ATO Reservoir Ideas

[jwt1603]

This thread is great. I’ve got two Home Depot buckets for my QTs in our home office but something a little more decoratively acceptable would be nice.

 

[reeferfoxx]

Not sure if it was mentioned but anything Sterlite makes is food grade plastic.

 

[DracoKat]

I got a large heavy glass vase from Home Goods and used that for my ATO
Holds maybe 15 gals of water? I refill it once a week

 

[BigJohnny]

Word of warning about using BPA safe dog food containers. I used one for awhile and found that it was leaching into the water. I didn't notice during normal usage but found when ever I went away for more than a few days I had a lot of cyano. I finally figured out using a TDS meter that my 0 RODI water was turning into 70-100 TDS over 5 days. I switched to a glass tank and no more cyano and my water stays around 0.

Interesting, cuz I've been using several for 4 years with no such issues, what brand?

 

[BigJohnny]

Cody I'm a little confused on what your space is because I thought it was 7x7x27 but then you linked a 8x8x15 something.

I use the 2.5g f jugs from uline you linked as dosing containers, they are solid. My ato is this, but it's 16x10x18. They have a ton of shapes and sizes though. Including tall skinny ones. I like my ato containers big enough to hold 5-7 days of top off.

This is an out there idea but since you don't care what it looks like you could save money by building a plywood box to your exact specifications and then coat it with pond shield lol. Mini plywood aquarium.

 

[mcarroll]

Cody I'm a little confused on what your space is because I thought it was 7x7x27 but then you linked a 8x8x15 something.

Seriously! No fair changing the standard just to favor your own pick, @CodyRVA! (Unless you want to.)

 

[Donald Goldsworthy]

I'm using my mixing station RODI Side as my ATO tank. A place near me sells used syrup drums. Just about any size you need. I have two 55 plastic food grade drums for my mixing station. And two 20 gallon drums for various other things I need for other pets. The drums were 15 each for the 55s if I'm not mistaken.

 

[Matthew Frost]

I made my own acrylic ATO out of an old scrap tank I cut apart and rebuilt the size I wanted. I wore of caution, there is a big difference between welding acrylic that "holds", welding acrylic that "holds water", and welding acrylic that "holds water and looks pretty". If you`re dead set on DIY practice on some small pieces first, use lots of clamps and try to be patient. I would take a long hard look at some of the options suggested.

 

[CodyRVA]

haha my bad all, i figured I could squeeze that 8 X 8 in there, measured this evening and it's not happening. It's 7 X 7 on the dot... the search continues i'm afraid... i can move my dosing jugs, but don't really want to unless I have to

 

[Matthew Frost]

I made my own acrylic ATO out of an old scrap tank I cut apart and rebuilt the size I wanted. I wore of caution, there is a big difference between welding acrylic that "holds", welding acrylic that "holds water", and welding acrylic that "holds water and looks pretty". If you`re dead set on DIY practice on some small pieces first, use lots of clamps and try to be patient. I would take a long hard look at some of the options suggested.

That's mine. It took some trial and error but it turned out nice.

 

[jld]

one of my old square 5 gallon plastic water jugs ive used for years for homebrewing water and clean tank water... reuse whats easy n cheap there is so much available. new 25 gallon lagoon build in progress - still a little ways to go downtown.

 

[William Norman]

Interesting, cuz I've been using several for 4 years with no such issues, what brand?

I have no idea on brand. Purchased at Walmart, made in China.

 

[CodyRVA]

Sorry for the pink color; should have taken it during the day time. Essentially, the space to the left of the dosing jugs where the random stuff is kept is where i'd like to put it; so yea... tight space. I could build a platform about 7 inches tall which would buy me an inch each way so I then could place that 8 X 8 X 13.5 inch square carboy, but i'm not entirely sold on that option as of yet.

 

[Texas Reefer]

Not sure if it was mentioned but anything Sterlite makes is food grade plastic.

Check the recycling number. #4 is "with caution". #5 is better.

 

[reeferfoxx]

Check the recycling number. #4 is "with caution". #5 is better.

Sterilite products are #5.

 

[Texas Reefer]

Sterilite products are #5.

I was at Target Sunday and I saw one that was #4. Just double check.

 

[reeferfoxx]

I was at Target Sunday and I saw one that was #4. Just double check.

Interesting. Mine is #5.

 

[reeferfoxx]

I was at Target Sunday and I saw one that was #4. Just double check.

I almost dropped my phone into the water but here a pic if the label. Kind of hard to see. I had to adjust the contrast.

 

[Texas Reefer]

I cannot find the specific item online with the "chasing triangle" 4, neither Sterilite's website posts the recycle code, nor does Target's. But as my 6 yo daughter was asking to go look at lip balm and fingernail polish and I needed to find a tote to put cycling dry rock in, I thought I might try to find food grade plastic at Target. I went to the tote section. All they seemed to have was Sterilite. The first one I looked at was closest to the size I needed. Started looking for "food grade" (ha!) so looked for other markings. The SKU didn't tell me anything about the plastic. The only other thing I could find was the recycling symbol. I had no idea it would tell me so much! The one I was holding was #4. It can leach an endocrine disruptor especially when exposed to UV light. So I checked the next size up. It was #5. Considered much safer and is labeled as specifically food grade. www.lifewithoutplastic.com/store/common_plastics_no_1_to_no_7.

 

[Texas Reefer]

I almost dropped my phone into the water but here a pic if the label. Kind of hard to see. I had to adjust the contrast.

Yes, the Sterilite I got was number 5, but the first Sterilite was number 4.