⚠️ This forum has been restored as a read-only archive so the knowledge shared by the community over many years remains available. New registrations and posting are disabled.

All times are UTC + 8 hours




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 13 posts ] 
Author Message
PostPosted: Apr 10th, '10, 01:10 
Valued Contributor
Valued Contributor

Joined: Oct 4th, '06, 22:56
Posts: 57
Location: Hardin, TX
Gender: Male
Hello everybody, I've been an inactive member for awhile now but that is about to change. I am trying to get some fresh ideas so I can start my system. Can I get some feed back on where to buy or build easy grow beds and find system components, in the US. I have found a great place to purchase a affordable greenhouse. I just need to find out about the other components in order to determine what size house I will need. Can't wait to here what ya'll have to suggest.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
    Advertisement
 
PostPosted: Apr 10th, '10, 08:58 
Bordering on Legend
Bordering on Legend
User avatar

Joined: Jun 24th, '07, 06:04
Posts: 343
Location: Southern California(Palm Springs)
Gender: Male
Are you human?: no
Location: Palm Springs, California
tis is all of are problems, just need to find what will work...for you.

umm how big is your planned system? how many gallons of FT, and what is your LxW of the GH?

we'll get some ideas flowing your way.

-df

PS welcome back, i was inactive for awile to, its a-ok :wink:


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: Apr 10th, '10, 09:16 
Seriously, this cant be healthy.
Seriously, this cant be healthy.
User avatar

Joined: Dec 6th, '07, 01:13
Posts: 10709
Images: 0
Location: central FL
Gender: Female
Are you human?: YES at least mostly
Location: USA, Florida, Yalaha
Of what is currently available in the US, I'm becoming far more fond of rubbermade stock tanks. If you were to wade through my system thread http://backyardaquaponics.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=2640 you will see me go from using lots of pond liner to discovering that termites will eat from wood into pond liner and before they realize the difference, things could be leaking.

I've been slowly converting over to 100 gallon stock tanks for grow beds. If your fish tank or sump tank is sunk into the ground with less than say 8 inches above ground, you could simply place the stock tank grow beds on blocks and they would be a comfortable height without an extra stand being built.

I think a nice starter system could be done with a 300 gallon stock tank fish tank and 3 100 gallon stock tank grow beds. Then perhaps get a spider valve later and add 3 more 100 gallon grow beds to get a 2:1 grow bed to fish tank ratio.

A 100 gallon stock tank fish tank and a 100 gallon stock tank grow bed could make a fair fingerling tank.

Best price I found so far has generally be tractor supply for the rubbermade tanks. You might manage cheaper if you went with another brand of stock tank but I don't know if they are as sturdy. Avoid the galvanized tanks unless you can get them lined.

Other options are of course, blue barrels but they require lots of extra plumbing because they are so small and if you cut them long ways, they require extra support.

IBC's are also a good option if you can get food safe ones for a good price that are not already deteriorating from UV damage. They require cutting and protection from the sun but many have made great systems using them.

I no longer recommend lumber and liner. If you do go that route, make sure there is no easy way for termites to gain access to the lumber and treated lumber is probably a good idea as long as leaching to the system can happen anywhere.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: Apr 10th, '10, 09:27 
Bordering on Legend
Bordering on Legend
User avatar

Joined: Jun 24th, '07, 06:04
Posts: 343
Location: Southern California(Palm Springs)
Gender: Male
Are you human?: no
Location: Palm Springs, California
[quote="TCLynx"]
I think a nice starter system could be done with a 300 gallon stock tank fish tank and 3 100 gallon stock tank grow beds. Then perhaps get a spider valve later and add 3 more 100 gallon grow beds to get a 2:1 grow bed to fish tank ratio.
[quote]

TC, thats my dream starter system :toothy7:


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: Apr 10th, '10, 09:43 
Bordering on Legend
Bordering on Legend
User avatar

Joined: Jun 24th, '07, 06:04
Posts: 343
Location: Southern California(Palm Springs)
Gender: Male
Are you human?: no
Location: Palm Springs, California
waited to long to add on to the last post.

how tall are the 100gal Rubbermaid stock tanks? i remember the 50gal are 12" tall with the same surface area?


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: Apr 10th, '10, 09:54 
Bordering on Legend
Bordering on Legend
User avatar

Joined: Jun 24th, '07, 06:04
Posts: 343
Location: Southern California(Palm Springs)
Gender: Male
Are you human?: no
Location: Palm Springs, California
darnit, i did it agin, i took to long to type in my edit.

how tall is the rubbermaid 100gals?

i found these to: www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?ite ... rchresults

they come in 50gal, 100g, 120g, 150g, 320g, 610g, and 920s :shock:

but i still like the 300gal rubbermaid...
sorry once agin for posting 3 times but i hope this helps.

