DIY GROW OUT TANKS

[kalebjarrod]

SOUNDS LIKE FUN DON'T IT

I had the idea to see how cheap i could do a trickle filter for, then while search the PLANTGEEK forum i found this threadhttp://www.plantgeek.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2006&highlight=summer+tibbin by J. Snipes

gave me a bigger idea so here it is

Materials

2 x 44gallon tubs FREE
6 x 520mm Plastic DONATED FREE BY FRIENDS
1 x Bucket FREE
1 x 250mm pot saucer FREE
lenghts of pine -DONATED FREE FROM A BUILDING SITE TIP
24 x Besser blocks - DONATED FREE FROM A BUILDING SITE TIP
1 x Old pond pump - DONATED FREE FROM NEIGHBOUR
8 x poly elbows - DONE THE BIN DIVER TRICK AT A LOCAL LANDSCAPER, FREE
5M of clear poly tubing $8.60
6 x 18mm hose clamps $1.76 each
Bio Balls - left overs COST ???
Old heaters - COST ??? maybe $18.00 each when new
spagetti colinder -WIFE KINDLY DONATED IT (PLEASE DON'T TELL HER)
6 x 25mm Tank Throughs / Bulk Heads (lost the recipt) $5-9 each
PLUS some fittings lying around from past projects

here are the results of what you can do if your wife goes away for the weekend and you get a little bored

[kalebjarrod]

and then more

[kalebjarrod]

and again

[kalebjarrod]

beauty is i can add tanks at will by simply making a new level with besser blocks and adding some more pots.

the pots are CHEAP around the $30.00 mark for around 100lts

at present it is filtering around 1500lts per hour but i can eaisly take that up to 3-4-5 thousand with a bigger pump

the shot dosen't show it running but it is QUITE. plus when i get a few more i might even try this on the back veranda with livebearers and sedges in them

for somone who wants to experiment with piping, tank throughs, pumps etc etc its FUN

any Q/A

[flukes]

So your "bio-bucket" is inside the 44gal drums?? Also i gather your pumps are in the last pot too pump it back too these drums?? Is there anything preventing fry from being sucked into the pump?

[kalebjarrod]

ahhh,

flukes my trusted side kick

the bio bucket is inside one of the drums, the drums act as a splash barrier

the last pot does act as a sump

and all the pots have little stainless screen on the tank throughs.

i have them in the garage at present, but i am remodeling the DIY headquaters soon and adding a new shed out the back. i will then either put them on the back patio and use them as a live bearer tanks or put them in the back shed as grow outs

they are just so cheap! i could have 10

[flukes]

Sidekick?? ill side kick your head!! (jking) iam Batman your Robin!! :wink:

Bow down!! :lol:

heheh

Looks great mate, you didnt throw the Mrs plants out too use them did you?

Might have to do something similar, could wack them together fairly cheap. Save buying tanks!

[kalebjarrod]

i actually had these in the roof stored for parties, no hole makes for a great beer storage device

[flukes]

Well youll have to bring them when we have a DF meet up at SLS, because we gonna need alot of drinks.

Lady red will serve drinks in a maids uniform (ill get a smack for that one)

You can revamp SLS's filtration so it all runs off a 375ml coke can,

Ro can bring the donuts, but he will probably be on a laptop starting a new forum (ahh maybe tree frogs)

Matt will be out the back loading his car up with SLS's fish.

Kev will be racing round the shop telling people to -"STOP TAPPING ON THE GLASS!!)

And ill be there stark drunk, procastinating about how iam going to setup a breeding rack with 50 tanks on one filtration system. (ill even have blueprints done with MS paint)...but it'll never happen..

Then buy the end of the night, the tanks will be empty and so will our pockets.

Sound fun?

[kalebjarrod]

i'm thier!

i'll even bring a coke can HA HA HA HA

and i like the maids uniform idea, YEAH BABY

[DiscusMad]

ok my questions are:-

1 how to heat it, how many heaters to use ie wattage?

2 what sort of pump should i use

3 I take it that from the last pots you pump the water back up again but do you have a pump for each row or do you join the last ones together and just pump from one of the last pots


sorry for the questions burning to know

[kalebjarrod]

i had one heater heating the sytems through summer

maybe more in winter

i used a 200ltr per hour pond pump i had lying around, what ever you have i sespect will work, mine was a cost based project as well

both the last pots where joined together they keep there own level with some help from old mate gravity

i will bring the pots out next spring as well, till then they have been shelved