Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

all too often i see people lately grabbing IBC's that have contained really nasty chemicals. It worries me, especially in AP that the "quick wash and she'll be right" attitude could and will lead to some contamination of the system with what could be some real nasty chemicals.

Remember that the plastic in IBC's can and will absorb what has been in the container and this can be re-leached out. As a genral rule those that have had mineral acids in them (ie nitric hydrochloric etc) should e ok after washing . Any that contain organic acids should be avoided.

Always Always check the MSDS for the hazardous nature to both yourself and the core of AP the Bacteria!!!!!

perhaps someone should make a list of bad IBC's and the reasons why?

baz, i assume acetic and prop. acids are classed organic?

I get what you're saying, and its valid, but as both of those are food additives i'd feel better about them than say an ibc used for deisel.

good idea Outback.

theres the problem Steve - The IBCs I am looking at for tomorrow have had propIONIC acid in them , so far as weve been told . That is a food additive , plus human skin secretes it , but if its propENOIC acid instead ...

then my lungs will get mushy and collapse ( if the fish survive .. )

just lokoed it up. point taken. thats where you would look for the sticker on the IBC, if its missing and the contents is in doubt, pass it up.

even care needs to be taken with the mineral acids, 30ml of conc. phosphoric acid on your skin when cutting / cleaning a barrel / ibc is gonna HURT

nasty...

The ibc`s are one use jobs with sticker intact pripionic acid.

At the end of the day some (dare I say it) COMMON SENSE should prevail, If you do not know or understand the product that the IBC contained don't use it.

you know how common that sense is, dont you?

thats the kind of sense that commoners have ? in a sense ?

Yeah too true! but one of the things we are about is Healthy foods (i think) so why would you not take the time to find out what you are growing them in???

The worry is not only to humans, but if you have gone to the expense of setting up all the system and you add a contaminant that can kill your bacteria it would be a p**s off.

Has any one tried using old oil or hydrolic oil drums?? These clean out very well if with a good quality biodegradable detergent.

Steve, re acid your are correct, and you should never add water to acid always the other way round. Having said that the only acid this really applies to is sulfuric acid.

NEVER NEVER USE A CONTAINER THAT HAS HAD HYDROFLUORIC ACID IN IT this stuff is deadly 100mL spill usually means death even if treatment is effected immediatley dont go near it

Whilst common sense should prevail, I have worked in laboratories over many years and you would be amazed what was originally a container for one thing ends up being a container for something else.

My blue barrels were full of port sos only thing I gotta worry about is drunken fish

and even then you're probably UNDER stating it dermal contact of much less than 100ml will ususally do you in with systemic organ failure in a short while...........

Bazz, I am about to start using new engine oil IBC's - I have cleaned them very thoroughly with bio dewhatsit degreaser, and now they dont smell of anything even after sitting in the sun for days. I would say they are pretty clean