Shopping for Fish Bins

[goldfish]

Hi everybody,

 

I'm relatively new to the hobby, but I have been having a blast making small, filterless planted tanks. I want to go bigger, however, and I don't want to shell out money for giant glass aquariums. I was intrigued by the giant black bins that Cory has in his shop and would love to get some of my own to fill with plants and algae and goldfish and such. Keeping goldfish is a dream of mine, and I want to give them the space to get big! The thing is, I have no idea where to look. Does anyone have any experience in this area/know what brand Cory uses for his shop?

Here are some questions I have:

Will any plastic bin work from Home Depot work, or should I buy something specifically made to stock with fish?
Do I need to buy bins that won't deteriorate in sunlight/the weather (if I decide to keep them outside)?
Can bins be toxic to fish?

Any information you guys have would be much appreciated. Thank you so much for reading.

[PineSong]

Hmm. The source for Cory's large bins has been posted before but I could not find it. Basically they are industrial tubs used for storing apples and they cost hundreds of dollars so they're not a 'bargain' option necessarily. Maybe someone else can find that post and link to them.

Lots of people use the "Commander" brand or similar storage totes from Lowe's, etc.: but only up to a certain size--, because larger sizes will bow out on the sides due to the weight of the water. I don't think any of them are really large enough for mature goldfish. Lots of fishkeepers keep guppies and minnows outside in the summer in these, I am not sure how long they would hold up to freezing.

Tractor Supply and places like that have Tuff Stuff 100 gallon stock tanks which many people use for outdoor pond setups. These are low price for the size, are cold hardy, and hold more gallons than the storage totes. You can see one in this video:

 

[sudofish]

The one's Cory uses look like agricultural bulk boxes. I've seen them for around $3-400 online.

Here's the thread talking about them:

 

Edited September 22, 2021 by sudofish

[mynameisnobody]

Be very careful when dealing with any tubs over 30 gallons. You’ll see the bowing immediately, unless you double them up. At that point, you may as well purchase a thicker plastic. 

[StevesFishTanks]

the 110 gallon stock tub by "tuff stuff" sold at tractor supply is what I use.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/tuff-stuff-products-heavy-duty-oval-stock-tank-110-gal

[Guppysnail]

There is a link in this thread

 

[ARMYVET]

Here is the totes he has in his dream crush room

https://www.dacocorp.com/containers-totes-bins/bulk-containers/bf-series#1 

[mynameisnobody]

@ARMYVET Those are the ones I was looking to get because they are square. However once I got to the price with shipping, it became unattainable for me. Most cheaper ones from most places come round which means they take up much more room. Guess I’ll have to keep dreaming. 

[gardenman]

The cheapest possible fish storage containers that are square are the IBC Totes. There is likely someone near you that uses them on a regular basis and you can often buy used 275-330 gallon ones for under $100. You have to cut off the top, but they're the best bargain bin out there. They're what bulk liquid ingredients are shipped in. If you check your Facebook Marketplace you're apt to find someone locally selling them. If you have any industries in your area and you look around their yards, you might find a pile of them just sitting there. It's not unusual for businesses to just give them away. If you have any failed industrial sites you might find some old totes left behind that you could sneak in and make off with if you're the sneaky type. Once you get one, I'd cut the top off, fill it and leave it sitting outside for a bit for the sunlight and water to dilute, decontaminate, or eliminate anything hazardous left in it. Once algae is growing in it, it's probably safe to toss in a few expendable fish to see how they do and if they live, you've got a safe, sturdy, square fish container at a bargain price. 

Shipping liquids is a costly business and the cost of the IBC totes is often included in the purchase price of the liquid. It costs more to ship them back to be refilled than it does to just buy new ones, so businesses that use  them tend to have them piling up somewhere on their property. Some places will just give them away, others want a token fee (typically $50-$100) to sell them. The more of them a place has piled up the lower their price is likely to be. If they can't find a buyer, they have to pay someone to haul them away. If you want a square container to hold fish at a low cost, an IBC tote is often your best bet.

[ARMYVET]

On 9/22/2021 at 8:42 AM, Manny said:

@ARMYVET Those are the ones I was looking to get because they are square. However once I got to the price with shipping, it became unattainable for me. Most cheaper ones from most places come round which means they take up much more room. Guess I’ll have to keep dreaming. 

Just for shits and giggles...how many were you looking to get and what was the final price shipped to you.

[mynameisnobody]

@ARMYVET I don’t remember the exact quote, but it was something like 2 of them for $1200/shipped. Way too rich for my blood. 

[ARMYVET]

On 9/22/2021 at 10:33 AM, Manny said:

@ARMYVET I don’t remember the exact quote, but it was something like 2 of them for $1200/shipped. Way too rich for my blood. 

WOW....700 for the totes and 500 to ship...thats crazy but hey it is what it is😱

[Ken]

On 9/22/2021 at 7:38 AM, gardenman said:

The cheapest possible fish storage containers that are square are the IBC Totes. There is likely someone near you that uses them on a regular basis and you can often buy used 275-330 gallon ones for under $100. You have to cut off the top, but they're the best bargain bin out there. They're what bulk liquid ingredients are shipped in. If you check your Facebook Marketplace you're apt to find someone locally selling them. If you have any industries in your area and you look around their yards, you might find a pile of them just sitting there. It's not unusual for businesses to just give them away. If you have any failed industrial sites you might find some old totes left behind that you could sneak in and make off with if you're the sneaky type. Once you get one, I'd cut the top off, fill it and leave it sitting outside for a bit for the sunlight and water to dilute, decontaminate, or eliminate anything hazardous left in it. Once algae is growing in it, it's probably safe to toss in a few expendable fish to see how they do and if they live, you've got a safe, sturdy, square fish container at a bargain price. 

Shipping liquids is a costly business and the cost of the IBC totes is often included in the purchase price of the liquid. It costs more to ship them back to be refilled than it does to just buy new ones, so businesses that use  them tend to have them piling up somewhere on their property. Some places will just give them away, others want a token fee (typically $50-$100) to sell them. The more of them a place has piled up the lower their price is likely to be. If they can't find a buyer, they have to pay someone to haul them away. If you want a square container to hold fish at a low cost, an IBC tote is often your best bet.

Just for the fun of it I just looked on the local classified ads. Around here nice clean food grade IBC totes go for $80-$120. Either 275 or 330 gallon. Not so nice non-food grade ones as cheap as $35. They all seemed very up front about what the previous contents had been.

Happily for my married future I don't have an appropriate place for any.

[PineSong]

They are listed for $80 for 330 gallons where I live, too. They are not my aesthetic so I am not tempted but for someone who just wants gallon space, it's a steal.

[gardenman]

Yeah, if you want a cheap, square container, the IBC totes are hard to beat. Cory used them in some of his earliest videos and earlier fish rooms. They're cheap, durable, hold a lot of water and are readily available.