Where can I find 55 gallon drums? (used)

[Vincerama2]

Dangit! I wrote a huge post and somehow the page jumped to the "search" page, erasing my whole post!

Long story short, where can I find used 55 g drums for free or cheap? Thanks!

V

 

[sfsuphysics]

hehe..

Used to be a guy in San Bruno who sold them off craigslist, they were vinegar or something holders. I've been looking for an affordable way to hold lots of RO/DI water myself, so keep an eye out

 

[GreshamH]

Try posting in the MARS RC forum. There has been numerous GB's on them on their forum. Some one probably has a spare. I haven't seen the San Bruno guy post those up in a while Mike, have you?

 

[sfsuphysics]

No but in my defense I haven't been actively looking.

I like the idea of those ones Ian got (though those were larger than 55g) but shipping was a bit more than I wanted to pay.

 

[anathema]

Well this guy seems to have them:

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/grd/2217457921.html

I used to buy them from a guy in bayview who sold soap to car detail shops. He moved to Modesto, but check with a car detail shop, give them a good rinse and they will be fine.

 

[anathema]

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/scz/for/2215807803.html

Another option, bit of a drive though.

In tracking them down, I noticed that the Ford Truck Center you can see from the first BART stop in Oakland has a big stack of them in their back lot. Always meant to drive over and make offer, but I didn't end up needing them.

Good luck.

 

[GreshamH]

Well this guy seems to have them:

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/grd/2217457921.html

I used to buy them from a guy in bayview who sold soap to car detail shops. He moved to Modesto, but check with a car detail shop, give them a good rinse and they will be fine.

Yah I think I'll NOT do that. Far too risky given the absorption rate of some plastics and the fact those car detagents are filled with phosphate amongst other things. A simple rinse may not be effective, then what, I loose $20K in coral over something as obvious as that

 

[houser]

that would make a good "DOH" post if it actually happened.
G I think you were so excited that you forgot how to spell again.

 

[GreshamH]

nope... wasn't paying attention to the spell check and chose the wrong one I guess (not sent from my phone). That's what I get for posting, SKYPING, talking on the phone and waving one had trying to catch some one as they walked by :lol:

 

[anathema]

Far too lazy to argue with you, just posting my experience so others can find useable barrels. The drums I used had soap in them and worked fine.

If it had originally contained solvents I'd steer clear but soap, meh.

If you are worried fill it with old water from a water change, let it sit for a few days then dispose as usual. If you can still smell the soap you'd have cause to keep rinsing, but after 1 filling of saltwater my barrels had no residual soapy smell, and I've now been using them for 5 years with no I'll effects.

 

[Vincerama2]

For my purposes, a bit dirty isn't bad, I'm actually going to try digging a "dry well" in my backyard to see if it helps with "soggy backyard" syndrome.

Basically you buy a barrel with holes in the sides, covered with landscape fabric and plumb a french drain to it. Rainwater or run-off water (I live on a hillside) should flow into the french drain, then into the barrel. Slowly the water drains out of the barrel and into the ground. It helps all the surface water to find a way down deeper and hangs onto it while it seeps into the ground. I'm not sure it will work because the ground has a lot of clay in it.

V

 

[Elite]

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/grd/2216883994.html

I still have 2 that I bought from the guy in San Bruno. Those barrel are great.

 

[Coral reefer]

I never ordered my 100 gal containers...anyone want in now?

 

[GreshamH]

For my purposes, a bit dirty isn't bad, I'm actually going to try digging a "dry well" in my backyard to see if it helps with "soggy backyard" syndrome.

Basically you buy a barrel with holes in the sides, covered with landscape fabric and plumb a french drain to it. Rainwater or run-off water (I live on a hillside) should flow into the french drain, then into the barrel. Slowly the water drains out of the barrel and into the ground. It helps all the surface water to find a way down deeper and hangs onto it while it seeps into the ground. I'm not sure it will work because the ground has a lot of clay in it.

V

Hope it helps standing water and soggy yards suck

 

[GreshamH]

Far too lazy to argue with you, just posting my experience so others can find useable barrels. The drums I used had soap in them and worked fine.

If it had originally contained solvents I'd steer clear but soap, meh.

If you are worried fill it with old water from a water change, let it sit for a few days then dispose as usual. If you can still smell the soap you'd have cause to keep rinsing, but after 1 filling of saltwater my barrels had no residual soapy smell, and I've now been using them for 5 years with no I'll effects.

Dude I'm worse then Deuce Bigelow when it comes to stuff like this.... and he got kicked out of the aquarium for not wearing shorts (may have had residual detergent on them) while cleaning the tank

Detergents are not something I mess around with given how harsh some of the commercial ones are (high phosphate). Finding food grade is just as easy IME so IMO I'd never risk it.

 

[anathema]

Finding food grade is just as easy IME so IMO I'd never risk it.

Unfortunately, that has not been the case for me. It took me 2 months of looking to find the first set of barrels I bought, and that's why I ended up going with soap barrels.

Recently, when I was looking for another barrel with the top intact, since I skillsawed the tops off of my old ones to make them easier to cure rock in, I even asked around at LFS's, talked to a few club members, called several soft drink distributors(who told me that if I didn't have a commercial account to go F myself and hung up on me, nice guys), and tried 3 different car detailing shops. I came up empty handed, so I ended up using an old aquarium I had around for my ATO, which works better anyways now that it's all set up.

Maybe I'm just bad at finding food grade barrels that someone doesn't want upwards of $80 for, but I went the route I did out of neccesity.

Also, FWIW, I won't ever fault you for being careful with your tank.

 

[northbay-reefer]

Find a savage yard in your area, they have tons of them. We have one here in santa rosa, if you need the location I'll get it for you. I bought some drums from them in the past for cheap. They also have tons of cool stuff like scrap acrylic, pvc, metal, etc.

 

[GreshamH]

There is a place in Oakland that always has food grade. I think they are $60. I will dig up the name if anyone is interested.

 

[patchin]

I have bought a couple plastic drums from Friedmans in Santa Rosa. They were Italian olive barrels, with some olive remnants left in them. Was gonna use them for growing vegetable growing over the winter, but never did it. $15, I believe. I would've made them available to someone in the club, but I already cut them in half.

 

[Vincerama2]

Heh Deuce Bigelow "I'll need more snails. From the bottom of the tank"



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y82mtLnXsy8

OF COURSE Youtube would have the clip...

V