Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi all

Finally looking at setting up a system, only question that I have is if I should cover the system or not. At the beginning stage, considering two grow beds and a 1000L tank, current area is open to weather.

Any advice very welcome.

Cheers

Lucky

Covering tanks is a must Lucky IMHO... stops algal blooms due to affect of sunlight and allows for better temperature retention when the temperature falls....

So in some ways it depends where your tank is located in relation to your growbeds....

Covering the growbeds themselves.... depends on local factors... wind intensity of sunlight/air temp.... any need to retain or increase heat through winter.....

If I could afford to do so... then I would... mainly just to maintain more consistancy and/or control of the environmental factors.

I concur with Rupert
My original set up had the tank uncovered but under a 50% Laserlite roof, but I got a lot of algal blooms
The tank is now covered 80% and the water has remained clear for several weeks now. The fish dont seem to mind and the system is cycling, so I guess thats OK
cheers
Rodney

Covering tanks is possibly a legal requirement in most jurisdictions, especially if you are keeping fish non-indigenous to your catchment. Having had a quiet chat to a "friend of a friend", it appears that most aquaponists in QLD at least are breaking the law with regards to the keeping of fish.

If you stock fish that are permitted for your "farm dam" then you don't need to cover the water body or have a licence. If you stock other fish then you need to have covered, escape proof containers and probably a licence.

I would cover the 1000l tank at least with shade cloth to protect from sun and predators...Consider also insulating / bury your tank to stablise the water temperatures. My system with similar volume of water, I find my temp swings quite a bit from day and night. All swings will stress the fish out especially warmer species..

Thanks everyone, Tanks will be covered with mesh to prevent child access etc. what about the grow beds, do they need to be protected from the rain ? I suppose I'm trying to justify putting in a patio type set up beside the house. Would love to partially bury the tank but cannot due to limited space between fence/retaining wall and house. Any other ideas on how to insulate an above ground tank?

Styrene foam sheets have been used.. as has bubble wrap... black plastic, then buble wrap perhaps....

Growbeds don't need to be covered (generally) from rain, unless you're in a particularly heavy rainfall region.... but may need to be for reasons of heat, wind, hail etc....

I have just bubble wrap my fish tank. Got 25m of the stuff and just kept wrapping until all gone..Will monitor the temps to see what kind of effect it will have. You could get some of the zigsaw mats that the martial arts folk use as a barrier of heat loss through the floor of the tank. and place some foam sheets on top at night to prevent the major heat loss but leave a gap for C02 to escape

LB, is it the pink stuff?

Jaymie,
ROFL I thought of you when I brought the stuff..
"If it came in pink came to my mine"