Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi there,
I have found all kinds of tanks to be crazy expensive in Sydney and want to know what the rest of you have found pricewise. Earthbound, I have been unable to find any lovely corrugated tanks like your own or manufacturers willing to make them for me for around $200.
It appears the new range of bluescope steel water tank products has made the prices of tanks skyrocket.
The best deal I've found is a plastic cylindrical 1000 L tank from bunnings for $500.
How bout the rest of you, particularly anyone in Sydney?

Aeon,

Do a search on ebay for "water tank"

I know there is someone in the sydney area that sells various types including the 1000Lt plastic bulk containers with the valve on the bottom.

Steve

Hi Aeon,

Poly square tanks available in the Sydney, Brisbane Metro area 1,800 Ltr with lid = 1,279.30
That would be really good I imagine.http://www.irrigationwarehouse.com.au

I have coming some gal round tanks for grow beds 1900 dia x 300 deep for 390.00 ea with Grow Bed drain (like Joel's design) with brass 3/4" outlet

My own F/g Grow beds will be avbl in 2 weeks - will retail at 492.00 ea inc gst - special for Forum members 352.00 each inc gst - includes Grow Bed drain (like Joel's design) with brass 3/4" outlet. Internal of Grow bed has gelcoat finish (colour white or swimming pool blue - specify) outside has flow coated light grey finish - very smart - very long lasting. Will have a steel stand also to go with grow beds - bolt together with 12 bolts - lay flat for transport. Haven't finalised price on the stand as yet, but will be in the area of 190.00 ea. I will ask earthbound to put a photo or two up next week so you can all see what they look like and get some feedback. I know this will be above some budgets, but it is really very good value when you look at what is around, and you compare the quality.

eBay tanks as per Steve's advice - look at the following http://cgi.ebay.com.au/1100-LITRE-WATER-TANK_W0QQitemZ7611716230QQcategoryZ11752QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
I have personally seen this type of tank and it's not too bad - a bloke up the road from me sells them.
Just a few ideas to throw into the pot.
Murray

Tanks are not a cheap thing Aeon, I do see the 1000L portable tanks as being very useful for backyarders who are trying to do it as cheaply as possible, you just can't get cheaper than 100-150 bucks for a 1000L tank.. The only other cheap way I can think of is digging a pond type structure and lining it with plastic..

When I made enquiries a few years back, the cheapest fiberglass or plastic tank I could find was 5-600 bucks, and the prices went up from there..

Nice one Murray, please do email me through some photos and some descriptions to go with them and I'll post them up for you. I'll be very interested to see them, and you have a 3/4" brass outlet? Sound like you've built something that is going to last a lifetime.. My tanks and growbeds I only expect to last maybe 15 years or so, I know that corrugated iron tanks don't last that long..

Joel

Just an idea .. but often the mining insustry has clearance sales of old R&D equipment. Many of the processes used in small and medium scale R&D uses fairly innocuous chemicals. For eample, I worked on a project a few years back with Western Mining where the chemicals were Aqueous ammonia and Carbon dioxide. No poison probs with those tanks!

They were High denisty poly propylene, about 2 metres deep with a diameter of 6 metres (approx) they would have made superb ponds for fish!

Might be worth calling on people like Alcoa, Western Mining, etc. etc and most of the mining companies to see when they have a clean out sale! For gear like this you may end up with a bargain! (But make sure that you know what has been in them first!)

Another idea is to keep an eye out in the quokka or trading post. I bought a couple of blue drums the other day from a feed store and they charged me $23 each, over the weekend I found them in the quokka for $5 each.

Also in the quokka someone was selling the old bottle banks, remember those big bins with the dome lids that had a couple of holes in them to throw the bottles in, they used to sit in shopping centre car parks... They would be pretty tough fibreglass fish tanks and I think the guy wanted $50 each for them, and had a hundred or so..

Also cutting the bottom off old wheelie bins (free from Armadale Council) might make nice little grow beds. Rest of the bin can make edging, replacement for garden stakes etc. etc.

(101 ways to use a wheely bin!)

You might consider above ground swimming pools. They are pretty inexpensive for a relatively large tank. (Be careful of the stuff they spray on them to keep the algae down, though.)

-Vlad

make that 103 ways to use a wheely bin

Lucky you Johnnie if your getting them for free, if you think of the bins in different dimensions you can gain more use of them.

You could bolt two together, lid end facing each other (bolt through the flange) lay it down so that the lid hinge side is facing down, and cut out holes in the now top - instant 300 to 400 litre tank, easier access to the fish and as the bins are wider at the top than the bottom, you get a slope into the centre where you can place a drain plug or pump feed.

Connect a series of these together, and you increase your capacity, and have seperate tanks for the different sizes of fish.

Cut one in half, vertically down the centre (through the font, and hinge sides) then filp one over and place them end to end and bolt them together - instant 200 litre growing tray.

Warren

I bought one at Xmas (albeit for my daughter to swim in) for $100 with a crappy pump. This is the same as Joel's first fish holder. It's looks much like this:

I think almost 50% of the population bought one of those at christmas time! I know i did....... now its sitting on the lawn empty, and the pump lasted about as long as the hot weather

might have to recycle it into another pond

Nice thinking Warren... There are plenty of options once you start to really think about the possibilities...

Thanks Joel, I rang around trying to find some wheely bins to use but it seems that they don't give them away over here, I could buy seconds for $40, but thats too expensive I reckon, when I can get hold of the 200 litre barrels for $20 each.

I've got four barrels and I'm going to make a barrel system, but I've been thinking about there placement, and thought what if I cut them in half diagonally (top to bottom, left to right) , this should give more surface area for the plants, and allow for easier draining, but would make the growing medium deep at on end and shallow at the other, how would this affect the plants.

Warren

I don't know if it would effect the plants so much, but it would make the supporting structure a little more difficult to build... One thing to keep in mind is that bacteria doesn't like light, so there won't be much in the very shallow end, but then I guess there'd be more in the deeper end......

I'd be interested to know how it goes if you decide to try this way......

Price on the fish tank ....can't tell you yet, but will be a bit under $1,000.00 and avbl in 3 weeks. Rectangular Tank will be internal measurements 2300 L x 1100 W x 1000 mm high = 2500 ltrs Will come with 25mm of polyurethane insulation on sides and bottom with 19mm brass threaded outlet on the bottom end to attach pumps etc

By way of comparison duraplas.com.au have Aquaculture tanks made from poly, round with stand , 2500 ltrs for 1,175.00

Murray
www.boatshop.com.au
murray@boatshop.com.au