CONCREte Tanks for fish.

**Grumpy John** · 09-01-2021, 07:03 PM

Hi folks, I am looking for a supplier of concrete tanks (8 needed) in the size range 1.8M to 2.0M across and .8M to 1.0M deep. We have tried several suppliers in our area and no one has that size range.

Anyone know of a supplier in the North, Lower North or Central?

Our first plan was for the local build it guy to laydown a concrete floor and brick up the tanks but after padding his quote with a farang tax we rejected that plan!

Plastic tanks are insanely priced and IBC's with the top cut out don't look like a practical solution.

Any useful advice is appreciated.

**S Landreth** · 09-01-2021, 07:13 PM

Originally Posted by Grumpy John

Any useful advice is appreciated.

build them yourself

**Troy** · 09-01-2021, 07:15 PM

Stick to the first plan, but get several quotes with you buying the materials.

**Mendip** · 09-01-2021, 07:48 PM

We have a couple of concrete fish tanks, around 1.5m to 2.0m across.

I'm no builder, but did the blockwork myself and then got a professional to render and hide my sins. These have worked well for a few years with no problems or leaks and are well within the capability of any local builder.

One was conversion job from my daughter's sandpit.

**Klondyke** · 09-01-2021, 08:16 PM

^ I second that. Just the normal cement, any kind of cement blocks or bricks.

**Buckaroo Banzai** · 09-01-2021, 09:23 PM

Same here
Build three years ago, never had a problem

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**Grumpy John** · 10-01-2021, 03:22 PM

Thanks for the replies guys. The build it myself option is a possibility. I had thought about using Qcon blocks laid on their side instead of upright. When the previous guy in the village who builds things made my big shed down the back he used Qcon blocks at my request. They laid a fibreglass mesh in each layer but the mortar was only thinly applied, which worried me at the time, but it's been OK over the 7 plus years since completion.

With the appearance of a one cubic metre (a Thai cubic is like, buy a horse and get a pony!) ready mixed truck in Wang Phlong we could pour the footings base in one pour then brick it or block it. Can't use a big concrete truck as the fish tanks will be inside a framework that was intended to be a greenhouse...and I have put in a grape vine to the right of my wife in the picture. There's a pump shed 2 metres behind her.

So, what do we do????? Watch this space.....

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**Mendip** · 10-01-2021, 03:43 PM

Here you go Grumpy...

This was made with usual blocks and mortar. An early stage of the wife's pla ra.

I've noticed with houses being built round our way, whenever using Qcon blocks that just a smear of mortar is used. I guess it's still strong enough but with render but always looks dodgy to me.

This was from a house build near me just before I left home last year.

And if the tanks are for pla duk, stick a lid on as they like to jump out.

**Klondyke** · 10-01-2021, 08:32 PM

You do not need to use the Q-con blocks unless you want to protect the fish from noise around the tank.

You can do it with the usual cinder blocks that are easily available and much cheaper. And they are much better load-bearing and bond with the cement mortar, quite a usual job for village bricklayers. You can see such perimeter walls with or w/o rendering, standing 30 - 40 years, and keeping together even when their foundation is collapsing.

For a better feeling and trust in the sturdiness (in fact, the pressure of 1 m water column is no big deal) you can insert horizontally with the mortar under the blocks a reinforcement wire 3mm (1 hun).

**Norton** · 11-01-2021, 07:18 AM

Dig a hole. Concrete on bottom then these on top. These concrete circles come in various sizes and are available all over the country.

**Grumpy John** · 11-01-2021, 02:07 PM

Hi Mendip, we have catfish in the dam...different black no whiskers. Not sure if we will grow to sell. Mate that wall looks just like my shed wall did years ago! If the wife had translated what I said to the builder word for word he may not have finished the job!

And what did you say to the little one in the pix...from the look of it, it was about to bring on tears.....

If we do go the catfish route I'll get the mini excavator guy to give me a quote on digging some ponds. The big excavator guy (20 ton machine) can't get his machine in but he is a gun excavator operator. He has dug 2 dams for us made an existing dam bigger and cleaned out another. All the family use him now so we get him for 1800baht/hr and no travel fee if we can give him 2 days work. Over at Nam Om we got another dam to enlarge and a new one to build so he will be back soon. There's a sala out there to sleep in but nothing else!

**Grumpy John** · 11-01-2021, 02:28 PM

Hi Norton, Truly a great idea except I cannot get big rings around here. Got to go to Muang Phitsanulok on Friday to report to my parole officer at Immigration so I will ask around some of the concrete places.

My son suggested we get the rings then make a plug from a round wooden roll side of a power cable drum, prop it up to the right height lay some reo and cover in concrete. What are the odds that would work??? I would think the PEA would reuse their drums so maybe hard to get!

And using ratchet tie downs secure a band of steel on the outside so the base can be 4" thick...and maybe double reinforced. Could incorporate a waste water drain and air bubbler line using blue tubes.

