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Old 07-15-12, 02:05 PM   #11
SimpleManLance
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very cool. i have well water but i like the idea of not needing to use the elctricity to pump it.

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Old 07-16-12, 10:47 AM   #12
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Great project, Ben. I am planning on working with IBCs soon to expand my aquaponics setup from 50 gallons to 250.

If you plan on using the water only on your garden, you may want to encourage algae growth. As it breaks down, it will provide a low level of nutrition to your plants. The USDA is studying using algae to treat waste water from cattle operations and using the resulting dried algae as an organic fertilizer. The amount of algae that your system adds will be low (unless you start to add nutrients to the water to encourage algae growth), but over a growing season it will help your plants.

I was reading up on IBCs and found that the plastic is highly UV resistant, lasting 20 years or so in direct sunlight. If you are not worried about algae there is no reason to paint the container. The only issue you may encounter is trouble with clogging, but this would require really high algae concentrations. However, a toilet brush on the end of a broom should be enough to clean out a clogged drain.

Now you've got me excited about collecting rain water and growing algae .
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Old 07-17-12, 09:34 AM   #13
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I think we discussed this before, but if you have ashfalt shingles and you use the run off from your roof to water your vegetable garden, does that not put toxic chemicals into your food?

Just curious. I use the water to water my plants but not vegetable garden.
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Old 07-19-12, 05:22 PM   #14
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This Sunday, my Dad and I were working on a rainwater collection system over at his house.

We are using the same type of containers over there.

Here's the first of a short series of videos I made about it.

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Old 07-19-12, 10:03 PM   #15
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Video part 2 is up!

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Old 07-19-12, 11:23 PM   #16
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Video 3:

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Old 07-20-12, 08:07 AM   #17
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very informative and cool video.
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Old 07-20-12, 08:19 AM   #18
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Video part 4 is up!

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Old 07-20-12, 09:18 PM   #19
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Part 5 of 5:

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Old 07-21-12, 09:24 AM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bennelson View Post
Watching you with your father, I see where you get the DIY bug. He's also obviously skilled. I like the fact that you left the pop-rivet error in the video. It's useful to see others mistakes, when, like me, you are relatively inexperienced.

In video four, solving the trapped air bubble "mystery" was a good touch too. Seeing the open-ended, always-gonna-have-a-slight-detour factor play-out is useful. It's always a part of the projects.

Very nice!


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