Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I guess i just don't know whoch way to go, becasue we have 4C winter nights yet 38C summer days.

We have 0 to 34. Very similar.

I think in the long run a greenhouse will save you a lot of power and even a bit of mowing. Just a big short term expense.

VB,
Rolling ended up costing me $180. They cocked up a bit and only rolled 5 instead of 6 lengths so I am going to modify my ventilation set up . Posts will be Galv fence posts square. Overall height will be 9 or 10 feet at the top. I reckon this is neccessary otherwise around the edges will be pretty cramped. Spacings between arches/posts are 1.8 metres.

Monya

VB, have you thought of beding your own pipe, its not that hard, with the light gal pipe you can do it by hand.

For an idea of what to do look at a plumbers copper pipe bender and scale it up.

Warren

Steve
I think the best position for your greenhouse would be on the southern fence side. You might have to leave a space for the damaged sewer pipes to be repair. Then you can maximise your solar gain through winter...It will be alot easy to cool than to heat...
Your thermal mass heat stores would be in your fish tank, gravel beds, ground (if you cover with thick layer of crushed rock..and/or use foam edge insulation around perimeter of greenhouse) and with your tank buried your heating requirements should be minimal during winter.

Passive summer cooling devices[/U]
Small waterfall that AA has been talking about.
Trellis of cucumbers etc in front of tank area.
Roof vents and cross ventilation through two doors.
Could use shade cloth over the tank area year round.

LB

Thanks Lb, that where i assumed the best location would be. I was doing maintenance at a plumbing store today and a pond caught my eye........It is about 2200 diameter and about 480 high, giving it a volume of 1100 litres, it is HDPE and was designed as a stock water trough, it has a ball float valve incl but i will remove this. The guy said they have been selling most of them as ponds

I'll put this in the new location where the green house will be and transfer the water and fish from my other tank into it. I feel a little happier now that i don't have to dig 1m down i could probably even leave it sitting on the ground and still have gravity return. I also found a pump, it is for grey / dirty water and will accept 30mm particles without damage! This wayto big, as the goldies will fit in there, so i will make up a mesh cage with maybe 10mm holes. I was told that clean water pumps would probably work, but as they are ot designed for it there is no warranty. The pump design is interesting, it uses an open face impeller that creates a vortex. flow rate is not as good as clean water pumps, but i'm looking at long term reliability. the price is $270. how does this sound? EB? it will pump 130L/min at zero head, 100L/min at 2m and 80L/min at 3M. i think its just under 300W.

Steve
Will the depth be a problem? ..sounds like a nice pump..100l/min at 2m..
to would be easy to recover your other tank once the water is out..
With your greenhouse design will you be supporting any pipe from the above structure?

Nice find. You could insulate your pond too. I'm using polystyrene sheets and wondering if bubble wrap might help as well adding an air cushion (if I don't pop it all)

A layer of rock on floor for thermal sink. Thank you LB. I'm thinking, no way I'm making a stone wall in my greenhouse...

Not sure as yet LB, why do you ask.

I like the hay bale idea too! This is soo cool everyone working on the same problems....talk about "multiple processors"

Just thinking of the design of your greenhouse...
25X25 RHS can support load...

Strawbales easy to work with...have to get a permit thou if want to construct with them..(or maybe not..shhh )

Warren, I had considerred bending it myself using a hydrolic pipe bender. Would hire for weekend, or may even buy one - have lots of uses for it (making gates etc). The idea was to do small bends incrementally along the pipe to form the overall shape. I just don't know if this is viable.

Would it work? Would it look crap? etc etc

Tell us about your ventilation setup Stuart.

In the end of the greenhouse I will have an awning window style panel that will hinge outwards for ventilation. There will be about 100 mm gap at the bottom of the walls tot he ground to aid circulation. The shed door will be the only entry point. If it gets really stuffy, I will sett up a fan in the shed blowing out towards the awning window. Very rough drawing attached.

vb, my dad has made a pipe bender that you use with a stoby pole. You use it to bend the pipe bit by bit. A photo may help you see what it is if you want I can take one tomorrow and post it

Stu

Steve, one thing to keep in mind is that space in a greenhouse is valuable, it will take a lot of time, effort and money to build your greenhouse and you want to use the space as efficiently as possible, with a large shallow tank you save digging time and/or return pumping, but it takes up a lot more space...

What brand is the pump you found? I found some at 'B' called leader pumps.