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**Norton** · 11-01-2021, 03:02 PM

Sure you will find several sellers in and near the big city. Check Global House in Phitsanulok.

We use them for planters. Several shops in Roiet. Used for water and septic tanks big and small as well.

I would keep it simple. If you want the actual tank raised use one ring as a base.

**Grumpy John** · 13-01-2021, 03:30 PM

Hi Norton, on a similar note to your idea we looking at a concrete slab with the pipes for drain and air bubbler incorporated. Apparently there is a guy going out with my wifes....not sure about the family relationship....my wifes first husband who died in a car wreck about 22 years ago, his brothers daughter is going out with the concreting guy. That would be a niece I assume.

Anyway, I like things done my way and if the guy gives a reasonable price and can follow my plan I'll go with him. Then when we get the rings we will put concrete in each ring to lock them in place. It's sandy soil down there so I would feel happier with a slab laid with reo.

Including a .8M strip on the outside all around the quantity of ready mix needed was 8.15 cubic so if we eliminate that we should be under 7.....

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**Mendip** · 13-01-2021, 03:50 PM

Just a thought, but If you drill a hole in the side of the concrete rings at the base, and cement in a length of upvc pipe with a screw plug, it makes it really easy to drain and wash out the tanks.

Put a slight gradient in the concrete base in the rings sloping down to the drain pipe.

**Grumpy John** · 15-01-2021, 06:46 PM

Thanks for the tip Mendip. I was going into Thaiwatsadu in Phitsanulok today and spotted really big plastic fish tanks which got me excited so I had a look and saw the price...and the excitement was short lived! 5500 baht to round it out...for one. Back to the concrete rings or Qcon blocks! The wife suggested the Qcon blocks as a good alternative to the cheap-O concrete blocks on the basis they are wider, longer and higher than the concrete blocks requiring less joints...she also suggested we just build the 2 small tanks for the fingerlings to test it out before spending time and money on the whole project.

I am still amazed she thought it through and came out with that!

**Buckaroo Banzai** · 15-01-2021, 09:32 PM

Nortons Idea with the concrete rings is a good one.
I have spend most of my professional career as a concrete specialist for large commercial projects , mostly High Rise construction in NYC.
Definitely not Q con , they are very moisture permeable , not a good attribute in the construction of water containment structures.
when I did mine I did a monolithic (i will explain soon) pour with a water resistant additive to the concrete, (It's been a few years and I don't remember the name of it in Thailand, I am sure one of the other members will remind me)
-Smooth the bottom ground,
-Make the outside form box , if you are going to use the form repeatedly, use plastic faced 5/8" ply wood, plain plywood is fine for one time use.
-lay your wire mesh on the bottom and sides making sure there is at least 1" concrete coverage all around it.
-make the inside form box 4" shorter than the outside form box , you need to "chase " the inside box so that you can srip it after the concrete dries, especially if you will re-use the form. (I will make sketch below)
-drop the inside form inside the outside form , hanging it from the top, leaving a 4" gap at the bottom.
-place drain , and feed PVC pipes in the form
-Pour the 4" inch floor and wait a few minutes until it stiffens enough that when you pour the wall. the weight of the wall concrete does not pour in the floor, but not so long that you have a cold joint between the floor and the walls.
-Now that you have the floor poured you can place a couple of braces inside the box from one wall to the opposite wall to keep the walls from kicking in.
(if you had done that earlier it would had interfered with the floor pour)
-Make sure you vibrate the concrete well, but not so much that the aggregate settles to the bottom. If you don't have a concrete vibrator, thake reciprocating saw , remove the blade, place the shoe of the saw against the form, you will be amazed how well the reciprocating action of the saw vibrates the form.
The sketch is not o scale ,use only as example. I colored the onside box to display the "chase" (one edge inside, one edge outside ) to alowe easy striping

Cut out to show inside box hanging from the top and 4" of the floor (when pouring the floor it is ok to let it floe on the walls but dont let it higher than the inside form so you don't lock it in.
It sound more complicated than it is, it is really very easy, a couple of hours of work.

**Chico** · 15-01-2021, 10:15 PM

Another possible are the rain water tanks, which you can cut, the tanks used to be very cheap, just get them cut to your own size and easy to drain and clean

**Pragmatic** · Yesterday, 07:13 AM

Originally Posted by Chico

Another possible are the rain water tanks, which you can cut, the tanks used to be very cheap, just get them cut to your own size and easy to drain and clean

No need really to cut them as they come in various sizes. Cutting them smaller will only weaken them.

**Chico** · Yesterday, 12:11 PM

Ye true, but cheap and easy solution for him.

saying that they are pretty solid, I saw a guy who had them and he cut into them for water pipes to run through them, for his water pump.

**Norton** · Yesterday, 01:24 PM

Originally Posted by Buckaroo Banzai

Definitely not Q con , they are very moisture permeable , not a good attribute in the construction of water containment structures.

Agree. Your solution good as well.

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