Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

So, let's see, we'll have lemons, oranges, limes... anybody growing blue agave?

Oh THAT hole. . . I think I'm prouder of the hole in the ground as it was a ton of work finding a spot for all that clay! The other took like a minute and a half.

Mmmm...yes. Well, sorry to have created confusion with the earth-as-insulation. I seem to be good at that.

That insulation looks like styrofoam (aka polystyrene or EPS foam). Where did you manage to get it? None of the building suppliers around here are helpful (they only carry polyisocyanurate and most folks don't recommend putting that underground) and I don't really want to ship it from internet suppliers.

And I must agree, that is a well-done hole. Looks like hard soil: how are your hands after digging that?

Hydro... no problem. We did a lot of research when we built the solar greenhouse two years ago. Otherwise, I wouldn't have any idea.

The insulation is Expanded Polystyrene, sold at the local Home Depot & Lowe's stores.

Tom said the soil wasn't too difficult to dig. It is pretty much solid clay, however, we are into our wet season so it's saturated to a very deep level. Took a couple of days to get it dug and squared out. And, when the IBC went in, it was absolutely level. :big thumbs up:

We seem to be done with the easy back-breaking stuff. Amazing sometimes how long some things take. We'd hope to get to siphons this weekend, but looks like those belong to this next week sometime. Meanwhile, here's what the inside of the greenhouse looks like now...

Looks like a nice comfy home for your fish T&V!

+1

Nicely laid out system there HD, plumbing won't take too long once you get stuck into it....then gravel washing

Notice by the position of the coffee mugs that both ppl are right handers...Oh well

Ever so observant Ell. I had to go and look again for the mugs. LOL

Very funny Don't you like our nice grown up mugs. Heeheehee

On the plumbing, just got back from the plumbing store with a box of fittings and several lengths of pipe. It's getting pretty real. Guess the next couple of days will be plumbing days...

dont forget to dry fit first....grin

Man I started reading this and I thought I was in the wrong forum

Nice looking greenhouse.... I love the size

MF, Won't ask what forum you thought you were in...

Thanks on the greenhouse. I have certainly enjoyed it. We always wish it were a little bigger but without a full terrace in the backyard, it didn't seem practical. Next one.

GF, First there's the head run, then the dry run, then the wet run and prayers....

measure twice, cut once! is the old addage worth keeping in mind.

We played with the auto siphon a couple of days ago. Very cool stuff. I was wondering if we would have to fly El up here at first.

Vic and I laid out much of the supply plumbing this afternoon. 'tis great to have an assistant- or maybe to be an assistant, I still don't know. . . Anyways, I seemed to pick up in the Hardware forum that some will use a silicone on the screw and slip fittings and some do not. Has anyone used the regular TFE paste on the screw fittings? I did a test last night and used this conical rubber washer for the drain out of the 1/2 blue barrel GBs. Has anyone tried the washer thing and is it better or worse than silicone? My thought was to apply silicone to the fittings that didn't press together nice and tight. It seems crazy not to glue, but I understand that maintenance is a necessary evil.