Aquaponic Gardening

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IBC Totes
We all have seen the great Water storage IBC Totes that many of us use. Here are a few hints on how to find them.
I use this search page to search Craigs list.  There are a few others sites to search Carigs list also.
Search for water tote. it seems to find them.  Also search for storage tank.  Lots of junk in this search. 
They seem to range from $40 to $100. 
Make sure that they weren't used for anything that could kill you fish.  Food grade. 
Clean them out good. 
They have a great drain fitting - not always large enough. 
LEAVE them in the frame - Folks have had them collapse when taken out. 
There are lots of ways to use them. Michelle silva has four of them in a cascading overflow set up that looks great.  Many folks cut the top frame section off and use it for gravel beds. Lots examples on youtube and here. 
Uniseals work great on them.
They Do get GREEN algae water when they are exposed to sunlight.
Tell us all how you got yours and if you can give us leads to find them cheap and local. 
Maybe there are local sources of them that are industrial.  As always be prepared to haul them in a trailer when ever possible. they are big. 

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They are also not UV resistant so long term exposure to sunlight is probably not a good idea. These are great tanks though and very convenient to use. Sweetwater organics uses them as part of the DWC filtration system as well.
Hm, can you get something like this with heavier, more UV-resistant liner? Or would it be more cost effective to wrap the outside with a cheap tarp to keep light off?
I have seen folks wrap them with Bamboo, rattan and seagrass privacy fencing and rugs. They look quite presentable. Also the sometimes put insulation between the layers. I have used dark shade cloth to wrap things also.
I use the bubble foil insulation. Then I have the shadecloth over it for looks. You could also use just the Foil Insulation.
What do you guys and gals think....?....would IBC's that have/had flouride stored in them be safe, once rinsed, cleaned, pressure washed ...?
Thanks Kobus.....I searched some myself, didn't find much either. Just sites, talking about how bad of an idea it is, to add flouride to our drinking water :-(

When I talked to them ...they said they would rinse it pretty good. Which I'm sure they will, they can still use it (the flouride) even if it is watered down.
I was planning on cutting the tops off, and rinising them out......then maybe, even spraying them with a pressure washer.
There is a product called "Incide Out" which is used to clean out pesticide application equipment, ask you local landscape contractor where they purchase their pesticide, or look up your local farm service (FS). Also check out:
http://www.usedibctotes.com/

they have many listings available, although you may need to purchase more than one.

Sorry I posted this originally to another thread, it seemed like it might be more appropriate here.
Regarding the green water in the tanks when I get a tank I remove it from the frame and clean it then give it a couple of
coats of paint on the outside (whatever colour is lying around in the shed at the time) and slipped it back into the frame then touched up any scratches, Hopefully this will also protect the plastic from the sun.One of my tanks I have also wrapped some old carpet around it in the hope it may not get quite so hot / cold. Whether this actually works I am not sure but I think it will.

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