The Illustrious Pemco Aquarium
My neighbor, Randy, used to own a tropical fish store in the 1960s in Los Angeles, California. When he finally closed his shop he kept only 3 items. These were (3) 115-gallon Pemco Aquariums complete with original stands and hoods. Another well-known Discus fish breeder in California by the name of Dick Au (he published a book on discus fish) also keep only 3 vintage items in all his years of selling tropical fish in the Northern California area. These were (3) 90-gallon Pemco aquariums that came from a closed tropical fish store in downtown Napa, California.
When most hobbyist talk about their vintage aquariums from the 1960s through 1970s the word “Metaframe” always come to mind. Metaframe was the largest manufacturer of stainless steel frame aquariums during this time but they were not the most coveted by hobbyists on the west coast of the United States. Pemco (stands for Patt Engineering and Manufacturing Company) would take this honor as they were known for their quality of thicker metal frames, thicker glass, and many unusual sizes in their product lineup. Pemco would have a good manufacturing run starting in the 1940s and finally selling out to Metaframe in the 1970s. In fact, Metaframe transferred many of Pemcos unusual sizes into their product line after purchase. It is also interesting to note that Pemco also sold there own aquarium heaters and air pumps but I cannot be sure if they manufactured them or had them manufactured for them. In any case, finding anything Pemco is a rare treat and all the “old timer” hobbyists have very fond memories of the attention to quality that this company possessed.
While going through some of the MOAPH archives I came across an obscure little aquarium magazine called “Azolla for Aquarists”, November 1948, Vol. 1, No. 6, published in the state of Utah. In this issue is a rare article titled “The Making of an Aquarium” all about the Pemco company! Enjoy this article in its entirety including images of inside the Pemco manufacturing plant.
