Any water at this point...

[Eli]

So I moved on to raw land in an rv. Yay! The land/rv is not too friendly with regards to moving the rv on/off to fill more water. I have a pond which is great (and far not to mention not safe after dark). A Berkey filter + bottled drinking water for now. To get bulk delivery they charge just over $400 and the smallest delivery size is 2,400 gal. (Weather permitting to get to the property) I'm not wanting to waste a drop, but need big tanks. The challenge is I'm riding solo on the land for a few months. So I found a guy on uship that is willing to get a large tank to the property, and help me lay it down on the foundation.

N ow...Clay soil is really kicking my butt. I've gotten it pretty broken up but leveling isn't going well. I am considering just wetting it down and tapping cinderblocks in place. What do you think?

I know most people (myself included) would probably prefer something more sustainable long term. That's just not where I'm at yet though.

 

[Weedygarden]

So I moved on to raw land in an rv. Yay! The land/rv is not too friendly with regards to moving the rv on/off to fill more water. I have a pond which is great (and far not to mention not safe after dark). A Berkey filter + bottled drinking water for now. To get bulk delivery they charge just over $400 and the smallest delivery size is 2,400 gal. (Weather permitting to get to the property) I'm not wanting to waste a drop, but need big tanks. The challenge is I'm riding solo on the land for a few months. So I found a guy on uship that is willing to get a large tank to the property, and help me lay it down on the foundation.

View attachment 81778
NView attachment 81779ow...Clay soil is really kicking my butt. I've gotten it pretty broken up but leveling isn't going well. I am considering just wetting it down and tapping cinderblocks in place. What do you think?

I know most people (myself included) would probably prefer something more sustainable long term. That's just not where I'm at yet though.

Would cinder blocks potentially break through the plastic? Would the cinder blocks be under the tank, or beside the tank to hold it in place? I wonder if some wooden 4 x 4's or 6 x 6's would work for what you are wanting to do? I am not fully understanding how the cinder blocks are being used, so that is unknown for me. I was wondering about sand as a base.

And clay soil is horrible! I have it everywhere. I just keep amending it every year with leaves, manure, compost and peat moss.

 

[Eli]

Would cinder blocks potentially break through the plastic? Would the cinder blocks be under the tank, or beside the tank to hold it in place? I wonder if some wooden 4 x 4's or 6 x 6's would work for what you are wanting to do? I am not fully understanding how the cinder blocks are being used, so that is unknown for me. I was wondering about sand as a base.

And clay soil is horrible! I have it everywhere. I just keep amending it every year with leaves, manure, compost and peat moss.

Hey thank you! I was going to put the blocks under the tank. Maybe a sheet of plywood would help. My understanding is that when monsoon season hits sand will not work. The clay is supposed to be very secure but I'm picking out rocks constantly. I know the tank needs an even level surface. This is a temporary foundation for maybe a yr or two. I've seen people build a bounding box and get super fine gravel for the tanks. My family hates gravel and wanted the blocks for other projects down the road. I was not going to mortar them in place.
I also do not have electricity for the next 2 weeks to cut boards with. That's my own fault for not wanting to ******** the neighbors by running my genie before I moved out here.

 

[Eli]

I'm hoping if I wet the clay down as I place the block it will act kind of like mortar?! And I can tap them even and snug.

 

[Peanut]

How temporary is this base? Most importantly, what kind of tank are you going to sit on the blocks?

Water weighs about 8.3 pounds per gallon. 12 gallons weighs about 100lbs. 2400 gallons is about 20,000lbs. With that much weight pressing down on a cinder block it will cut through a plastic base.

 

[Eli]

Would cinder blocks potentially break through the plastic? Would the cinder blocks be under the tank, or beside the tank to hold it in place? I wonder if some wooden 4 x 4's or 6 x 6's would work for what you are wanting to do? I am not fully understanding how the cinder blocks are being used, so that is unknown for me. I was wondering about sand as a base.

And clay soil is horrible! I have it everywhere. I just keep amending it every year with leaves, manure, compost and peat moss.

Yeah we're going to use the blocks for raised beds in the future. I'm not going to even try growing in prairie sand or clay (my 2 options) . But the clay will be good for adobe and other experiments! Also I'm hearing I will need a 40% shade out here for growing season and a green house because it's not supposed to freeze here but now it does. Thank you for the reminder, I need to start my compost to marinade like yesterday while I work on water.

 

[Eli]

How temporary is this base? Most importantly, what kind of tank are you going to sit on the blocks?

