Making your own concrete tanks

[Matt Trevatt]

Hi all

I am planning to return to oz in the next 6 months for a few years. Mainly due to our kids education, cost here are around the 7000 USD per kid per year at the local English speaking schools. No way we can afford that!

So I am thinking of setting up a something at our in Bris when I get back. I now know how to build concrete tanks, both in ground and above and to pretty much any size.
I was wondering if, like everything else in the west, are we actually allowed 2 do this? Or are permits required??
What about fencing off the ponds? Do they come under the swimming pool legislation?

[Murray]

Depends on your local council....re fencing a pond.....It may be state wide.
You are permitted to build concrete tanks here in Qld.
It is a bit of a joke really..25 odd years ago Brisbane City Council made it illegal to have a rainwater tank...they said it was bad for our health...all sorts of nasties in that tank water....you had to hook up to the town supply and get rid of that evil water tank.
Now since the recent level 6 water restrictions the State Gov has been paying big subsidies for us to put back the rainwater tanks.

[bunya boy]

Matt,
I'm just about to put the Stage 5 PDF paper for my system on the forum, and in it, I note that new QLD pool fencing regulations that are proposed require a PERMANENT fence (1200mm high minimum) any pond, pool or around even a portable blowup kids pool or portable spa if it can hold 300mm or more depth of water!! Fishtanks, lockable lid or not! (recent ruling about an outdoor portable spa with lockable lid requiring permanent fence!!) means they will have to be either permanently fenced or, by raising the working lip to above 1200mm from natural surface level, without footholds etc, they become their own 'fence'. This is what I intend doing so I don't require separate fencing.

Cheers IanK

[Adareaqua]

Has anyone got any good ideas about cleaning the air stone
mine seem to keep getting gummed up and dont wont to come cleanseems a bit wastefull to throw them away after a short use
any other solutions instead of air stones>>>??
adareaqua

[GaryD]

Hi,

You might try diffusers. Some of the membrane-type diffusers don't block up the same way that airstones do......but they are rather more expensive.

Gary

[Adareaqua]

Thanks Gary - will look into that.

[cando]

Hi Matt

I have many ferrous cement concrete ponds at my place and you are welcome to come and have a look. With recycled reo and mesh some of my ponds cost me as little as $50 for a 2.4m by 500mm deep round pond on a 75mm reinforced concrete slab.

Because I live on more than 1 acre in the Redlands you only need to fence a pool that is used for swimming. If that will change with new legislation I don't know.

Francois from Capalaba

[Erody]

Cando,

What do you use to waterproof your tanks? Or does anyone else know?

I am thinking of building my tank out of besser blocks from bunnings.

Erody

[cando]

Hi Erody

I built my first ponds from brick on a reinforced concrete slab with brickweld (bird wire) in the mortar. I then rendered the brickwork inside and painted it with Silalsek to waterproof it. I painted Bondcrete on the slab before laying the bricks to bind the walls and floor together. I also mixed Bondcrete into the render.

This worked for about a year or so and then all my ponds started leaking where the brickwork joined the floor. Two different mediums expanding and contracting at different rates and Bondcrete, being PVA based, leached out after a while.

I then switched to ferrous cement ponds which are much cheaper and easier to build and you have the same medium for the floor as for the walls. The walls are only 25-40mm thick and very strong. I also started using Weldcrete (later Lanko Latex) which is latex based and waterproof. I used it painted on the floor where I rendered the walls and mixed into the render at one yoghurt cup per mixer load. I still painted the walls with Silasek to waterproof it. Being brittle the Silasek chipped off over time although my ponds never leaked again.

I now use MEGAPOXY H, a clear 2 part epoxy paint to paint the walls after render. You can paint within a day or 2 and put the water in within another day or so. With Silasek you have to wait for the wall to dry before painting and then you have to use soda ash in the water to neutralise the lime leached into the water and refill the pond a few times before use.

If you are interested I can explain to you how I do ferrous cement ponds. I learnt the method from an Earth Garden Magazine article for building ferrous cement water tanks many years ago. I won't build in anything else.

If you use Besser Blocks make sure your walls are tied into the floor with steel rods (starter bars) and fill the cavity around the bars with concrete. I have not used Bessr Blocks since they are too wide and take up too much space but I know of people who have had success using it.

Francois

[Matt Trevatt]

I think that is a bad idea re concrete blocks also avoid square tanks as they tend to pull out at the corners.
U can check these PDFs from my website.

Here they seal with a mixture of pure cement and water, no sand ETC and polish off with paper. It gets a really shiny look. U can buy a sealer paint as well, not sure how expensive in Oz.

Above Ground Water Tank http://www.campbali.com/Above%20Ground%20Tank.doc
Underground Water Tank http://www.campbali.com/In%20ground%20water%20tank..doc
Rus Pump http://www.campbali.com/Rus%20Pump.doc

Cando
Thanks for the invite, would love to do the rounds in Briz when I get back
Just booked the flights - cost 1000 bucks for 2 adults 3 kids with jetstar. - thats about the same price for 1 person at peak!