Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Pond Boss Ideas to clean a plastic drum to make it fish safe

I'm working on a project where I need to use a plastic drum as a clarifier for a large tank. The tank has a soapy odor to it but does not produce any more sudze after adding water. (There seemed to be just a little at first). After several rinses the soapy odor remains.

Other than steam cleaning does any one have any ideas? I have it setting outside in the rain (the top is cut out) and plan on power washing and rinsing it several times with well water. Maybe there is some kind of fish friendly cleaner I could use or a cleaner that is easily rinsed out?

Maybe I should sink it one of the ponds for a few days?

Ideas?

Cecil:

I'd fill it with water from the pond and throw some fatheads in it. If they last a week, you're good to go!

Wow Scott, that's a great idea.

Fatheads, the aquatic version of the canary.

Not necessarily. They are more tolerant of bad water quality than most fish. They can take very low D.O. for instance.

That's why I suggested them, you shouldn't have to aerate the water in the barrel, 'cause you were looking for toxins. Besides, I figured that that was the cheapest route to go. I think small GSH are more fragile than the FHM.

OTOH, you could aerate it and throw one of the trout in there for faster results!

Or, if you have an outlet built into the barrel already, you could run one of your smaller pumps into it from the front pond and cycle water thru it for a few days to see if the smell dissapates, dumping the water back into the front pond. The fish in the front pond should be a little more tolerant of nasties than the back pond, plus there is more water in the front pond to further dilute the residue in the barrel.

Scot,

As always you are absolutely right. But guess what? I set it outside overnight and the soapy odor is gone. Go figure. I believe the store told me it came from the Kraft company where they make candy etc. Maybe the soap was just used to clean it out? But then again it could have had detergent to clean their machines. The other one I have that is identical and is being used for holding water for make up water smelled like candy before I rinsed it out.

With no odor and it being plastic I think I may be O.K.

If an another able bodied male shows up I'd be all set. I need another set of arms to put the RBC in the tank. It' feels like it weights at least 150 lbs.

Cecil:

Are you going to be around tomorrow morning before 10 or 11? I have to run to Chain O'Lakes to put up my deer stand, then hotfoot it back here to drop off the trailer before running down to Indy to meet Rex. I could detour by your place and give you a hand for a short bit if needed.

Yes I will be here but don't go out of your way. If it's out of your way at all it's not necessary. I can catch one of my neighbors when they get home although both of them work on the road and are gone for several days at a time.

Cecil If you ever run into the problem again you could go to an ag chemical retailer. We use products to pull chemical residue out of our plastic sprayer tanks. It is basically just ammonia

Blair,

Thanks for the info. I have a few of those around. Not sure if I have the time though. I need to move fish into the tank before ice up. This project is taking too long as it is!

There has been people Ice fishing here lately and we went skating on our lake with 4 inches of ice last weekend and 17 degrees C above normal here and loving it.

Once I leave the Park I can either go home via Rt. 30 or US 6. Either way is about the same time and miles. I'll give you a shout when I'm leaving the park.

just a little fyi, there is an actual standardized EPA analytical test method that uses FHM as the "canary" to help determine a water samples toxicity in risk assessments. that was a great idea there esshup.

They also use bluegills.

A good use the for this unapologetically rabbit-like lepomis.

Green sunfish would probably be too tough!

Esshup showed up and helped me load my rotating biofitler into the tank.

SOMETHING'S TERRIBLY WRONG! IT'S WORKING LIKE IT SHOULD BE!


Water drops down to the paddles, they fill, and the filter rotates on it's axle! It's even at the right depth after doing some guesswork on how much flotation to add to the center, to compensate for thicker polystyrene plastic. ( I was only able to get twice the thickness suggested).

As per Esshup's suggestion I have filled the clarifier drum with RAS tank water and will put some fatheads into it. I set it outside to cool down to the pond temperature, and to make sure the bulkhead I installed on the bottom doesn't leak. I've got the minnow trap set off the pier, and will put some into the tank once it cools down to the pond temp, and we'll see if they have any problems.