55 gallon drums...where?

[Shdwdrgn]

I've seen those on various sites also. While I would have the barrels hidden behind the garage, those tanks are probably much bigger but also much uglier! :lol: As I say, there's a need to balance the inconvenience of a movable pool with the space lost by barrels/tanks. My main concern about those tanks (other than comments from my wife!) is what happens when the metal supports rust away? Are the tanks actually strong enough to support the pressure of water on those sides? They metal frames may be simply for protection during shipping/moving during construction.

Anyway, another possibility! Thanks! B)

The ones I've seen, the frame is actually aluminum, so rusting would not be a problem. I was actually thinking that the frame would be great for growing vining flowers on, although it would take a couple years for the plants to really fill in.

Your typical filter design requires the top to be cut off the tank, and once you do that, I do not believe it would be able to support itself without the cage. That's a clear advantage of the barrels -- I've cut off the tops, and even cut them in half to make a 25-gal filter for my first pond, and they still maintain integrity to stand on their own. The two barrels I'm using now have the first 1/3 buried in the ground, which puts them at a nice height beside the waterfall. There's no end to what you can do to dress them up or hide them.

 

[HTH]

Agreed.

IBC containers are designed for transporting liquid. They have no problem supporting water. Currently I have 3 with the tops cut open and full of water. One I use as a water supply for a evaporation cooler. The other two are the rear tanks of the system below. I leave a few inches of the horizontal top along the edges but I expect they would be ok without that. These things are designed to be transported on trucks and moved around with fork lifts. They have to be tough. But I would not try to use one without a cage unless it was in ground. They are designed to use with the cage.

Some have aluminum cages. Some have metal wire cages. Some have metal pellets and others wood. It just depends on what you can find.



Please ignore the mess I was cleaning out the old greenhouse and the door is now back on

 

[xAbD]

I may have found a local source for an IBC. Need to call. If they have one, I probably should get one before my wife gets back home later this week! But it may still be hard to hide it from her... LOL!

How do I know what was in it (since I have no idea where the seller got it or if he even knows!)?
What is the best way to clean it, even if it was rinsed out?
Is there an algae problem if the top is cut away? Perhaps a light-blocking cover would help? I'm thinking it would be easier to clean with the top (mostly) cut away.

 

[DrCase]

I had to fix a water leak at a car wash to day
I got a 30 gal drum for free and paid 10 bucks for the 55 gal one
He told me their is a 10 dollar deposit on the 55 gal ones

 

[Shdwdrgn]

How do I know what was in it (since I have no idea where the seller got it or if he even knows!)?

What is the best way to clean it, even if it was rinsed out?
Is there an algae problem if the top is cut away? Perhaps a light-blocking cover would help? I'm thinking it would be easier to clean with the top (mostly) cut away.

Usually the supplier knows what was in the containers, but if not, sometimes you can find labels on the sides of them. Sometimes just smelling the contents is enough to tell you. For the most part, I've generally just hosed mine out several times. If you get a food-grade container, you don't have to be as careful because the contents likely won't hurt your fish.

Algae won't be a problem, and nearly all DIY barrel filters have their tops cut off. Its definitely a lot easier to work with that way.

 

[HTH]

The ones I have had a sealing wax used to keep concrete road beds from drying too fast. It is not fun to scrape it out but the was seems to be fish safe so you do not have to get it all.

Just for fun here is my wife scraping out the 1000g we now use for seasoning water. We got several hundred pounds of was out of that one.

[sharedmedia=gallery:images:2988]

 

[xAbD]

WOW! Why would any kind of wax keep concrete from drying out/setting up? I'd think the poly would be as non-porus as anything! Wax would be rather water repellant, but still... :dunno:

Did the wax not leave a oily film? I thought is was basically oil based. Except, of course, the wax made by bees. I don't think the use fossil-based oils. :sun_smiley:

I suspect the one I found ($60, 20 mile drive to pick it up tomorrow morning) has had some type of fuel or diesel exhaust by-product in it. It's not too late for me to cancel. I have planed on cutting the top out and using my pressure washer with cleaner. Might be best to use some kind of de-greaser first! Or maybe forget the whole thing?

 

[Shdwdrgn]

I *think* you can remove fuels by scrubbing it down with alcohol? However there's no telling if it soaked into the plastic, so you could have long-lasting issues with that one. If they can't tell you for sure, I personally would cancel on that... just too much of a risk for live fish.

I would imagine the wax prevents the water from evaporating too quickly out of the cement?

 

[HTH]

For concrete to cure with good strength it has to say 'moist' for some length of time. I am guessing they spray this stuff on. And it can't dissolve in water or it would not do the job.

Prior to starting with these we talked with a guy who put lumps of the wax into a fish tank for a few weeks. He did not see any ill effects and this is my 2nd year using them without problem.

I have no idea what the diesel exhaust by-product is. Most everything has a material safety data sheet (MSDS). If you knew what the stuff was you could check it. Mind that the EPA can get a bit carried away.

 

[xAbD]

It's irrelevant and certainly off-topic, but I don't see how a layer of wax (on top or completely surrounding) "concrete" will have any effect on it. Concrete starts 'setting' as soon as the water is added to the cement/aggregate mix. That's usually done at the last possible moment for delivery within the driving time of the truck carrying it. "Curing," on the other hand can take years! It's not just that it is "dry" but that the chemical reaction is complete (or close to it). Concrete can even 'set' underwater.

I'm thinking that instead of 'concrete' these totes carried 'cement' that was delivered to a site that has water available (as well as the sand/gravel/aggregate) so it can be used when needed and when truck delivery is simply takes too long. Certainly pouring a layer of wax through the rather small opening (~12") would help assure the container could be left at the site without worry that the cement would get wet. Of course, this is merely my unintelligent musings! I cud bee wronge, butt I kant remember thee last thyme thet hapined! :fingersx:

Semantics?!

 

[HTH]

These totes carried liquid WAX.

The wax is used on concrete that has been poured. In this case a highway. It keeps that water on and near the surface of the concrete from evaporating. This effects the quality of the concrete.

I think this is the stuff or close to it.

 

[xAbD]

This effects the quality of the concrete

Well I guess it would! Although I'm not sure I'd want to travel on a road that had been waxed!!! :nananananana: Especially after a rain!! Thanks for clearing up my misunderstanding! Sometimes I can see the words for the letters!! :redface: I just hope you gave your wife a big bonus that week! Take her to the Dollar Menu at McDonald's? :bowdown: :chair:

 

[HTH]

LOL I know the feeling. Lets hope the clean the stuff off prior to opening it to traffic.

Bonus my sweet little .... She has the check book and I ask her for money!

 

[Tazz3]

Car wash sells them for 10 dollars I seen them on eBay also