• Welcome back Guest!

    MARSH is a private reefing group. Comments and suggestions are encouraged, but please keep them positive and constructive. Negative threads, posts, or attacks will be removed from view and reviewed by the staff. Continually disruptive, argumentative, or flagrant rule breakers may be suspended or banned.

Water marks (1 Viewer)

Users who are viewing this thread

Desertio

Guest
Joined
Dec 13, 2009
Messages
43
Reaction score
5
Location
Baytown
I have plastic 55 gallon barrels that I keep my water in. They are dark so there's no way for me to tell externally what the water level is. What I want to do is Mark the inside of the barrels with 5 gallon marks. My question is, what should I use to make said marks? I thought about a sharpie, small pieces of colored acrylic super glued to the sides, and even a paint marker. I'm worried that the sharpie and or paint Marker would leak chemicals into my water. The acrylic doesn't seem like a horrible idea but I want to know what y'all think.
 

smootie

Supporting Member
Build Thread Contributor
Joined
May 20, 2017
Messages
118
Reaction score
109
Location
Westbury
I'm using a white china marker (a.k.a. grease pencil) to mark volumes inside my brute trash cans. It's technically not permanent because the marks can be rubbed off, but I only use the containers for RODI storage and mixing water change water so I don't expect to scrub the sides that often.
 
OP
OP
Desertio

Desertio

Guest
Joined
Dec 13, 2009
Messages
43
Reaction score
5
Location
Baytown
I'm using a white china marker (a.k.a. grease pencil) to mark volumes inside my brute trash cans. It's technically not permanent because the marks can be rubbed off, but I only use the containers for RODI storage and mixing water change water so I don't expect to scrub the sides that often.
Thank you for responding. Have you also used it in the saltwater containers?
 

Erin

Supporting Member
Member Spotlight Contest Winner
Joined
Sep 16, 2016
Messages
1,357
Reaction score
829
Location
Spring, Texas
A Sharpie should be fine, although I do like the grease pencil idea!
 

Cody

Vice President
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Content Moderator
Board Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2014
Messages
7,284
Reaction score
4,254
Location
Spring, TX
Take a plastic stick, long, thin acrylic strip, etc and make your marks on that. Just set it in the tank and read it like the flood meters under bridges.
 
OP
OP
Desertio

Desertio

Guest
Joined
Dec 13, 2009
Messages
43
Reaction score
5
Location
Baytown
Take a plastic stick, long, thin acrylic strip, etc and make your marks on that. Just set it in the tank and read it like the flood meters under bridges.
This comment makes me feel stupid. This idea makes entirely too much sense. Thank you
 

Cody

Vice President
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Content Moderator
Board Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2014
Messages
7,284
Reaction score
4,254
Location
Spring, TX
This comment makes me feel stupid. This idea makes entirely too much sense. Thank you
No problem at all! What’s in inside diameter of the barrel? I’ll even calculate the volume at different heights for you in five gallon increments if you can give me that dimension.
 

Cody

Vice President
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Content Moderator
Board Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2014
Messages
7,284
Reaction score
4,254
Location
Spring, TX
you should make and sell those.
They would have to specific to the storage container. The height to volume ratio changes depending on the shape and size of each container.
 
Top