Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Does anyone know if you can use the blue styrofoam sheets that are used in construction for your raft? Its used for some insulation on walls in home constrution, I have access to some but am having a hard time finding just the "craft" grade white styrofoam. I just didn't know if the blue stuff had some extra additives that might make it toxic to human, plants and fish. Anyone have any idea please let me know...
Thanks All

Mike

Hi Mike
I reckon it should be alright, its a closed cell foam so it won`t take on water.
I`m pretty sure styrofoam is just a tradename for xps (extruded polystyrene) which is used for swimming aids (floats), foundation insulation and the like. The colour pigment shouldn`t leach. The xps i have is an off white/cream colour, its usually blue, pink or green.

Thanks Hex, upon digging deeper in some of the forums I found some posts where commerical operations were infact using the blue dow board. Which leaves one more question... on a 4' x 8' board do you think one inch would be enough to float or should I put two together for a total of 2 inches?

Thanks again
Mike

Guess I should have tossed in that I am thinking about only 32 lettuce plants...maybe a few different plants as well just to experiment. I do not have the net baskets but have read where you can use styrofoam cups with holes in them, or I have some small 4 inch pots that i might sink into the styrofoam.

Thanks,
Mike

I would use 2" thick foam. I expect that 1" think would sink from the weight of plants if you are placing them less than arm length apart. And I often use yogurt cups with holes poked in the bottom as my "net pots" I like recycling this way. Another tip, if you run a bit of bright white rayon mop string from where you plan to place the seed, down through a hole in the bottom of the cup so that it touches the water, then you can start the lettuce seeds right in place and not have to fiddle with transplanting seedlings into the "net pots". In these "net pots" is about the only place I ever use perlite. Gravel can work but is heavier so would weigh down a "raft."

I've seen many places use the pink or blue stuff for this purpose. I don't know if there might be any chemicals that could leach but to some extent we must decide our own risk levels.

I would definitely recommend the extruded polystyrene as being somewhat easier to cut than the white boards made of the beads pressed together since cutting those will coat you and everything around you in the little bits (I cut some of this in the house once and well, I'm sure you can imagine the mess

Good Luck

I have seen blue and pink foam board used. I dont think its toxic. I chickens have eaten a whole 4x8 sheet of the stuff and seem fine, lol.

If you place bubblers under the plants then bursting air bubbles with keep the potting medium wet while the seeds get a start. I have used cheap solo cups with holes for growing lettuce and they did just fine. Net pots are pretty cheap though and can last many seasons. In my opinion its really not worth the difference in price to poke hundreds of holes.

I have just added a floater to the 500lt ft made from the lid of a poly box that fish are transported in for auction.

Here is a shot


HTH

Vegieman and others, having just purchased ten of those 500L tanks, got any bright ideas for the lids they come with? Too big for frisbees, too shallow for growbeds.............

I am going to cut mine so as to be able to hinge a small section for inspection etc.

Covers over fish tanks are a good idea though I might like them to breath better than a plastic lid. Perhaps cutting away some sections and netting them for air flow.

How do they sit upside down on the tank. Cut a couple of holes and drop some pots into them. Must get me some of these green tanks. They look like a usefull size.

Maybe another option?
Cut a hole in the middle with a holesaw and fix a flexible delivery hose around the inside of the rim. Some spreader mat laid inside and a mesh cover for plant support.. et voila a trendy circular nft tank