Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Well Stu, I Had hoped to have it all up by the end of July but the heat has been horid here so im working slow. Maybe another week or so? I'll take pics as it goes up. and yes the frame is plastic, its all plastic with the exception of a few bolts and cables. I dont think I could bend the frame across my knee and I'm of an average build, I'll get some pictures of the parts just before we begin assembly so you get an idea of it. Hope it works for the cold.

Should be great

here in n.e. ohio, it gets -10 to -20 F in the dead of winter, and right now it's 95 F outside. i think that is just too much to overcome in a conventional green house.

i've got a back (south west corner) bedroom that isn't used for anything but storage. i've already gutted it down to the studs, and i'm planning to install as many windows as i can fit. will probably open up an interior wall that butts to the kitchen.

i can picture it now, walk around a breakfast bar and into the garden, without leaving the house.

That would be fantastic add the sound of a water fall and yer perfect.

oooo, giving people ideas there - I forsee divorces in the making as men strip down rooms and convert them to aquaponics

already got some waterfall action going on in the kitchen with the addition of "my new toy". very soothing. and with the evaporative cooler that had to be added, it's actually blowing 65 cfms of cooler air (72-74 F) into the kitchen.

a big stsyem, with a much larger fan, should supplement the AC nicely. just another reason to go ahead with this project.

AM, the Mrs. is perfectly fine with this, as long as it looks good.

Wow, you managed to get your system into the kitchen AF? Nice work..

Yes, it's always so long as it looks good isn't it.....?

As good as the climate is in SE Queensland, we still experience temperature variations at Bundamba from 1 to 38 degrees Celsius. In other places, the variation can be much more.

Every summer, the insects attempt to eat everything in sight and the humidity causes other problems

In my view, the answer is to take the whole aquaponics thing inside and that's where we're going with it.

Because we plan to include other creatures and plants in our integrated food production system (like wheatgrass, Japanese Quail, snails, worms, bantams, fungi and fly larvae) it's the logical way for us to go.

I have a vision of a backyard food production system which is based in a 20' shipping container with an attached sun-facing greenhouse. We'll be able to control virtually every aspect of the conditions in which our plants and livestock will grow.

In the meantime, I'm playing with even smaller systems so that I can learn what works without making too many expensive mistakes.

You're up with the birds Gary!

This sounds fantastic.

I've worked from a lot of railway containers in rock and roll and they are big heat traps.

Be sure to acknowledge this in your design. All that steel could be hard to keep cool, very hard to keep cool, in Summer.

I've got a client who havs one that's been fireproffed and its 21 degs every day of the year. Expensive though, looks like the inside of a cartoon cave.

You can also keep the heat down in a container by shading it, a simple shadecloth cover over the top of it would help, I've seen them with a seperate iron rooves over the top before..

Hey Aqua Fan - I am originally from the Buckeye State, central Ohio. Don't forget to mention the wind chill factor. I think using an extra room that was only for storage is a great idea. Wish I had that option here.

Joyce

Hi , Greenhouse covering and fastening profiles now available from www.aquaponics.net.au

It is really good stuff made for the Agricultural industry, anyone wants a small sample I will post one to you.

Murray

Websites looking good Murray

I agree with stu, nice site. Good addition of the green house building as well. Now more Pictures. You folks have been busy. If you can find the time move your little island a bit closer the the U.S.? I'm getting a bit jealous sitting in the middle of Iowa as all the action seems to be down there.