Rubbermaid stock containers

[Boonjob]

Anyone ever used one of these for prolonged use? I have read they tend to leak after a year or two...

Am thinking of using a 150 as the sump for my new setup

[lazylivin]

Heck no man, they are rock solid! Reefers have been using them for many many years without issue.

[buk]

they do work great but i prefer the tuff stuff tubs a lil more. they're cheaper and more plyable so you can twist em and bend em into tight places. i have a 40 gallon as my sump right now.

[slandis3]

The first thing I did to my 150g tank was pulled the plug on the bulkhead and added some better pipe tape to it.

[micki]

Cody, we've used one for our sump and another to keep make up water since 2006 woth no problems at all!

[HUNGER]

when i used one it worked great

[Boonjob]

Awesome, I have seen plenty of people use them, but when I went to scope them out alot of the reviews said they either developed fine-line cracks and started leaking or failed all together most reviews said this happened in 1-3 years. So I figured I would just ask... this is great though because it will add alot of ease to the system, for what I want it for.

I saw the tuff stuff ones, but I didn't see one over 50gals, I'm sure they prolly make one I just didn't see it at the time... What material was everyone's stock tank made out of?

[HUNGER]

dont know the black stuff

[Boonjob]

TSC had the worst reviews... which is what threw me off...

http://www.tractorsupply.com/rubbermaid-reg-structural-foam-stock-tanks-100-gal-capacity-2229901

http://www.tractorsupply.com/rubbermaid-reg-structural-foam-stock-tanks-150-gal-capacity-2229919

almost all of their tanks had people complaining about leakage, a few other sites I had been to said it aswell... but I wonder if it is just how they are using it or if it had to do with how they supported the tank if it leaned to one side too much etc.

I guess I'll give it a shot, like I said I had seen plenty of people use them, just when I started reading the reviews it didn't add up... Wife would kill me if 150gals+ leaked onto the floor lol

[micki]

Cody I can't get the links to open, but we got both of ours from TSC in 06.  Hope I didn't just Jinx myself! 

[Wall_Tank]

What material was everyone's stock tank made out of?

This is my world.    The Black or Gray rubbermaid stocktanks is High Density Poly Ethylene.  Made with a process called "Structural Foam"  The foamed material is made with either Nitrogen or Carbon Dioxide.   When molded properly, the skin layer is very dense.   If there is a weakness to the structural foam process, it is around the injection points of the container.   Take a look at the bottom of the tub, make sure the gates are solid.

One additional Tip.   A gray container is going to be made with Virgin material, if it is black, it's probably a recycled material.

The thin wall containers are probably a poly-propylene.

[buk]

never had a rubbermaid or tuff stuff leak when i used em but i did always make sure to silicone over the metal plug just in case. it kept the metal from corroding or leaching also

[Boonjob]

Thanks for the info paul, how does this stuff hold up to drilling and tapping? or would it compromise the structure too much?

[micki]

This is my world.    The Black or Gray rubbermaid stocktanks is High Density Poly Ethylene.  Made with a process called "Structural Foam"  The foamed material is made with either Nitrogen or Carbon Dioxide.   When molded properly, the skin layer is very dense.   If there is a weakness to the structural foam process, it is around the injection points of the container.   Take a look at the bottom of the tub, make sure the gates are solid.

One additional Tip.   A gray container is going to be made with Virgin material, if it is black, it's probably a recycled material.

The thin wall containers are probably a poly-propylene.

Interesting.  Mine are both Gray.

Thanks for the info paul, how does this stuff hold up to drilling and tapping? or would it compromise the structure too much?

Cody Randy has drilled, filled, done just about anything and everything to both of them and we still have no problems.  He just redid something with the make up tank a few days ago.

[Viggen]

I have a almost new 150g (I think) rubbermaid tub that I was planning on using with my pond. I decided to not go the bog route thus the tub isn't being used & is just sitting in my backyard.  If you haven't purchased one yet I would love to sell this....

I used I think a 120g for my vortex filter, driller two holes on the bottom & two on the side... zero leaking but this will be it's first winter outside.

[Boonjob]

Sure thing send me a PM of what you want for it

[Todd W.]

Where do you purchase these?

[Boonjob]

any of the hardware store can order them...

Tractor supply company has them on hand in stock... Ace hardware has had a couple from time to time, but if not they can order aswell.

[Boonjob]

Paul is there an inherent difference between a gray vs a black tub? does the "virgin" material hold up better than the recycled etc?

[Wall_Tank]

Thanks for the info paul, how does this stuff hold up to drilling and tapping? or would it compromise the structure too much?

Drilling is not an issue, for a bulk head fitting.   A small fitting like a 1/2" NPT would probably be okay.   The wall thickness is only about .180", so there is not much thickness to hold a thread.

[Boonjob]

Yeah I was just thinking of threading in a few quick disconnect valves for dosers and ato, etc... they would all be under 1/2" and wouldn't have much tension on them.

[Wall_Tank]

Paul is there an inherent difference between a gray vs a black tub? does the "virgin" material hold up better than the recycled etc?

That's the million dollar question......   literally.  We make pallets and large bulk containers.    Ensuring the quality of the recycled material is difficult.

Recycled plastic is not necessarily bad, it is the number of times it has been "re-processed that is the problem".   Contamination can be a problem too.    In the case of HDPE Structural Foam containers, impact performance is usually the first mechanical property to go, then sometimes you will see creep (deformation under load).

Bottom line, inspect any molded product you get (virgin plastic can have a defect too)   Inspect the gate areas, if something was too hot, you can have a thin spot, or a brittle area around the gate.    Also check the knit lines......an area where plastic joins together when filling the mold.     Also check for wrinkles an bubbles.   

[Wall_Tank]

Yeah I was just thinking of threading in a few quick disconnect valves for dosers and ato, etc... they would all be under 1/2" and wouldn't have much tension on them.

You should be fine, but avoid doing this around a knit line or gate areas.   If there was a large internal void, this is where it would be.

[lazylivin]

Cody, I think those reviews you posted are from people that are using them outside and holding water and they are likely freezing causing expanding and contracting.

[Boonjob]

Thanks for the feed back guys, I am gonna go with this as my sump setup, as it has a ton of capacity for the price and I love how accessible it will be and how easy it will be to "tap" into for other runs of pipe/tanks...also  I can do a planted fuge and just let the certain tall growers just grow right out the top.