First Reef Store?

[John_Brandt]

John,
Here is a picture of two of my copies of "Carnival Under the Sea" one was signed by Catala in 1970 at Noumea. Catala was light years ahead of everyone else back then. Let me know if you want one, maybe we can work something out. I would like for you to have one. Both have the original paper sleeve and the insert poster of a feather star. (top)
Mitch

Mitch,

Wow, I am impressed and feel very honored that you would like me to have a copy of that book. It is way out-of-print and would be difficult to find a good copy anywhere. Can we talk about it at MACNA? You need to keep the signed copy, and I can tell you that if we "work something out" the other copy will never leave my possession.

 

[John_Brandt]

A long, long time ago ...

... when dreams was all we had.

When it rains it pours....

Amazing stuff there aquatics! When we start to discuss a bit of history all of these wonderful things are brought out.

Welcome to reefs.org!

I have seen references to that book but have never actually known of one. You are lucky, and it appears in great condition. It is a British book, and of course it was published just a few years before the American Civil War. If there are any nice plates within the book we would love to see them here if you would oblige.

 

[aquatics]

Some samples of plates from Humphreys. Carefully scanned (I don't want to bend the book). All plates are hand colored!

 

[aquatics]

Two more plates:

 

[aquatics]

The cover is pretty nice too:

 

[dizzy]

aquatics,
That is a most excellent book. Thanks for sharing.
Mitch

 

[John_Brandt]

A most captivating early color photograph of a family of beautiful wild-type scalare angelfish (Silver angel) amongst the varieties of Sagittaria plants. It is from Exotic Aquarium Fishes by William T. Innes, copyright 1935.

 

[John_Brandt]

And how many of you who have Exotic Aquarium Fishes by Innes still have the original bookmark? :wink:

How precious is "Do not break their backs, but bend their dispositions gradually"? Words to live by huh?

 

[PeterIMA]

I highly recommend "Ocean Wonders Companions For the Seaside," written by William E Damon, and published by D. Appleton and Company, New York in 1896. William Dammon was probably North America's first serious marine hobbyist. His description of early marine aquaria and the discussions about the "balanced aquarium" are very informative. This book is still available through used booksellers like Abebooks.com for a moderate price (about $40-50).

For those with deep pockets, it is presently possible to buy the second edition of "The Aquarium, An Unveiling of the Wonders of the Deep Sea," written by Philip Henry Gosse, published in 1856 by John Van Voorst, London. It is available from Horizon Books in Toronto (I recently purchased the first edition published in 1854). Gosse coined the word "aquarium" in this book. Actually, there is little on aquarium keeping in the book (it is mostly natural history).

Peter Rubec

 

[PeterIMA]

RE-Manila Aquatics.

When I moved to St. Petersburg, Florida in 1995 I learned about an import company named Manila Aquatics situated in Tampa. It was owned by Andy Eyas who also owned International Seaboard in Chicago. I was informed by the ichthyologist at the Florida Marine Research Institute (FMRI) that he had witnessed the high mortality of marine aquarium fishes in this facility. Dead (cyanide-caught) fishes were swept from the facility into the canal adjoining Tampa Bay. Some of these "dead" fish survived and showed up in trawl hauls in Tampa Bay of FMRI's fisheries independent monitoring program. Some specimens (e.g., a Philippine grouper) are in the preserved fish collection at the institute. I heard that Manila Aquatics closed (about 1997) and moved its operation to Atlanta, Georgia. Goodbye and good riddance. This is the kind of company the industry does not need.

Peter Rubec