I have an idea but need your help

[Tony Gilliam]

I am looking at building a swirl filter out of a 55 gallon drum. It will be outside of my fish room due to space limitations and i would like to keep the smell outside.

I have seen swirlfilters made out of drums on the internet but think they would be hard to clean due to the flat bottom. So my thoughts are to put a cone bottom on one.

I have access to 125# steam pressure. that i could use to heat the drum up and reshape it, but i can see this method getting away from me and ruining the barrel. So this is where i would like your help.

How can i cone the bottom of a 55 gallon drum, make it completely leakproof, and not spend a ton of cash?

[Tom OBrien]

Reshaping it sounds like a pretty tricky proposition. The material will probably thin out as you try to form it. Could you make a separate cone-shaped piece and glue that in the bottom?

[Leo White Bear]

You can purchase HDPE sheets and construct a cone from that.  Or go to a farm supply store or  Tractor supply and purchase the largest funnel they have.  Cut a hole in the bottom of your barrel to fit the lip of the funnel, silicone it in place and you are good to go.  You may have to coat the inside of the funnel with a thin film of aquarium silicone, if it is not a food grade plastic

White Bear

[Ashley Taylor]

I am a newbie to aquaponics, but my husband has been running aquarium systems for over ten years. He said:

"He is safer drilling a hole in the bottom of the drum and putting in a bulkhead."

[john tramell]

Have you looked at urban farming guys .com  they make one that is pretty neat to build worth a look my give you some ideas

[Tarz]

I'm new to this as well but I have read that concrete can change your PH. Urban farming guys suggest to make the cone out of concrete. You are probably better off making it out of something else.

[john tramell]

if you watch the whole video they cover the concrete with somthing i used a peace of stanless

[Brad]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39xT5xzNu3s

Best I have seen

 

[john tramell]

 You can also lookup  bio fuel  and they use a 30 and50 gal cone bottom tank to seperate oil in, that you can buy for around 100 to 125 dollars i know there is a place in gaddson alabama that sells them for bio fuel they allready have a 2 in  valve in bottom that would be great for a drain.

[Tony Gilliam]

Well, last night i loaded up 8 plastic barrels from work to experiment with, Then a buddy says (hey i know the perfect thing) an ran to the computer. He found a 60 gallon inductor tank used in the farming industry. He also located one about ten miles from my house for $104.61. So Im leaving early today for work to stop and get it. Hopefully i will get a pic soon and post it. Thanks for all the suggestions guys.

[Bob Terrell]

http://www.plastic-mart.com/category/19/cone-bottom-tanks?gclid=CJb...

All the inductor tanks you could ever want in all sizes.

Tony Gilliam said:

Well, last night i loaded up 8 plastic barrels from work to experiment with, Then a buddy says (hey i know the perfect thing) an ran to the computer. He found a 60 gallon inductor tank used in the farming industry. He also located one about ten miles from my house for $104.61. So Im leaving early today for work to stop and get it. Hopefully i will get a pic soon and post it. Thanks for all the suggestions guys.

[Tony Gilliam]

OK, Here is the inductor tank that i just bought. It was $212. with the stand. It is 60 gallons and has a thread on vented lid with a 2" threaded bulkhead on the bottom. Ought to make a great swirl filter.

[Leo White Bear]

Tony-

  Very sweet, where did you purchase it from?

Leo