Looking for large vat to hold water for water changes

speenach · 02/19/2006, 04:59 PM

Hi, does anyone know of a website where I can order a large vat anywhere from 75-100 gallons that I could use to make saltwater? I would like to try a large 95 gallon trash can from Loews but its says the max weight it can hold is 384 lbs. 95 gallons of saltwater is roughly 800 lbs!! I dont know if it will blow up the trash can or just break the wheels it's on. any ideas? assuming this idea doesnt work, i need something no larger than a trash can in width that I can use to hold this much water. I'm trying to do 75-100 gallon water changes for my 500g aquarium and something to hold the water in while getting ready for a water change is what I need. Thanks for any info!

RobinsonFam1 · 02/19/2006, 05:07 PM

check with usplastics. they have all kinds of tanks. ebay has alot of water tanks. rubbermaib stock tanks, make an acrylic lid for it. that may be the easiest and cheapest way. plus it has a bulkhead to just pump water back into tank also.

geo · 02/19/2006, 05:24 PM

I second www.usplastic.com. They have quite a few to select from and many have steel stands to match.

speenach · 02/19/2006, 05:33 PM

thanks for the info. the rubbermaid stock tanks seem pretty cool. how would i know what kind of pump i could stick on there to pump back into my tank? and what kind of hose should i use? thanks again!

speenach · 02/20/2006, 08:40 AM

thanks for the info. the rubbermaid stock tanks seem pretty cool. how would i know what kind of pump i could stick on there to pump back into my tank? and what kind of hose should i use? thanks again!

MarkD40 · 02/20/2006, 09:50 AM

I use a rubbermaid 50 gallon roughneck trashcan. Two of those connected with a bulkhead at the bottom would work well. I have a bulkhead in the bottom my can hooked up to a mag 7 700gph pump located externally to the trash can to pump the water from the can into my sump. Because the can is curved it does not seal as well as glass and so I applied some silicon sealer to the bulkhead gasket. Don't overtighten the bulkhead nuts! No leaks in 7 years!

sales weasel · 02/20/2006, 10:11 AM

Try this:
http://www.mytscstore.com/detail.asp?pcID=8&paID=1039

mfinn · 02/20/2006, 11:47 AM

A 75-100 gallon container would be a little ackward to move around or store out of the way. IMO.
How about 2 of Rubbermaid 45-50 gallon trash containers? They will stack inside each other and store in a small area.
I use several. I use powerheads like the rio's 2500-3100 that I took out of my tank to mix the saltwater and with a 1/2dia clear plastic hose and a magnum return u-tube to put the mixed saltwater in the tank.

poppin_fresh · 02/20/2006, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by speenach
thanks for the info. the rubbermaid stock tanks seem pretty cool. how would i know what kind of pump i could stick on there to pump back into my tank? and what kind of hose should i use? thanks again!

You could use a submersible pump with some flexible hose to move the mixed water over to your sump. A Mag pump would probably work fine.

You can also hard plumb it with the bulkhead that comes with it, but it would require a little more work.

speenach · 02/20/2006, 07:01 PM

mfinn - i like the idea of using 2 50 gallon trash cans but can it withhold the amount of water? They usually say how many lbs they can hold and the amount of saltwater surpasses that. Assuming it works, do i just need to cut out a hole at the bottom and somehow fit a pump onto it to pump the water back to my sump? I've never done anything like this so I should probably pay someone to do it, but is that the cocept? Thanks!

Roland Jacques · 02/20/2006, 07:23 PM

I would like to try a large 95 gallon trash can from Loews but its says the max weight it can hold is 384 lbs. 95 gallons of saltwater is roughly 800 lbs!! I dont know if it will blow up the trash can or just break the wheels it's on. any ideas?

that tash can will hold that much water fine, but the wheels wont. (your talking about lowes heavy heavy duty can that cost about $90 right)

mfinn · 02/20/2006, 08:46 PM

I use the large 45 gallon rubbermaid cans every other week. They have been working for me for about 6 years. The ones I use don't have wheels, but you can buy a set for them, but I wouldn't try it. Just set the can next to the tank that needs the water change and use a hose to bring the water to the can. I use a python drain and fill system on a 50' hose.
You don't need to cut a hole in it at all. Use a powerhead with a hose attached to it.

speenach · 02/20/2006, 10:06 PM

yourfishman - yeah, i was talking about the one from Loews for $90.

mfinn - your method sounds very easy and simple. I am probably better off doing that. I just got excited when the guy from the LFS told me that I could keep it in the garage, have it heated and keep the water cycling, and use a hose to pump it from the garage to my living room from a pump attached on the outside. Sounded like a great system that is not in the house and doesnt require any work hauling it around. But I dont know how to plumb the system and pricewise, having them do it is quite expensive. sounds like I will stick with your method for now. Thanks!

