We have a 275 gallon IBC tote that we use to collect rain water, along with our two 60 gallon rain barrels. Using an IBC Tote to collect water means you have to cover it to prevent algae from growing in it when the sun shines on it. The 60 gallon barrels are gray, so the sun doesn’t penetrate them.
Some people paint their totes, some grow vining plants over them, and I am sure there are more ideas out there. I started out with a blue tarp since it was what I had available (see the 275 gallon IBC tote link above). It worked but it was ugly, and tarps breakdown over time, so my solution was to use fence pickets.
All 3 sides are removable. I used hooks to hang them off of the top bar of the cage and I can simply lift them off as needed.
Since it seemed awkward to make a removable picket ‘lid’ for this I painted the top portion black. Easy enough to touch up as needed and it provides uv protection. And you can’t see it unless you peek over the picket fences. In the picture below you can see a couple of the hooks I used to hang the sides. It may be hard to see, but there is a screen over the opening to capture the big stuff that comes out of the gutter.
