Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Mate, it sure sounds like you don't need anymore encouragement, but what an amazing build, so much care given to the design and construction! Great to see the whole family kicking in.

Love the idea of the passive solar especially, caused me to go get and read a copy of the 'food and heat producing solar greenhouse'!

I plan to build one in 1 or 2 years time, thanks to the inspiration from here.

All the best mate, hope you keep posting updates and pics.

Trent

Trent Thanks.

It is a great book and I am sure you will enjoy it.
I am glad you are inspired to build a passive solar greenhouse. Good luck on your greenhouse project.

I am finally getting closer to getting it done then I can start concentrating on the AP side of it.

I have been busy building the greenhouse and I have not been planting plants. Nature helped me and started some tomato plants for me. There were some small tomatoes the fell into the rock and started to grow.

I took some time and separated them not a bad start. I still have my pepper plant that almost froze.
I planted some lettuce seed.





Two pallet racks height cut down. I now need to grind the welds off one side on each of them and cut down the width to 2’. Then weld them back up.

Nice to get tomato's considering how cold it has been. Hope all goes well with the impending ice/ snow in the forecast.

We made out ok through the storm. We got some ice and maybe ½" snow. We did not lose power and I am glad as a lot of people did lose it.
The greenhouse was the coldest it has been so far because the wind was blowing at the back vents and I still vets have plastic there. It went down to 42 F in the greenhouse 27 F outside.
The pallet racking is all cut down to size and welded back together. I hope to be able to put them up today.

Same racks I used for my 1/2 IBC fish tanks. very strong.

The pallet racking is in and all anchored down. ½ the decking is cut down to size. I need 4 more pieces of decking.

Not sure if I should make my own craigslist usually has some local but I done see any out there right now.

you are staying in the 40's even without having your water barrels in place to store heat? Nice! It should be balmy in there once you get the barrels in place. We warmed up to 32F yesterday here... I was walking around outside without a coat on, it felt great (been closer to 0-15F for the last couple of weeks).

I have one row of 8 barrels in there now. But I want to get the other two rows in there because this is our coldest part of the winter.

I looked at the racks this morning and I am going to just make my own rack decking. From two of the pieces I cut off. I will overlapped them and welded it together. That will make two panels.
The square tubing I cut off the racking legs can be welded together for cross supports. Then I will weld some cattle panel to that to make top of the decking.

I finished the pallet decking. I attached the top of the pallet racking to the back wall.




Then a milestone I now have all my barrels in and full of warm water.
Since it is winter I filled the with 100 degree water.
It sure feels good having these installed.



I now have 24 55 gallon barrels. That is 1,320 gallons of water and 11,008.8 pounds.
I have about 1,000 gallons between the fish tank sump tank and the grow bed.

A plywood blade ran backwards would probably work in a pinch also.

Yes but each barrel is just under 500 pounds so I would not leave it that way. I am really trying to not do things where I have to come back and change it. This wall of barrels will be here for many years.

I am going to buy three more horizontal support for guard rails like the one I have on the top right.
Now I know that is over kill but it is not that much added expense and it just steps up the safety factor.

you are a true craftsmen. That rack along with the whole greenhouse is beautiful.

Thanks.
I just bought my welder last year at the start of this system build. I had never welded before this project. I am a YouTube welder.
I have a 14” chop saw a couple different size grinders. It is amazing what you can do with just these tools.

I rather enjoy welding and melting metal together. There is something satisfying about taking raw steel and making something useful.

I will be adding more grow beds in the near future. They will be in front of these barrels. There will be a grow bed on the left and that will empty into DWC.

Even more amazing for youtube