Pond Liners & containers

[Natalie Desrosiers]

Maybe this topic is hidden deep in another discussion thread....but in case not...

 

I am wondering what different types of containers people use for fish tanks & plant beds. I was going to build a frame and line it with a pool liner. My uncle is a pool man and I thought I could get a scrap piece of liner. Thank goodness my uncle is very knowledgeable man because he told me that even a new liner would be deadly to fish. Just thought I would share that knowledge for anybody else who had the same idea. 

 

[L F]

I bet it would wor but I would want to build it , put water in it, and let it sit in the sun for about 14 days. May even consider putting a little salt in it.

[Calvin Schmidt]

If you're going to build a tank/bed you'd be best to line it with HDPE pond liner, HDPE is generally considered inert with very low risk of chemical leaching. As far as reusing other containers it would really just depend on what they are made of. Generally all plastic items in North America will have a recycling code to indicate which type of plastic they are made of.

Here's a link to a site which describes each type by number, generally you want to stay with food grade plastics as they are less prone to leaching, which will eventually poison the fish.

What Do The Plastic Recycling Numbers Mean

I've got a number of different types of totes and tubs here and they seem to vary by type and brand.

[ericjf7]

Yo Natalie, there' a lot of discussion around used billboard tarps, and a likely direction for my system: http://www.billboardtarps.com/collections/tarps - they recommend vinyl cement HH-66 for joining and patching, if needed. A simple search, using the 'search' box in forums etc., should get you in to some of the discussions

[David Hart]

If you have bought from this place, I'd like to know of your experiance...?

I bought a tarp there, They sent it out pretty quick......But I CANT USE IT. It had too many holes to be bothered with. I cut it, and used it for under-layment.
BUYER BEWARE !

ericjf7 said:

Yo Natalie, there' a lot of discussion around used billboard tarps, and a likely direction for my system: http://www.billboardtarps.com/collections/tarps - they recommend vinyl cement HH-66 for joining and patching, if needed. A simple search, using the 'search' box in forums etc., should get you in to some of the discussions

[ericjf7]

Thanks for your response David, I was planning on a purchase soon, after learning about them here on this site; now I'll write them first for an explanation, what answer did they give you? Did they offer any solutions or compensations? (not likely?) Since I've alerted others of this product, and we were thinking of a bulk purchase, it is good to know these things. They were strongly recommended to me independent of this site as well. If it does any good, I'll post their reply. I too would like to hear more of other experiences.

[ericjf7]

Here is my letter to the supplier:

Lo Zeke, I have been preparing for a purchase of your tarps for use in aquaponics, both as pond liners, and as liners for grow beds, all of which needs to be waterproof and durable. Furthermore I have interested other people in your product and your site, and preparing for a joint purchase; also promoting your site on a major 'aquaponics' forum, where people are looking for a good product in this same application.

My recommendation of your site brought a response (in the forum) from a former customer of yours whose tarp arrived with too many hole to be usefull - I might add this site has extensive membership in many countries, all of whom are looking for solutions as to liners. Before continuing with my (our) purchases, I'll wait to hear from back from you, all of which will be added to the posts, Thanks again, Eric.

[ericjf7]

More 'fodder' from their site - please note they offer a credit - any experience in this direction?

Are the tarps clean?
These tarps are in great condition and have very minimal wear, if any, associated with outdoor signage. All of the pieces are inspected and folded when they come in. Occasionally, there may be a smudge of dirt from outside, but nothing major. Anything can be wiped off with water.

Are there any holes? What is the condition?
All of the tarps are inspected when we received them and our warehouse team makes sure that there are no holes. Occasionally, a tarp can get small a puncture, usually in transit from fork lifts. If this happens we will gladly take care of the problem with a credit.

[David Hart]

I received the tarp at the end of may of this year. It sat in it's box un-opened in my garage till about 3 or 4 weeks ago.
Yes.... I should of opened it, when I received it.

