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    Thread: Home-made Settlement Chamber

    1. #1
      TomsCTPond is offline Member
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      Home-made Settlement Chamber

      Due to the high cost of settlement chambers, many ponders opt for the DIY settlement chamber route. I too, would like to follow that route or somewhere in-between. I've been searching the web for plastic tanks and came across several sights that offer reasonably priced cone-bottom-shaped tanks. Unless I'm missing something, the only modification needed is a bottom-drain, a mid-level feed, and an upper-level return. Can't these be accomplished simply with bulkhead fittings?

      Has anyone gone this route? Comments?

      Regards,
      Tom
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    2. #2
      ma barker is offline Corsair Extraordinaire
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      Tom....contact 'hacnp'...here on the board. He didn't use that exact tank, but some kind of ag tank that was similar. His turned out very well.

      I'll send him this thread, so he won't miss it....but in the mean time, do a search on threads he started. I believe he had one of his pond construction....showing the plumbing of his settlement tank too.
      87% Dixie...still working on that last 13%.
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    3. #3
      CarolinaGirl is offline Inactivated
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      As long as you go large enough, there is no reason those tanks would not work just as well. Depending on wall thickness, you could use uniseals for the pipe penetrations.

    4. #4
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      There are several folks doing this type of thing right now....Bridman, LeeKinneykoi, and a couple others I cant think of.... Do a search for plastic tanks and you shoud turn up a couple things in the past few days.
      Luke

    5. #5
      ma barker is offline Corsair Extraordinaire
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      Well, I've been looking for Ken's construction thread but can't find it. Maybe he built right before Koiphen came to be? Anyway he's got the pics, because I've seen them.
      He has some construction pics on his webpage....look thru this. Maybe it's there.
      87% Dixie...still working on that last 13%.
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    6. #6
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      Those are some cool tanks!

      I used a 1500 Gal. Ag tank for our settlement. I used 4 4" bulkheads in making the connections, had no problem. The tank is 7' in diameter so the curve of the tank wall was not bad.
      For those smaller tanks you might have a more difficult time getting the bulkheads on flat, but I am sure it would work.

      On our tank I went 1/3 of the way up from the bottom for inlets and 1/3 of the way down form the top for the outlet. Drainage is provided by an Ebara 1/3 hp trash pump.

      Pics on web site listed in profile. Have more pics at home if ya wanna see em let me know.
      Last edited by hacnp; 11-10-2005 at 10:12 AM. Reason: spelling
      Regards, Ken

      The most powerful point of suction in the pond occurs at our checking account. It's all Marges fault!

    7. #7
      emmalou is offline Inactivated
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      THats what I wanted to use.but WOW.the price was enormous! Over 1000 for the size I needed. Not going to happen.

    8. #8
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      Cone Bottom Tank

      Tom,

      I ordered two 100gal cone bottom tanks from Plastic-mart for $650.00 delivered to washington state, they have 2" drains and are 1/4" thick so a Uniseal will work for supply and return piping, they should be here by tomorrow .

      Stacey
      Stacey

    9. #9
      emmalou is offline Inactivated
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      Quote Originally Posted by Moneypit
      Tom,

      I ordered two 100gal cone bottom tanks from Plastic-mart for $650.00 delivered to washington state, they have 2" drains and are 1/4" thick so a Uniseal will work for supply and return piping, they should be here by tomorrow .

      Stacey
      Good price!

    10. #10
      Sarge's Avatar
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      Where is the cost savings?

      $650 delivered for a 100g tank

      Do the math folks - 1 Vortex that has been designed to operate correctly without having to modify is apprx $760 delivered and they are 250g

      By the time you modify (and hope it works) time = money and sometimes you save in the long run by paying a little more up front.

      Make sense?
      "Sarge"


      Disclosure statement: Don't read into where I post, or with whom I choose to call my friend. If you know me - you know me. All people are created equal and all humans have fault.

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    11. #11
      TomsCTPond is offline Member
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      Thanks to everyone for all the feedback!

      I'm not ready yet, but just looking. My plan is to re-build my 16X16 ADI pond I put in this past June. I want to make it deeper by digging down and possibly raising it about 1 ft, remove the gravel in the bottom, add a bottom drain or two, and I'd like to possibly expand the footprint a couple of feet.

