Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I have heard that Europen hot houses have been heated by coils layed in decomposing matter, the heat generated by the decomposition, heats the water in the coil, wich is then run into radiators.

Warren

so all you need is a huge pile of rotting mulch/compost right next to your system...

You'd have to have a fair amount of organic matter to keep composting, but it's a good idea... I have heard of people having compost piles under their growbeds, in greenhouses, useing all the heat of the composting matter to heat the greenhouse..

some links about the heating of water using compost as was earlier mentioned :

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Alternat ... ted_Water_

http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/compostheatedgh.html

http://www.usc.edu/CSSF/History/2002/Projects/S0803.pdf

Wouldn't that leave you wide open to pests?

I think a clean greenhouse would save you more money (less sprays, time spent trying to find organic pest control that works and pulling your hair out at yet another witches brew miracle cure etc)

Although a leaf mulch, and worms munching on it... NO! lol

I will utilise some of my waterflow which will be up high on the back wall for a solar panel the return water mixing with the returns of that row. I can turn it on and off at that point with a valve.

I only need to make a very slight difference to the overall water volume's temperature to make this thing worthwhile. As Autumn sets in keep the water just that bit higher than it would be from there on and mid winter could see me several degrees better off.

This Season ground water has reached temps below feeding for most species. I am bothered by this.

If fish live in an Aqua system and are not feeding, yet plants are present in the system and are feeding, the organic content of the water could become too low to support the fish through osmoregulation as would usually happen.

Fish not only feed off stored fat but through nutrients in the water they breathe. How low do winter ppm levels get in planted systems where fish aren't feeding and how hard is it on the fish?

AA,

The nitrates are only a small fraction of the TDS in the water, once the nitrates have been used up out of the system the plants should really stop taking up other micro nutrients as well. I hate to bring more testing equipment into this, but if you were concerned about fish osmotic regulation then buy a tds meter. You could always add magnesium sulphate and calcium chloride, but most fish actually accept quite a wide randge of TDS.

Steve

as my system is outside I am not woried about bugs - the compost WUOld attract more worms - barra food!!! as it is my entire shadehouse and nursery area are mulched so as to minimise the compacting of soil under foot, and it helps store heat as well as ups the humidity levels slightly
Our school is supported by a local tree lopping service which gives us the mulched up trees it has chopped down when tyhey work near our school - I will be checking to see if there have been recient deliveries so as to give this compost heating a go!

just had a thought... We are having about 18 or 20 trees cleared next week, most of which are palms - I will keep a load of the palm "mulch" and use that as an experimental heating source (palm compost/mulched up rot real quick and give off loads of heat too!)

Ah, no nitrate = nutrient lockout Steve?

I figure top up water would provide calcium and magnesium readily enough. Thanks for the info.

Still too cold here but in Summer I'll be raving about coolers

perhaps we should start that thread now, get ready for summer!

Coolers! I'll be in my element! (fridgie )

Lucky we only have to deal with the elements. In African Aquaponics they have to deal with the Elephants. Wrecking systems to them is a walkover.

really like the idea of heating under compost. I used to compost all my grass clippings from my mowing round and they got really hot. This blue line stuff, in a 25 metre roll 25mm diameter is machine coiled and is about a metre coil in diameter and only $50 for 25 metres or $80 for 50 mtrs. A coil of that under a pile of grass clippings outside the greenhouse would liven things up I reckon. Just ask your local lawn mowing guy for a bag or 2 of clippings every week. We used to drop full bags on peoples driveways who wanted it and pick em up empty when they had dumped the clippings on their gardens... Just a thought

in victorian times pineapples where grown in hot houses using compost heat. i think they used horse manure with its urine soaked straw.
they also added urine to keep it fired up. the compost was housed in the glass house and pots where even planted in it. you had to be careful not to burn the plants. it was a bit of a black art.
a bay next to the glass house with a coil of water filled pipe in it connected to a tank inside higher than the coil would heat up. the bottom of the coil would be connected to the bottom of the tank. the water in the pipe would then heat up and circulate.

blodger

hmmm, not that many where I came from... theft and violence (non elephant) was more of a problem