Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hey everybody.
Soooooo its only been what, 2-3 years since I have visited.
Yea, so life seemed to have happened these past seasons of my life.

The old system was dismantled.
- old school windows sold
- wood from the greenhouse given away
- some AP supplies basically stolen by "commercial" system who cherry picked
- rest was burned. i.e Elisha's Oxen and yoke

Multiple moves and am finally settled.
I have attached a pic and will take the next couple of posts to describe my thoughts.
Please feel free to comment and offer suggestions.

Well...here goes

Post Edit: how do you resize photos with windows 10/office 2013?
(I wish they would leave stuff alone...smh

any help appreciated

Brian

I am finally in a brick and mortar home.
Pretty sweet after living in a camper for the past 5 years.

The system plan will be against the south facing wall on the exterior of the house.
As my user name suggests it will be done on a very tight (almost minimal budget) using predominantly recycled/reclaimed materials

Phase 1
300 gal IBC ft (cats, eventually tilapia, still researching)
12 1/2 blue barrel gravel beds for solids removal
12' x 4' x 3' deep DWC for raft and prawns
Several narrower and shallower DWC for planting
Fish safe epoxy coated concrete sump outside.

17' x 17' lean-to greenhouse enclosing the system. (i.e. JT)

*using more DWC VS flood n drain to minimize heat exchanges (water temp stability)

Brian

ok,
Maybe this will work...





Good deal...

Initial system plan is on the left.
Phase II is wrapping around the house along the east wall to an existing concrete patio slab.

Middle DWC will eventually be using different flow velocities to see if you can increase stocking densities over the norm 1' cubed per grown out prawn.

The owner of Texas Aquaculture was going to try this test but has not had the time...
I will be curious if the higher velocity of water will hinder plant growth/nutrient absorption.

Enough for now...

bk

looked back over my last system post...more like 4 years...

display on screen and simply use Windows Snipping Tool - it will grab at screen res, so if your image is about right size it will be the right size. (open cortana and type snipping tool - and it will show the link, you can right click and pin it to start menu & then once in start menu right click to add to task bar). Snipping Tool is handy because t can grab anything to post - even sketchups or web pages etc.

Else use something like IrfanView - this does batch conversions and can easily resize, crop and save.
(it is free).


Good luck with the new build.

Thank you Darren.
With Windows 10 I was able to use MS Word to compress.
I have not noticed snipping tool yet. Still fumbling around.
bk

*revision* actually read your post, 2 more times and found the snipping tool under microsoft tools. Dont care for cortana...call me crazy

Anyway I pinned it to the task tray and realized I should've just read your email slower the first time.

Thank you again.
bk

Saturday Update:

Two weeks ago saturday I went to my ex In-Laws place to clean up a tin roof that a tornado had ripped off.
This is the load of salvage I obtained that day.



rafters and salvageable tin.

This came about a few weeks earlier. I was going to pick up my son for a quick road trip and noticed the roof laying in several pieces in the pasture. I called my ex FIL as he and I have always gotten along. Told him if he needed help replacing his roof on the tractor shelter to let me know and I would help. He called later that afternoon and asked if I was serious and I said of course. Next morning we started bright and early and I helped him replace multiple rafters. (this time with stronger hurricane clips)

He thanked me, said what you did isn't typical and all I said is "just because * and I didn't make it doesn't mean I don't still care for y'all." Anyway, I was't expecting anything but they pressed $ into my hand and told me to get all scrap I wanted whenever I could...

Long story, but kind of cool.

bk

Other "goodies" I have come across recently.

@ 28 food grade 55 gallon drums. The had liquid wood smoke flavoring, hickory etc...REALLY THICK syrup type stuff...going to interesting cleaning them out...grrrrr
*note* if you're REALLY good you can see a piece of 24" diameter plastic drain culvert. About 12' long. Thought about cutting it in 1/2 length ways and using for the reservoir in my wicking beds... or something



Few more.
The front is about 4' long x 3' wide. It is made of the the same kind of material that grain feed sacks are. Thought about sewing them into several smaller ones and using them for earth bag cellar or something.

The 4' x 4' square is a thick piece of felt type material. About 1/16" x 1/8" thick. Maybe using them for hoop frost protection/insulation or similar. Need to do a test with goldfish or something. Worst case they will make good ground cloths.



more to come

bk

System location

Phase I
Greenhouse will edge the driveway.
Blue barrel gravel beds will go across the wall under/in front of the window to the fish tank on the corner.



Phase II
Will begin with FT around the corner from 1st FT. Blue barrel gravel beds across the east wall to the existing cement slab and french kitchen doors. (where the propane tank is)
Green house will edge the cement slab for 12'. Then across the yard for about 39'.