      I understand that I will have to sink the tank into the ground like Ken did. Nice photos by the way Ken! My yard is flat like Ken's, and I've been concerned about the bottom drain on the tank. It's interesting to see that Ken uses a pump in his settlement tank to pump out the muck as opposed to a drain. How does that work out for you?

      Tom

    12. #12
      emmalou is offline Inactivated
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      Quote Originally Posted by Sarge
      $650 delivered for a 100g tank

      Do the math folks - 1 Vortex that has been designed to operate correctly without having to modify is apprx $760 delivered and they are 250g

      By the time you modify (and hope it works) time = money and sometimes you save in the long run by paying a little more up front.

      Make sense?
      2 tanks TIm?

    13. #13
      Sarge's Avatar
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      Quote Originally Posted by emmalou
      2 tanks TIm?
      No maam - one tank - 250g. A 100g vortex would work okay on a water feature, but I believe most will tell you that you will not get much out of it for a Koi pond. Now a 1000 g tank is much different.
      "Sarge"


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    14. #14
      TomsCTPond is offline Member
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      F.Y.I................

      At www.plastic-mart.com, a 200 gal plastic induction tank (42"D X 54"H with a 45 deg cone bottom) is $209.99 plus delivery.

    15. #15
      dcny is offline Senior Member
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      FWIW, unless I were doing a very large settlement tank like Ken did, I wouldn't go thru the trouble to DIY one. Anything from 150-250 gallons, I'd just buy one. There are lots of options, Wlim, Spirex, Kormex. They all come with built in tangential inputs, pre-made 2", 3", 4" or 6" inputs, outputs, drains, etc. Slap on a couple of Fernco couplers and you're ready to go. That's just me cause I'm lazy and I don't have the skill that alot of other DIY folks on the board have. Maybe I'd give it a shot if I could save half the cost, but most of the time, if you add in all the plumbing, bulkhead, etc. you probably don't.

      A 155 gal Kormex can be had around here for $150. I have a huge advantage because I'm so close to the dealers that I can just go pick one up. Shipping on these things would be expensive.

      -Dan

    16. #16
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      Sarge, but if you need two then that's $1500 versus $650. Heck, theyre both pricey fer me....

    17. #17
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      The tank is good

      On the drainage situation I have some changes in mind for someday.
      I want to plumb a 4" line to the bottom of the tank and have a trash pump that is self priming, elec. and can be out at ground level that has at least twice the pull of the currant pump. It is avail. form Northern Supply. It the ebara does ok but I want that toilet flushing action......whoosh. Also the ebara does kick up a little sediment when running, not a big problem but one that removing the impellor to the outside of the tank would fix.
      As regards price....... I think I have less than 800$ tied up in something that does VERY well hooked to 2 spindrifter drains flowing about 8500 to 9000 GPH.
      Thats including bulkheads, crete, sand, and pump.
      Regards, Ken

      The most powerful point of suction in the pond occurs at our checking account. It's all Marges fault!

    18. #18
      TomsCTPond is offline Member
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      After a little more research, I unfortunately found out that shipping cost on the 200 gal induction tank is $300. Ouch! That's more than the actual tank cost. This I'll have to re-think!

    19. #19
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      I don't recall the exact amount, but shipping for three of my WLim Wave36 chambers, including the stands, was somewhere around $225 via freight truck delivery. They hold around 185 gallons each and are about 6 ft tall.

      - Wayne, took no pleasure in paying that shipping charge, but thought it was reasonable all things considered.
      Wayne - Ohio, USA - Koiphen MVP.

    20. #20
      rme1964 is offline Senior Member
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      Quote Originally Posted by dcny
      There are lots of options, Wlim, Spirex, Kormex. They all come with built in tangential inputs, pre-made 2", 3", 4" or 6" inputs, outputs, drains, etc.
      A 155 gal Kormex can be had around here for $150. I have a huge advantage because I'm so close to the dealers that I can just go pick one up. Shipping on these things would be expensive.

      -Dan
      Wow I have a few Kormex tubs but have never seen any with the Tangential inputs pre made. I live close enought to drive (2 hours) and just pick them up.

      RME

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