Backyard Aquaponics
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I picked up a couple of IBC's for a new system and instead of the screw to remove the bar this one looks like you squeeze the crossbar somehow. Anyone run into one of these and know how to remove the crossbar? The piece across the top looks like 3/16 ths galvanized wire with a loop turned in a 180 around the cage side wires.

Here's a picture of the IBC that should give you the idea.

No takers yet

Still hoping for a solution. I'll cut it if I have to but it would be nice if that didn't have to happen.

I tried compressing the cage with woodworking clamps and that didn't quite do it. One of the loops would always be around the wire on the side so you couldn't turn the loops to remove the wire.

Maybe the ends were bent after the tank was placed in the frame.
I would open the tank and then compress the tank with the clamps, then cut off enough of the bar to remove it.

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Scotty the other side looks like a hook, furthest away in the pic can you reverse it?

Try a ratchet strap.

I wouldn't cut the entire rod off, just cut a little piece off the bend enough where you can squeeze it to get it off and you can leave a small hook to put it back if you want.

Both ends have a bend in the side bar they hook onto. The vertical is around the corner so to speak. Can you slide the hooks along to 'shorten' the length and lift the other end?

The one I had before, the side frame is bolted to the base of the IBC. Are you able to remove the side from the base first and then lift the side frame off?


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Sorry I haven't posted back, the website was down this morning and this is the first I've been back online.

Thanks for all the great suggestions guys

I've tried pulling the sides in when the lid was off in order to remove the bar. I'm within a half inch of being able to do that but can't quite get there. It's tough to describe but as you clamp harder the angle the bar is at changes and points up a bit - this makes it more difficult to remove.

Tried sliding the bar across to the shortest point but still couldn't remove it (did this along with the clamping).

Because there are loops at both ends you can't twist the bar as long as one end is still looped around the side.

There may be a way to remove the base and access the tank. I noticed there were attachment points around the base and I'm not sure if the wire wraps underneath or not. If I can lift out the bladder this way then the bar won't matter. My intent is to use this tank intact as a fish tank. I wanted to clean it and perhaps paint the frame but I may decide to just flush it multiple times (it had honey in it).

The idea with this is to have this tank as a Fish Tank and cut the other IBC to make a Sump and one growbed. I'm going to setup an RFF and Biofilter to carry the system through Winters while during the Summers it feeds out to the bucket garden for most of it's bio-filtration.

Thanks for the help.

Looks to me like you should be able to bend one of the hooks enough to get it off, unless they're welded closed or something.

Easily bends at the center but not so much at the ends where the loops are. I tried bending it several times by grabbing one of the loops with pliers but the whole bar twists making it more difficult to bend the end. It's like a spring and sort of pushes back. There were several other things along this line I could have tried but I finally decided it was less effort to clean the bladder while still in the cage than to keep trying to remove the bar or unscrew it from the bottom. Seems to have cleaned up OK. Thanks for the suggestion.

Hello Scotty435. I have a couple of these mesh frame type IBCs and one had a hooked rod top bar like yours. On this one the hook was quite a bit shorter at one end allowing me to unhook it by compressing the cage by about just 13mm.

I know there is a lot of variation in the detail of IBC cage design and this is probably different to yours but I thought I would include this here in case it is useful for anyone who pulls up this thread in a future search.

Good idea PLJ