IBC pond project advice?

[Vardo]

Does anyone have any experience setting up a pond out of a 1000l IBC?

My idea is to cut the top 10-15% off and invert it and use it as a natural filtration stage that cascades into the main pond and also will hopefully house the pump under the framework that will support the filter stage.
I've sketched out some ideas for a design on an old envelope (classic draft paper) to try to visualise my intention and explain the design.
Eventually I'll clad the outside of it with insulation foam board and wooden panels to protect it from the winter/summer temp extremes as I would like to keep some indigenous British species of fish such as minnow and stickleback but may end up with only goldfish for aesthetic reasons more than anything.
The water flow will be; Main Reservoir > Pre-filter > Pool Pump > Main Filter (planted/organic) > Main Reservoir

 

[Simmo]

Sounds a good idea and I like the look of your drawings, we have these at work and it’d probably be good and strong. I guess you need to make sure all residue of whatever was in it has gone, ours mostly contain chemicals. It’s also white plastic not very nice to look at but I am sure could be camouflage. An alternative would be to build your wooden structure first (or use a reinforced wood compost bin) and line it with pond liner. Good Luck and look forward to seeing the results! 😁👍

 

[Onoma1]

Sounds a great idea and I use IBCs as water butts in the garden. I have been told that they degrade quite quickly when exposed to UV. Not sure about the science behind this but have covered mine in wood cladding. Could you achieve the same thing using pond liner and rocks? I am enjoying the videos by Crystal Clear Aquatics on YouTube and they may be helpful.

 

[Malarky]

I think the IBC would last, I have one on my allotment, but your plan is a lot of work and difficult for wildlife to get in and out. Maybe better to put a pond in the ground?

 

[PARAGUAY]

You probably need a bit of water depth for Goldfish ,which could be a issue.

 

[Vardo]

Sounds a good idea and I like the look of your drawings, we have these at work and it’d probably be good and strong. I guess you need to make sure all residue of whatever was in it has gone, ours mostly contain chemicals. It’s also white plastic not very nice to look at but I am sure could be camouflage. An alternative would be to build your wooden structure first (or use a reinforced wood compost bin) and line it with pond liner. Good Luck and look forward to seeing the results! 😁👍

Thanks for the support! I have access to some that were only used for RO water previously. The plan is to insulate and clad the IBC with insulating foam boards and wood panels, also I'm going to line it with a pond liner to so the inside isn't white and in case of any cracks etc. I'll be sure to update the thread when I get going!

 

[Vardo]

Sounds a great idea and I use IBCs as water butts in the garden. I have been told that they degrade quite quickly when exposed to UV. Not sure about the science behind this but have covered mine in wood cladding. Could you achieve the same thing using pond liner and rocks? I am enjoying the videos by Crystal Clear Aquatics on YouTube and they may be helpful.

That's the idea with mine too, I'm going to clad the outside with insulation and panelling and I'll line it with a pond liner too just in case of cracks and also so the inside isn't white. Thanks for the support!

 

[Vardo]

I think the IBC would last, I have one on my allotment, but your plan is a lot of work and difficult for wildlife to get in and out. Maybe better to put a pond in the ground?

I have a concrete yard unfortunately and I rent so it has to be able to be dismantled and relocated. The plan isn't much work at all, I have all the tools, knowledge and access to all the cheap good quality materials that I'll need. The top will be covered with wire mesh with exit points but wildlife getting in isn't really a concern with how high the sides are. Thanks for your positive support!

 

[Vardo]

You probably need a bit of water depth for Goldfish ,which could be a issue.

Where I live the depth is more than enough for goldfish to live comfortably, besides the pond will be insulated too and have a glass cover in the winter months. Thanks for the support!

 

[Maf 2500]

IBC's are nearly a metre deep, so yes, plenty deep enough for goldfish. On the other hand I find goldfish look better in a larger swimming space as they can grow quite big given time. For a colourful fish that is hardy and stays small have a look at medaka (Japanese rice fish).

 

[ScareCrow]

I think what you want to do is similar to this aquaponics setup more or less.
It's something I've been considering doing too. Just to add another layer of complexity adding a window is definitely do able.

 

[Vardo]

I think what you want to do is similar to this aquaponics setup more or less.
It's something I've been considering doing too. Just to add another layer of complexity adding a window is definitely do able.

Thank you for the video, that's really helpful. It's very much how I imagine mine will work but I'll make mine look a bit fancier