02/19/2006, 04:59 PM	#1
speenach Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 106	Looking for large vat to hold water for water changes Hi, does anyone know of a website where I can order a large vat anywhere from 75-100 gallons that I could use to make saltwater? I would like to try a large 95 gallon trash can from Loews but its says the max weight it can hold is 384 lbs. 95 gallons of saltwater is roughly 800 lbs!! I dont know if it will blow up the trash can or just break the wheels it's on. any ideas? assuming this idea doesnt work, i need something no larger than a trash can in width that I can use to hold this much water. I'm trying to do 75-100 gallon water changes for my 500g aquarium and something to hold the water in while getting ready for a water change is what I need. Thanks for any info!

02/19/2006, 05:24 PM	#3
geo RC Mod Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: St. George Island, FL Posts: 19,512	I second www.usplastic.com. They have quite a few to select from and many have steel stands to match. __________________ I'm sorry I had a fight in the middle of your Black Panther party.

02/20/2006, 09:50 AM	#6
MarkD40 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Kansas Posts: 647	I use a rubbermaid 50 gallon roughneck trashcan. Two of those connected with a bulkhead at the bottom would work well. I have a bulkhead in the bottom my can hooked up to a mag 7 700gph pump located externally to the trash can to pump the water from the can into my sump. Because the can is curved it does not seal as well as glass and so I applied some silicon sealer to the bulkhead gasket. Don't overtighten the bulkhead nuts! No leaks in 7 years! __________________ My ship came in. Unfortunately it hit a reef. Current Tank Info: 110 gallon reef display tank, fish, LPS, SPS and mushrooms. A 75 gallon sump in basement with protein skimmer, 40watt UV sterilizer, RO/DI, refugium with chaeto, phosban reactor. 40 gallon frag tank.

02/20/2006, 11:47 AM	#8
mfinn Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Olympia. WA. Posts: 8,648	A 75-100 gallon container would be a little ackward to move around or store out of the way. IMO. How about 2 of Rubbermaid 45-50 gallon trash containers? They will stack inside each other and store in a small area. I use several. I use powerheads like the rio's 2500-3100 that I took out of my tank to mix the saltwater and with a 1/2dia clear plastic hose and a magnum return u-tube to put the mixed saltwater in the tank. __________________ 240 gallon soft coral tank 50 gallon lps tank

02/20/2006, 07:23 PM	#11
Roland Jacques Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Atlanta GA Posts: 2,848	I would like to try a large 95 gallon trash can from Loews but its says the max weight it can hold is 384 lbs. 95 gallons of saltwater is roughly 800 lbs!! I dont know if it will blow up the trash can or just break the wheels it's on. any ideas? that tash can will hold that much water fine, but the wheels wont. (your talking about lowes heavy heavy duty can that cost about $90 right) __________________ Roland

02/19/2006, 05:07 PM	#2
RobinsonFam1 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: USA Posts: 616	check with usplastics. they have all kinds of tanks. ebay has alot of water tanks. rubbermaib stock tanks, make an acrylic lid for it. that may be the easiest and cheapest way. plus it has a bulkhead to just pump water back into tank also.

02/19/2006, 05:33 PM	#4
speenach Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 106	thanks for the info. the rubbermaid stock tanks seem pretty cool. how would i know what kind of pump i could stick on there to pump back into my tank? and what kind of hose should i use? thanks again!

02/20/2006, 08:40 AM	#5
speenach Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 106	thanks for the info. the rubbermaid stock tanks seem pretty cool. how would i know what kind of pump i could stick on there to pump back into my tank? and what kind of hose should i use? thanks again!

02/20/2006, 10:11 AM	#7
sales weasel Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Atlanta burbs Posts: 646	Try this: http://www.mytscstore.com/detail.asp?pcID=8&paID=1039

02/20/2006, 07:01 PM	#10
speenach Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 106	mfinn - i like the idea of using 2 50 gallon trash cans but can it withhold the amount of water? They usually say how many lbs they can hold and the amount of saltwater surpasses that. Assuming it works, do i just need to cut out a hole at the bottom and somehow fit a pump onto it to pump the water back to my sump? I've never done anything like this so I should probably pay someone to do it, but is that the cocept? Thanks!

02/20/2006, 08:46 PM	#12
mfinn Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Olympia. WA. Posts: 8,648	I use the large 45 gallon rubbermaid cans every other week. They have been working for me for about 6 years. The ones I use don't have wheels, but you can buy a set for them, but I wouldn't try it. Just set the can next to the tank that needs the water change and use a hose to bring the water to the can. I use a python drain and fill system on a 50' hose. You don't need to cut a hole in it at all. Use a powerhead with a hose attached to it. __________________ 240 gallon soft coral tank 50 gallon lps tank

02/20/2006, 10:06 PM	#13
speenach Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 106	yourfishman - yeah, i was talking about the one from Loews for $90. mfinn - your method sounds very easy and simple. I am probably better off doing that. I just got excited when the guy from the LFS told me that I could keep it in the garage, have it heated and keep the water cycling, and use a hose to pump it from the garage to my living room from a pump attached on the outside. Sounded like a great system that is not in the house and doesnt require any work hauling it around. But I dont know how to plumb the system and pricewise, having them do it is quite expensive. sounds like I will stick with your method for now. Thanks!