OK...next is today's activities...

sorry for the download...just catching everyone up to speed...actual progress soon...promise

bk

Saturday 8-20 activities:

So I broke an extended fast on Wednesday of this week. Body is adapting to food again but still have to take it easy.
- up at 5:30 am. Cooked 2 eggs fried in coconut oil and 8oz unpasturized no pulp OJ. Good eatin' right there!
- Was at in laws by 6:30 started taking apart good tin from another part of the tractor shed. (he kept these)
- gave me the long rafter pieces and more scrap tin he had.
- went down to his brother's place, around the corner. Another roof torn off with tin and lumber. I got all of this.
- 10:30 or so, 83 deg f heat index @ 105. Felt lightheaded, knew heat stress so took a break, wet head, much water and pedia lite.
- climbed his tractor shed and caulked some screw holes with silicone
- started strapping down the tin. He gave me some more goodies. chicken waterers, feeders, tomato cages, wire fencing, multi tool and folding knife set (never opened)...crazy.
- on the road at 12. Went 2 miles and the load shifted. spent the next 2 hours trying to "get creative" with shifting the soon pictured load.
- at the 2nd hour a man stopped and offered assistance, 2 minutes later but who else stops by the side of the road???
- My eldest Son and daughter in law!! Woot! Woot! Haven't seen them in a few months. (ex forbids me from going to the house, they live behind her)
- soon I was buckled back up and on the road again.
- truck kept temp while idling for 2 hours with A/C running. (I love my Avalanche! Blessing from Father that I steward well)
- 40 miles later...home sweet home!! 2:40 pm (pics following)



Yes, Yes, you ARE correct!! The load DID drag most of the way!!

Sent me away with additional gifts (Blessings really)
Grass fed, grain finished black angus beef. ( I prefer Limousin. FIL raised them prior to black angus marketing blitz...don't get me started... )



And Lunch! Pics later...

So, after 2 hours in the 98 deg f heat, no water etc..I had to make a pit stop few miles down the road.



No high fructose corn garbage just sugar and a couple of Gatorades, again sugar and electrolytes...started feeling better.

After arriving home I came inside, did not even unload. Spent I is...

Lunch...in the next post...

Thanks for your patience.
bk

Saturday 8-20 activities: (continued)
I was so beat I couldn't even unhook the trailer. Just locked the truck and headed inside.
Figured I could eat since it had been over 6 hours without food...(not good)
Unwrapped "lunch"...



It isn't heritage pasture raised chicken, nor fresh beans, potatoes etc...but it tasted wonderful!!

Couldn't even eat the fruit. Stomach shrinks to crazy sizes. But all is well.
And...I have DINNER!!



*tmi warning

first, ahem "humonia" contribution from bk since 6:00 am occurred @ 4:30 pm...NOT GOOD!!!

But since I have been chilling and updating my posts I have been able to eat the plumbs, which were also amazing and consumed quite a large amount of liquids. Lips are still a touch dry, but this could be the sun and wind also...

Feels good to be able accomplish so much, in the heat and still be coherent.

Everyone have a great evening and enjoy your weekend!
Peace
bk

Evening all,
After service replaced the temporary pallet roofs on the rabbit tractors.
MUCH lighter and easier to move...smh


My nibbler was here yesterday after I got home, sure would've made things easier that morning...

If you do much tin, sheet metal, metal roofing work, they are a life saver.


Came inside and made my inspiration for AP dinner.
Shrimp stir fry. Nothing AP yet of course but all potential.
Shrimp were BOGO raw frozen 26-30 shrimp/pound. Prawns will grow out at 9-12 / pound.
veggies were water chestnuts (need to get some from TCL), beans, peas, peppers, mushrooms, carrots, celery etc...
sauteed in olive oil, little bit of soy sauce, salt, pepper then added the shrimp and steamed them for a couple of minutes...YUM


I wonder if I should put some tinted or partial shade acrylic panels on the roof of the greenhouse VS clear?
Sun in SE GA is brutal...similar to TCL, Ryan and Coach Chris...need to reach out and see...

Getting more plastic pallets and the IBC tote tomorrow...should begin setting up and plumbing later this week...

Have a good evening.
bk

2 loads of pallets today, no IBC though...
They said I could take the "small" woods pallets as well...
Turns out small wood pallets have true 1x4 lumber stringers!!
Should make some nice decorative walls so my blue barrels GB don't end up looking like blue barrel GBs...


Some of those plastic pallets from the first load weighed about 50# each...super solid

Second load, more plastic pallets...I probably have 2 more loads remaining...


I may be making a road trip to South Carolina Saturday...found 1,000 concrete blocks...for cheap cheap...
Need to recruit my younger son for a lil help...

Rest well
bk

I have been spending time looking at Markb's build and his passive solar greenhouse. Wondering if the benefit of passive heat outweighs blocking the windows with barrels and the loss of floor space...thoughts???

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk

I think it's a tough call. It might be a lot of extra work for not much gain or it might be just what you need to get you through without any heating.

1. This is a lean-to greenhouse so the back wall should store some energy and release it into the greenhouse at night with or without water tanks.
2. AP uses lots of water and this buffers the temperature swings anyway.
3. You live pretty far south and probably don't have really long cold spells.

having the back wall with barrels painted black

1. Would give you more buffering.
2. Would increase the energy collected and re-released at night
3. Would decrease your floor space available for plants.
---
Building this as a solar greenhouse would reduce the sunlight getting into the greenhouse during the summer and might help keep the heat down.

There may be other options that would work and not use as much flood space. Subterranean heat storage coupled to a solar air heater perhaps?

Here's a site that has good information on solar greenhouses - http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/Sunspace/sunspaces.htm

The type of fish and plants might have some bearing on how you build this