Water weighs about 8.3 pounds per gallon. 12 gallons weighs about 100lbs. 2400 gallons is about 20,000lbs. With that much weight pressing down on a cinder block it will cut through a plastic base.

So I'm back to building a bounding box and super fine gravel I think. Ugh... that will be honestly so much easier than what I've been trying to do. The one tank is 1750 gal and another is 550 gal. Having issues getting 2 big tanks of the same size so we just starting buy what we could.

 

[Eli]

So I'm back to building a bounding box and super fine gravel I think. Ugh... that will be honestly so much easier than what I've been trying to do. The one tank is 1750 gal and another is 550 gal. Having issues getting 2 big tanks of the same size so we just starting buy what we could.

I was planning to line the entire bottom with a foot extending beyond the tank for rainy season run off.

 

[Weedygarden]

A couple of things about cutting wood: If you have to buy it, you can often have some cuts done for you at the store where you are purchasing it. You may already be well equipped with tools, but you might consider going cordless in the future. There are some tool manufacturers whose tools use the same batteries.

Yeah we're going to use the blocks for raised beds in the future. I'm not going to even try growing in prairie sand or clay (my 2 options) . But the clay will be good for adobe and other experiments! Also I'm hearing I will need a 40% shade out here for growing season and a green house because it's not supposed to freeze here but now it does. Thank you for the reminder, I need to start my compost to marinade like yesterday while I work on water.

I have really never had much luck with composting, but I think it is because I've never been good about taking care of it. I have found that there are people around where I live with horses who have aged manure to get rid of every year. I have had a few pickup loads dropped here as well.

I have rocks in my soil as well. I built a wooden frame and covered it with hardware cloth and have sifted much of the rock out of my raised beds. In just one little area I got 3 five gallon buckets of rock. Years later, rock is still coming up.

 

[Tirediron]

Clay is only stable up to a point, enough water and it turns to a grease like consistancy
It is a very good base for compost, not to mix in but to keep water from just running through.

 

[Eli]

Yes I've switched to ryobi and have a DC charger for the batteries. Which is great on sunny days. I have had home depot cut wood to one length before. But I don't think they will for a project like bounding bed for gravel. Its amazing how thrown off I am with just one appliance (genie) put of commission. Though I suppose I could use the blocks for that at this point! Thank you for the great ideas!

 

[SheepDog]

Clay with a load on it doesn't do well when it gets rain. Things sink in it. If you want a foundation then you need columns to good soil securely connected to the pad.

 

[Pearl]

Clay with a load on it doesn't do well when it gets rain. Things sink in it. If you want a foundation then you need columns to good soil securely connected to the pad.

And clay will hold water when other dirt's are dry. I live in red clay central and it's amazing how much water the clay can still have in it weeks after a rain.

 

[Eli]

New plan is a liner with either sand or superfine gravel in it and block bounding box. Gonna talk to the guys at the hardware store about the sand. It feels safer, and if it's contained well shouldn't erode. Thank you all for the helps!!!

 

[Mountain trapper]

Any plans of putting in a well? Whats your water table there?

 

[Eli]

They are not the super ridged tanks. But I see the same tanks sitting right on the ground through the neighborhood. We eventually want tanks buried with lots of support on all sides. This should just be a temporary set up. I'm gonna move to a not all dug up spot for the tank now and start over!

 

[Eli]

Not going to invest a lot in a well. If we can get a wet well cheap enough to hit water for gardens and animals that would be great. A neighbor told us his wet well was only like 50 ft. But we bought this property for its elevation.... and rolling slopes that feed the pond.. For now just water storage until we get rain collection and city water. The goal is to get to the point where we don't need aqua water. I know this means a lot more and larger tanks eventually. .

Any plans of putting in a well? Whats your water table there?

 

[Peanut]

One of our members in oregan has some recent practical experience building and using a cistern and water tanks... maybe he'll post. @Cascadian

Sounds like a sand base is probably the way to go. Even with a little slope water will shed off the clay fairly well. I have red clay here also, about 6 inches of sandy loam soil on top.

 

[Eli]

One of our members in oregan has some recent practical experience building and using a cistern and water tanks... maybe he'll post. @Cascadian

Sounds like a sand base is probably the way to go. Even with a little slope water will shed off the clay fairly well. I have red clay here also, about 6 inches of sandy loam soil on top.

Thank you! I did search the forums and watched a ton of videos on YouTube. I know actually having some formal skills would be better! Learning is painful, and you guys may have just saved my tank so thank you! The videos I was watching did not have clay soil. I also have a stubborn partner in the deal. I've talked my mother into using some sand or gravel with heavy liners involved. She hates the stuff. I did try and find contractors for just the footing and did not have luck in my area. So it's trial by fire!

