Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I was gonna just buy an IBC but I was kinda wondering what everyone thought of making a concrete sump tank (in the ground).

I was thinking about it as it probably could be done for under $70 (the cost of an IBC). Now what would you guys do a water proofing paint or pond liner? I was shooting for something like 4' deep, 3' wide 3' long. Which comes out to 270 gallons, so close to an IBC. I have left over remaining wood from my cuts for my FT so I would just use that OSB as a wall (for setting the concrete, and dig a hole to set it in, and pour the concrete between the OSB and Earth and let it set. This way I can set it the way I want and maybe cheaper. But it would definitely depend on how much a gallon of fish tank sealer stuff.

The short of it is the IBC is the cheapest solution and the easiest. The epoxy paints and sealers can run 50 to 75$ a can. You wouldn't need to use that much but I haven't found quart containers for sale yet.

Have a read through this thread. Stucco has a cement sump tank he built.


viewtopic.php?f=18&t=6490

excellent post BTW

As mentioned the sealer is not cheap. If you don't seal you will have high PH issues for a long time.
As long as you are certain you're not going to move it can be a good method.

My main tank is concrete, about 7m x1.2w x 600d.

The dimensions are so close to the IBC why not just buy a IBC and bury it in the ground? It would probably help with heating and cooling being plastic and being in the ground as well.

My fish tank and growbeds are cement brick round built tanks. I used a cheaper bitumen pond sealer but it is not so good. There was someone else who built hexagonal concrete tanks in ground and did not seal them at all and it seemed to work fine. Who was that again?? Trout by the stream, or something like that??

My pH was high for almost 2 years, but it has come down now...

how high is high?