Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi all,
Looking in to AP and am looking for cost effective ways to biuld tanks/GB. Has anyone used builders waterproof membranes/sealers? Some of them are advertised as pond sealers like this http://www.crommelin.com.au/pdfs/pondsealer-colours.pdf

thanks

Hi and welcome to the forum skygazer.

There are a multitude of pondliners, pond sealers and waterproof bitumen paints the can be used to line/seal tanks, ponds and growbeds....

Search the forum and you'll find numerous posts and threads.

Toxicity and leaching are obviously the primary concern so you'll need to research the materials safety data sheets....

I think I am going to build the grow beds and tanks for my big system using concrete. It would only take a yard of cement to make a 500 gallon tank. Thats much cheaper than anything.

A small fish hatchery here used concrete tanks painted with a pool paint. All his fish seemed happy.

I'm trying to envision a 500gal tank made with 1 yard of concrete. Please enlighten me.

I reckon you'd need 3x that. a cubic yard of concrete seems like a lot, but it never goes as far as you think.

when we (Creative1 I mean ) put the base in my tank, we used 2.3m3 of concrete. This was to repair a 10,000L (2600gal) tank.
http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum ... 5466#15466

a 500gal tank is about 2000L...

Quick calc gets to .8m3 not far off a yard.
With 100mm walls and floor!

Yep - I came up with a similar figure using a 2,000l round tank

that is 5.6m circumference * 0.8m height plus the base => 0.7m3+ 10% =0.8

Funnily enough I worked it out on a 1 X 2 mtr rectangle .8 total!
But I always allow 20% plus which takes it to a >cubic metre.
C1

Make it round for less

yep and reduce the difficulty level, and future cracking!

60 inches square, 36" tall with 3.5" walls. 129,600 Cubic inches ~561 Gallons.

The volume of one wall 7560 * 4 = 30240 plus the bottom 12600 = 42,840 divided by cubic inches in a yard of cement (46,656) = .9182 Yards of cement.

Thats a 500 gallon tank for $80 plus paint and silicone or what ever sealant. Oh, I already have loads of rebar so I don;t have to buy the steel.

Round might just be the way to go. 1/4" plywood is flexable. I would need support on the inside though... I'll have to consider round..

I was thinking square because I would only have to buy two sheets of plywood and some boards then I could pour 1 wall at a time; cutting my mold cost.

Oh just in-case anyone ever wanted to know. An 80 # bag of Quickrete is 1016 Cubic inches. This 12.7 cubic inches per pound of ready made cement in a bag. This weekend the local lumber yard was selling 50# sacks for $1.25 each because the ordered the wrong size. So 74 bags would be a yard for $95.....

Dont forget to tell them its for AG use and there is no sales tax.

And no I missed the sale :sad6:

That's not a bad price Dandee....

For a 561 Gall tank .... 2123ltrs for us Aus folk for $95US... about $120Aus

yeh but quick crete have to be careful that s68t goes off in no time!