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| introduction and looking for advice, California http://byap.backyardmagazines.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=14367 |
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| Author: | Andy Snow [ Nov 19th, '12, 07:26 ] |
| Post subject: | introduction and looking for advice, California |
Hello, I would like to introduce myself and ask for advice. I have been lurking on this (and another aquaponic forums) for a while and have gotten a lot of information. A little background. I live off grid in central California, on the fog coast. It has been 10 years since I pulled the PG&E feed out of our house. We have 12 165watt panels and 28 L16 batteries. I am planning to build a greenhouse in the spring. My original goal for the greenhouse was to grow tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers in the summer (my weather being too cool for them) and salad vegetable and greens all year round. I originally thought I would use hydroponics as I grew veggies hydroponicaly many years ago when I lived in the land of Oz. Reading up on hydroponics led me to Aquaponics and I find it very appealing. The constant input of chemicals in hydroponics is off-putting. I grow a soil veggie garden organically. I work in a horticulture business. We grow our own beef cattle and if I could get a feed of fish once a week for our family of 3, that would be a great bonus, say 75 lbs for fish a year. The greenhouse will not be more than 150 ft2 (14 meters2). Being off-grid I am concerned with the power draw of the pumps required for the constant flow / sump system. Here’s what I am thinking to start. Acquire 2 Rubbermaid stock tanks at 150 gallons (568 l) each and plumbing them together for something around 250 gallon tank (or cutting down IBCs) Then making 3 grow beds from IBCs (my job, I can get any amount of IBCs or blue barrels) at 1 foot (30cm) deep they would be about 89 gallons each (336 l) so I’m right around 1:1 fish tank/ grow bed. Then I thought I would run 3 small pumps one for each bed and sequence them so as to not pull the FT down too far. Can I get away with the pumps being under 30 watts? Multiple small pumps would give me some redundancy in the system. The thing is, if I add a forth bed, and it takes 10 – 15 minutes to fill each, I might be running constantly anyway. I have read some here about low head, low input systems and they sound great. I read great things about 5 watt air pumps. Great stuff! I just can’t get my head around constant flooded beds. I grow plants for a living, it’s not what I am used to. Old dog, new tricks. I would like need to trial it first. The other thing I could do is make the greenhouse self sufficient power wise. If I could run everything on DC, I could set up a little system to keep things running and not touch the power for the residents. I have not read anything encouraging about VDC pumps. Somebody, I can’t remember who said they had “given up” on DC pumps and installed an inverter. Inverters draw power too. Questions I have. Are there any knock down reliable DC pumps? Bait well pumps maybe? If I have a whatever-you-call-it constant height in fish tank system, can I run it less at night? (drain out the little holes at the bottom of the siphon) Am I just dumb to be afraid of constant flooded beds? I am getting the impression that it is the fish raising that sucks the power, air pumps and whatnot and I could get by with less water movement in a very lightly stocked set-up and still grow veggies. Is that correct? Sorry for the long post Regards -Andy |
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| Author: | RupertofOZ [ Nov 19th, '12, 10:12 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: introduction and looking for advice, California |
Welcome Andy... Andy Snow wrote: Am I just dumb to be afraid of constant flooded beds? If you want to get your head around the concept of "constant flood"... and perhaps allay some fears... see this thread... viewtopic.php?f=51&t=8621 Andy Snow wrote: If I have a whatever-you-call-it constant height in fish tank system, can I run it less at night? (drain out the little holes at the bottom of the siphon) If you thinking of looking at air lift pumps, or other low energy pumping configurations... Then I'd advice that you bury your tank/sump..... (helps with temperture control as well).... and not do Chift Pist at all.... or even continuously pumped siphons... Look to do timed flood & drain... it will significantly reduce your pumping/power requirements.... and give you the ability to modify pumping cycles if you wish.. Quote: I am getting the impression that it is the fish raising that sucks the power, air pumps and whatnot and I could get by with less water movement in a very lightly stocked set-up and still grow veggies. Is that correct? Stocking lightly gives you much greater tolerances.. and time to react... in almost every aspect... |
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| Author: | Andy Snow [ Nov 19th, '12, 11:46 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: introduction and looking for advice, California |
HI Rupert, Thanks for the reply. I did read the thread about the trials and also Blythe's post http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=12019&hilit=air+lift&sid=d3a53128fdc56eb305e46f95318f0415 Great stuff. They both got me thinking I should go constant flood. But being as I want tomats and peppers, I am still thinking flood and drain, but 5 watts! what a deal. -A |
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| Author: | neogenix [ Nov 19th, '12, 11:49 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: introduction and looking for advice, California |
I may be completely off base, but DWC may help limit your power usage, if you use your tanks as your primary growbeds... Welcome btw. |
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| Author: | RupertofOZ [ Nov 19th, '12, 11:56 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: introduction and looking for advice, California |
Not really... DWc might help stabilise your water temps... But it requires a continuously pumped flow... could you have a smaller pump.. and flow need for DWC.. in comparison to media beds and flood & drain??? How long is each piece of string?? |
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| Author: | Andy Snow [ Nov 20th, '12, 04:07 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: introduction and looking for advice, California |
OK guys, that's good you made me look up "DWC". Don't think that's where I'm headed. Can i get a flood and drain with 250 gallons of fish tank and 300 gallons of beds done in 30 watts or less (720 watts per day)? I could probably store enough for 3 days of no sun in 2 L16s, if I can get down to 30 watts or less. thanks for the replys -Andy |
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