Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Being a newbie and not yet got the kit, I have been wondering about roofing. Seems to me a solid roof (eg double carport) could be useful.

1. Keeps hot tropical Sun off plants and fish during middle of the day.

2. Collects rain into tank to top up system.

3. Mounting point for solar panel to run the system.

However there maybe drawbacks - lack of light primarily. What do others do? Would a translucent roof be better eg. Alsynite? Or are poly tunnels the go for some reason?

I am currently trying to find ways to collect water for house and yard use, and it also seems to me that a structure that serves multi purposes is the way to go (see 1, 2 and 3 above). Wasting water off a poly tunnel goes against both these goals.

I'm in town so need to consider aesthetics, pool safety and building regulations. Before I start spending $$ etc. I want a system plan that will work (at least the big components) and hence my focus on the whole 'roofing thingy'. Potential for big gains, also potential for big losses if I get it wrong.

Would anyone like to comment/advise?

Luisa

It is best you work out your budget first, then you can plan.
There are all kinds of roofing types to suit all budgets.

Luisa, we're building a carport type roof, but using greenhouse plastic film (cheaper than laserlit by lots) and putting shadecloth over the tank and birdnetting around the sides.
We'll be angling the roof slightly to catch some of the rain, with a gutter into a spare blue drum.

Luisa, You need direct light (or filtered through shadecloth/glass/plastic etc) to grow veg, growing in shade is not very productive.

This is the main factor holding back the growth in my systems, which are both situated under a 2m pergola facing north-east. During Winter and early spring it was OK, as the sun was lower in the sky, but growth has stalled and pests have taken over now there is no direct sunlight on the plants.

Ok, so a solid roof which admits some light but not all would be better? I understand the need to prevent evaporation while allowing photosynthesis.

My concern is that the Sun is so intense here that a bit of shade during the hottest hours would be better, they could get direct light am and pm, and diffuse light across the midday hours.

And of course, then there's the other considerations too. But I may have answered all my own Qs by now anyway!! Use the house roof to collect water, and use grid power for the pumps, and that would get us up and running.

I'll think more about these suggestions and see what we come up with.

Thanks for all your inputs!!

Might want to bear in mind what fish you are choosing, murray and sleepy cod usually live on the river bottom around snags- areas with little light, so they appreciate darkness more that some other fish (darkness is also reported to help reduce aggression.

I haven't got so far as to be sure what fish I'd want. But I'm thinking maybe a direct drain system, with grow beds above fish tanks and water draining thru (a la Joel's original setup) might be most useful. The grow beds would shade the fish tanks, while getting plenty of sun themselves.