

Silent.... That's right damn it. I almost said that. We use to have those running all our tanks. Then the tetra luft pumps.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

eric the red · Post by **eric the red** » Sat Jan 25, 2014 8:08 am

It's amazing how this hobby is constantly evolving. I imagine in the future we will be talking about our dated equipment that no one uses anymore.

The cure for anything is saltwater. Sweat, tears, or the sea. - Isak Dinesen

Shadow1 · Post by **Shadow1** » Sat Jan 25, 2014 9:13 am

OK I remember the Silent Giants, not Sears though but I lived in the Delta.

Does anyone still use a Diatom Pressure Filter? Looked like a quart mason jar with a cork insert put in Diatom powder to filter your water?

Post by **Doug** » Sat Jan 25, 2014 9:57 am

Diatom filters weren't cheap, especially the XL, but running one constantly for two weeks would typically cure an ich outbreak w/o any chemicals.

Shadow1 · Post by **Shadow1** » Sat Jan 25, 2014 10:02 am

Doug wrote:Diatom filters weren't cheap, especially the XL, but running one constantly for two weeks would typically cure an ich outbreak w/o any chemicals.

I wish I still had mine could make some of the most beautiful clear water they were amazing

Post by **Gerwin** » Sat Jan 25, 2014 10:46 am

I hated cleaning them

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

FishyStuff.net

What Is It?

What Is It?

Re: Tapatalk app. input here

Re: Tapatalk app. input and discussion here

Re: What Is It?

Re: What Is It?

Re: What Is It?

Re: What Is It?

Re: What Is It?

Re: What Is It?

Re: What Is It?

Re: What Is It?

Re: What Is It?

Re: What Is It?

Re: What Is It?