New plan is to use blocks to hold the liner and tank in place. Though I don't imagine anything short of a tornado will move the thing even on empty!

 

[Tootsie]

Your water tank would be fine with a pallet beneath it, on the blocks. Cover it with a better grade canvas to keep the sun off.

 

[Eli]

Your water tank would be fine with a pallet beneath it, on the blocks. Cover it with a better grade canvas to keep the sun off.

Thank you!! I was hoping paint would do the trick? I'm apparently supposed to figure out some murals for them. Though I'm more into portraits.
Well for now the big tank is gonna get a lot of sand I think. It's not worth the risk of loosing water/tank. Gonna have to venture into town and talk to the guys at the hardware store. Hoping they have ideas too.

 

[Tootsie]

I’d stay away from paint. If it’s a poly tank, I’d think anything applied to it might soak in, if only a little.
Painting the canvas might be better.

 

[Cascadian]

Hi Eli
We only used a 220 gallon tank that gravity fed 300 ft to the Rv. We had different circumstances in that there was a spring up the hill that refilled it.

Viking @viking is in Oregon and may be the person peanut was thinking of?

 

[Eli]

Hi Eli
We only used a 220 gallon tank that gravity fed 300 ft to the Rv. We had different circumstances in that there was a spring up the hill that refilled it.

Viking @viking is in Oregon and may be the person peanut was thinking of?

Thank you for the input! I'd luv a gravity feed but I don't see it in the cards for us here. Got a surfers shower filled from our pond today. Ready to see how it works!

 

[Eli]

I’d stay away from paint. If it’s a poly tank, I’d think anything applied to it might soak in, if only a little.
Painting the canvas might be better.

I have ideas on shade to the rv. Will look into the tank shade more ty!

 

[Mountain trapper]

Not going to invest a lot in a well. If we can get a wet well cheap enough to hit water for gardens and animals that would be great. A neighbor told us his wet well was only like 50 ft. But we bought this property for its elevation.... and rolling slopes that feed the pond.. For now just water storage until we get rain collection and city water. The goal is to get to the point where we don't need aqua water. I know this means a lot more and larger tanks eventually. .

If your water table is only 50', you might consider down the road of drilling your own well. You can get a Deep Rock rig, drill your well and either sell it or charge people to drill their wells.

 

[viking]

So far the most I've ever done for large poly tanks is to level out a spot and put down sand. These poly tanks are very tough, the 1,100 gallon tank I put in place for the garden is just sitting on a cleared out ledge just above the garden which is mostly clay. I wouldn't mind pouring a concrete slab with a short stem wall so that I could build a small shed over the tank to keep the sun off the tank and the creatures away from it.

 

[UrbanHunter]

I think that @viking 's suggestion has lots of logic, just use the cinder blocks as a frame outside the area where you will put in your tank, fill the area inside the frame with sand, level it and set the tank on it. If you are worried about it blowing away just put in some anchor stakes and tie it down with rope.

When the clay gets wet it will move around and the tank will settle, I have seen flat concrete slabs move or crack because of the clay underneath shifting.

 

[Eli]

So far the most I've ever done for large poly tanks is to level out a spot and put down sand. These poly tanks are very tough, the 1,100 gallon tank I put in place for the garden is just sitting on a cleared out ledge just above the garden which is mostly clay. I wouldn't mind pouring a concrete slab with a short stem wall so that I could build a small shed over the tank to keep the sun off the tank and the creatures away from it.

The 1750 gal tank weighs about 280 lbs on empty. So I will definitely use some stakes I have for her. That's That's great idea. Never know with texas weather... thank you for the advise! Glad to hear your tank is doing well!

 

[Eli]

Woops haven't had my cowboy coffee yet, thank you for the stake suggestion I will definitely do that. I was considering mortar for the brick bounding wall. Have been wanting to gain some experience with that for other projects down the road. If the tank settles a bit that no problem as I'm not hooking up permanent plumbing atm. Rigging a cap and hose connection for a little pump to my rv is all atm. Need more hands and a firm plan on our home before I start with rainwater and real plumbing. Hopefully the guy who's running our septic will help!

I think that @viking 's suggestion has lots of logic, just use the cinder blocks as a frame outside the area where you will put in your tank, fill the area inside the frame with sand, level it and set the tank on it. If you are worried about it blowing away just put in some anchor stakes and tie it down with rope.

When the clay gets wet it will move around and the tank will settle, I have seen flat concrete slabs move or crack because of the clay underneath shifting.