Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

All,
I am very excited to be planning a system for the up coming year. I live in a rural county west of Richmond, Va. Zone 7. I have access to great well water and plenty of land. After several weeks of reading and learning. There are so many system design that I have looked at and so many things to think about. I guess one question I have is can you do what I would call a dual system. What I mean is a am going to build a greenhouse (thinking 16 x 32) I want to build it underground and have a tractor with a front end loader. This makes site prep site a non issue.

So what I am thinking is that I could use tanks outside and inside the greenhouse and isolate the outside tanks in the winter and just use them to grow during the time of the year that can support outside growing. Is this a possible idea? Has anyone here done this? Are ther issues with taking beds out of service in winter that are outside? Will starting these back up be too much of a strain on the greenhouse?

I do realize that heating the greenhouse in the winter months like now (Jan) is an issue. I have looked at water storage greenhouses with black barrels for storing heat. There is a greenhouse at Virginia Tech http://www.roperld.com/science/YMCAsolargreenhouse.htm
that is using buried tubes in the ground to circulate air and exchange heat out of the ground. . I was hoping to use a hybrid of this because they are not using aquaponics there just a greenhouse. Also a rocket stove is not out of the question either

So I guess second question is what is the best way to heat the greenhouse water to maintain a warm greenhouse in the winter months. (tilapia is the goal) I am leaning towards the system at VT as well as a DIY water heater to heat a buried water tank that I would then use to create a submerged radiator system that would be inside the tanks to maintain temps in hot and cold weather. Using tubing with the warmer water running inside the lines to control the temp of the system. Are these viable ideas or I am just the crazy dreamer my wife thinks I am?

I am hoping to start site prep soon and realize I need to still do a lot of planning but cant wait to get on the tractor and dig some dirt up! I know there are many hurtles just trying to avoid costly mistakes and realize planing is critical and if done right heating and cooling can be done with little to no energy cost to maintain the desired temps. So dont hold back and tell me what you think?

Thanks
Ron

Hello,
I'm in DC. I am considering a similar setup although at a much smaller scale. I'd like to know how to deal with the freezing temps with respect to shutting down parts of the system. If you find your answers elsewhere, coud you post here for the rest of us?

Also, where do you plan to get you fish?

Cheers.
Scott

Scott,
I was thinking about just gravel beds and tubes for the outside and putting the bed in the ground, Have not even considered fish yet its going to take me a long time to get going and will probably get it going in small increments but will dig down and plan a good foundation. I am leaning towards a rocket stove set up.


Ron

Ron, how is the project going, any updates?

Gary