-df


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: Apr 10th, '10, 11:07 
Valued Contributor
Valued Contributor

Joined: Oct 4th, '06, 22:56
Posts: 57
Location: Hardin, TX
Gender: Male
Found some plastic molded feed troughs made by Behlen supply co. Not sure how many gallons they are not to good at conversion tables. I think these would make great grow beds. 120" x 34" x 19" 75 lbs. I was thinking about using a 500 gal. septic tank for my fish tank. I have a friend that makes them and he has some that are seconds that I can get reasonable. I thought about setting it in the ground and have the grow beds gravity drain back to the tank.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: Apr 11th, '10, 04:00 
Bordering on Legend
Bordering on Legend
User avatar

Joined: Jun 24th, '07, 06:04
Posts: 343
Location: Southern California(Palm Springs)
Gender: Male
Are you human?: no
Location: Palm Springs, California
Mike Hutzler wrote:
Found some plastic molded feed troughs made by Behlen supply co. Not sure how many gallons they are not to good at conversion tables. I think these would make great grow beds. 120" x 34" x 19" 75 lbs. I was thinking about using a 500 gal. septic tank for my fish tank. I have a friend that makes them and he has some that are seconds that I can get reasonable. I thought about setting it in the ground and have the grow beds gravity drain back to the tank.


do you happen to have a link to one on the web, are they Poly?
and un used septic tank whould work well, well depens on what its made of... but sounds like you are on your way...

maybe your friend might be intrusted in making custom grow beds for you? and us??? plz??? lol :wink: but i do think there would be some money in it, but it would compete with rubbermaid poly stock tanks....il stop talking now :roll: ...

-df


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: Apr 11th, '10, 07:58 
Newbie
Newbie
User avatar

Joined: Mar 2nd, '10, 00:35
Posts: 43
Gender: Female
Are you human?: yes
Location: Sonoma Co. California
Mike Hutzler wrote:
Found some plastic molded feed troughs made by Behlen supply co. Not sure how many gallons they are not to good at conversion tables. I think these would make great grow beds. 120" x 34" x 19" 75 lbs.


Those look really nice. The Behlen website says the 120' holds 20 cu ft, which is about 150 gallons, or 566 liters. So same volume but more surface area than the rubbermaid stock tank. How much is your local supplier charging for them?


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: Apr 11th, '10, 08:21 
Bordering on Legend
Bordering on Legend
User avatar

Joined: Jun 24th, '07, 06:04
Posts: 343
Location: Southern California(Palm Springs)
Gender: Male
Are you human?: no
Location: Palm Springs, California
http://www.behlencountry.com/products/poly_stock_tanks

is that what your talking about?
if so i want the 70g, 2'Wx1'Tx6'L, i like that.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: Apr 11th, '10, 09:54 
Bordering on Legend
Bordering on Legend
User avatar

Joined: Jun 24th, '07, 06:04
Posts: 343
Location: Southern California(Palm Springs)
Gender: Male
Are you human?: no
Location: Palm Springs, California
Madrone26 wrote:
Mike Hutzler wrote:
Found some plastic molded feed troughs made by Behlen supply co. Not sure how many gallons they are not to good at conversion tables. I think these would make great grow beds. 120" x 34" x 19" 75 lbs.


Those look really nice. The Behlen website says the 120' holds 20 cu ft, which is about 150 gallons, or 566 liters. So same volume but more surface area than the rubbermaid stock tank. How much is your local supplier charging for them?


the web site says lowes is adealer. so i am calling and seeing if they even know...

waited an hour to see if they'll call me back. nuthing yet :(


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: Apr 11th, '10, 12:02 
Valued Contributor
Valued Contributor

Joined: Oct 4th, '06, 22:56
Posts: 57
Location: Hardin, TX
Gender: Male
Tractor Supply is also a supplier. I got a price of $320.00. You have to give them the model number and they will order them for you. they are poly.

The septics are made of concrete. If I use a sump what would be the maximum number of grow beds I could use on my 500 gal. fish tank if I were to raise Tilapia?


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: Apr 13th, '10, 06:25 
Bordering on Legend
Bordering on Legend
User avatar

Joined: Jun 24th, '07, 06:04
Posts: 343
Location: Southern California(Palm Springs)
Gender: Male
Are you human?: no
Location: Palm Springs, California
you could have up to 1000gallons of volume for your growbeds.
there a ratio thred ive been on: viewtopic.php?f=11&t=5023

the basic ratio is 100g:50g:25lb (GB:FT:Fish)

so for 500 gallons os fish tank, you could have a 1000g:500g:250lb,
but remember, the amount of growbed matters more on the amount of fish, you can have a 500g fish tank with only 100g of growbed, but it would only be able to handle about 50lbs of fish.
fishtank volume plays a roll in AP, but its more about a balance of fish to growbed.

now with rupe spider valve, you wouldnt need a sump. thred here: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=5378&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=spider+valve

rupe site: http://www.freshbynature.com.au/

i email freshbynature, and i am getting a quote for one :D

there cool, and seem that they are only missing thing in the AP parts list.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 13 posts ] 

All times are UTC + 8 hours


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
cron

Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
Portal by phpBB3 Portal © phpBB Türkiye
[ Time : 0.112s | 13 Queries | GZIP : Off ]