sirevans reef
Active Member
So I went to lowes to get a trash can for my ro/di water station and found out that a 32 gal trash can was $29.99 +tax and I wanted two of them. One for salt and one for plain ro/di water. I have a 125 gal mixed reef down stairs and 20 gal fish only tank in my sons room up stairs. So I do about 30 gal a week water change in the big tank and about 6gals a week in the small one so......32 gal is alittle small and the next size up trash can was a 44 gal for $42.00 each. So almost $90.00 after taxes just to hold water....I think not.:mad2:
So I got on craigslist and found a guy that sold 55 gal food grade barrels for $20.00 each.(Now we're talking!! $40.00) Then I went to lowes and got AMERICAN VALVE 1" PVC Ball Valve Socket. The one with threads on both ends(female),male elbow, male receiver for the back, square piece of rubber for the seal, and Teflon tape. All in all about $12.00 because I wanted two ball valves, elbows, and male receivers.
First things first I took a jig saw and cut the top of the barrel about 3/4 and then around it at where it dips in all the way around the barrel. Then I use flat hings to make it swing open and closed.
So I used a 1'' 1/4 paddle bit to drill a hole at about the 5 gal mark on each of the barrels. Then I took the rubber matt and cut 2- two inch square out of it and use my paddle bit again and drilled out the center of each square. Teflon taped each of the threaded ends and on the inside of the barrel have the rubber matt against the barrel with the male receiver going though the barrel and made a nice tight seal. Then screw on the elbow and you have a nice little spicket.
Then I took two chairs that my wife had found on the side of the road and brought home to use in the studio, but she never recovered them like she said she was going to so I hacked them:xd:! They made really nice bases!
Then I used some weather striping(the kind that is about two inch wide and has a bend ) to cover the top where I used the jig saw to cut so nothing will get into it as it sits.
So I got on craigslist and found a guy that sold 55 gal food grade barrels for $20.00 each.(Now we're talking!! $40.00) Then I went to lowes and got AMERICAN VALVE 1" PVC Ball Valve Socket. The one with threads on both ends(female),male elbow, male receiver for the back, square piece of rubber for the seal, and Teflon tape. All in all about $12.00 because I wanted two ball valves, elbows, and male receivers.
First things first I took a jig saw and cut the top of the barrel about 3/4 and then around it at where it dips in all the way around the barrel. Then I use flat hings to make it swing open and closed.
So I used a 1'' 1/4 paddle bit to drill a hole at about the 5 gal mark on each of the barrels. Then I took the rubber matt and cut 2- two inch square out of it and use my paddle bit again and drilled out the center of each square. Teflon taped each of the threaded ends and on the inside of the barrel have the rubber matt against the barrel with the male receiver going though the barrel and made a nice tight seal. Then screw on the elbow and you have a nice little spicket.
Then I took two chairs that my wife had found on the side of the road and brought home to use in the studio, but she never recovered them like she said she was going to so I hacked them:xd:! They made really nice bases!