When my friend and I finally opened it, we found 4 areas, where there were several small holes and wear. Plus, the material , that had been exposed to the elements was showing signs of hardening and cracking.
The tarp wasn't really dirty...could of been rinsed off with a hose.
Maybe, I just happened to get one of bad ones....?
For me...the shipping was as much as the tarp :-(

I emailed them over a week ago.....I haven't received 'any kind' of a response. (Actually, being ignored 'is' a response, I guess )

Unless they guaranteed the condition of the material and 'they pay' return shipping, I wouldn't buy any from them.

I just came in for a break......I was filling some of the new troughs with water. The Dura Scrim from Americover is working just fine.
If you call them....They do sell sections that are 'leftover cuts' from orders....might get a better price (?). Plus, if you call and order, they have different warehouses in the US....we saved some money on shipping that way.
http://www.americover.com/20_mil_reinforced_804_prd1.htm





ericjf7 said:

Thanks for your response David, I was planning on a purchase soon, after learning about them here on this site; now I'll write them first for an explanation, what answer did they give you? Did they offer any solutions or compensations? (not likely?) Since I've alerted others of this product, and we were thinking of a bulk purchase, it is good to know these things. They were strongly recommended to me independent of this site as well. If it does any good, I'll post their reply. I too would like to hear more of other experiences.

[Wolfenhawke]

Are you thinking of using tarps or pond liner (rubber) material? Tarps will wear out from the UV quickly. I too was thinking of using pond liners to build plant beds. I would follow Calvin's suggestion of HDPE material (maybe 45mil thickness) -- strong stuff. But at this time, I am thinking of going with plastic to start.

From my searching, I am likely going with either the 35 or 55 gallon reservoirs for my plant beds. FYI, here are the links I got from my research:
http://www.horticulturesource.com/complete-hydroponics-aeroponic-so...
others:
http://theaquaponicsource.com/proddetail.php?prod=CMFGR001
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=30414&catid=821
http://americanaquaponics.com/products.php?product=2.5X4-Black-Grow...
http://americanaquaponics.com/products.php?product=SUPER-DEEP-Grow-Bed
http://www.plastic-mart.com/index.htm
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=26435&catid=820
http://www.tank-depot.com/product.aspx?id=135

[Natalie Desrosiers]

thanks for the links!

[Joseph Orlando]

In my new system I am experimenting with some new tanks. My concern was keeping as much heat in the tank as possible to maintain 80 F so I can over-winter my Tilapia. I have decided to try a tank body made with a double layer of 2 1/4" ridgid foam insulation. I am lining the tank with a PVC "fish-friendly" pond liner. The liner is black to hold more heat and the edges of the liner are designed to sandwich between the two layers of foam. The sides of the tank will be banded and reinforced with a 2x4 'clamp" I designed. Simple and inexpensive given the volumes you can create with the design.

[TCLynx]

Hay Joseph,
Looks like a cool design but I'm gonna add my general warning about liner and lumber (and I don't know how foam will play in this) but TERMITES. Granted, my locaiton is worse for termites than yours probably is but lumber and liner beware, the termites might not realize they have left the wood until you have a leak.

Also, is your system going to be raft or flood and drain media? This question pertains to your hopes of insulating and keeping the water at 80 F. If flood and drain media, what ever the air temp around the grow beds, is going to greatly affect the water temp and insulating the fish tank will have only minimal effect at keeping the water warm. Raft systems have different dynamics with temperature and I don't have enough experience with them to help there.

Joseph Orlando said:

In my new system I am experimenting with some new tanks. My concern was keeping as much heat in the tank as possible to maintain 80 F so I can over-winter my Tilapia. I have decided to try a tank body made with a double layer of 2 1/4" ridgid foam insulation. I am lining the tank with a PVC "fish-friendly" pond liner. The liner is black to hold more heat and the edges of the liner are designed to sandwich between the two layers of foam. The sides of the tank will be banded and reinforced with a 2x4 'clamp" I designed. Simple and inexpensive given the volumes you can create with the design.