Just tossing around a few ideas...
Designing a system for heating AP tanks for Barra and Tilapia over winter as cheaply as possible.
Idea is to base any designs on Fayes system.
Many tropicals, such as Tilapia and Barra like temperatures around the 25 deg C mark but tilapia for example will just about tolerate 17 deg - 35 deg C.
Here in Perth we get a nice mediteranean climate and therefore have a window for unheated tank culture of warm water fish such as tilapia, Barra, various tropicals in the baackyard in the summer months.
In winter we need to heat.
I am thinking that insulated solar, coupled with electric heaters in the very cold times may be worth a shot.
Imagine developing Fayes system to keep Barra or other warm water fish though the winter using as much sun as possible and only resorting to electricity when in dire straits. Therefore limiting cost.
For the heating option there could be some type of electronic sensor system connected to a separate tank that is heated via solar with an electric heater backup. I would imagine that the electric heater and pump kicks in to deliver heated water to the fish pond if the pond temperature drops below say 18 degrees.... (Emergency situation).
Solar pump and pond delivery pump kicks in if pond temperature drops to say 20 degrees. Water is sent back to the solar tank in a circuit.
Does anyone have any idea how this could be cheaply plumbed and cabled and what sort of simple control system might worth considering.
I think this is a good engineering design problem that can be overcome with a little thought and flair, and we have plenty of people here with the brains and the skills! Regards figures, we need to think about insulating tanks and growbeds, but despite accurate figures, I think that a basic concept could be worked out.
Imediately the use of a secondhand solar hotwater system such as an Edwards or Solarhart springs to mind. But is there a way of making a reliable system out of junk?
I doubt that I could afford such a system. but adding some sort of solar and emergency electrical heating option to the pond in a system such as Fayes would be a good excercise.
Regards sizing, lets base any rough calcs on Fayes configuration.
Worth a try?
Drawings and discussion would be great!
There are 5 - 50 gallon collection tanks that are heavily insulated, electronics of some sort probably a pump as well. The solar heating units are made with a curved reflective surface and the collector pipe with fins runs in the center of the curve.
