Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi Guys/Gals,

I'm after some advice regarding additional growbeds..

I am thinking of making some grow beds myself out of yellowtounge or something, seal it and then line with pond liner.

Is this sufficient? Is it really "that easy" ? or am i missing something...
Ideally id love some commercial ones, but at $400 a pop, its just not viable..

I've never done it but apparently it is that easy, see JT's system for more info

viewtopic.php?t=5259

Charlie made a DWC the same way towards the end of this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=18&t=11492&start=510

thats great news - i think i can do a 2.4x500x350 grow bed for under $150..
Sure beats $400!

How many hours do you think it will take Vk, designing, sourcing materials and labour to manufacture?

Hi Faye,
1 afternoon..

Time I have, money I don't :-)

Obviously id buy a premade if I had the $$

And looking at what you have already achieved you have the skills Way to go Vk.
Look forward to seeing the finished result.

I built my 3 foot x 3 foot x 1 foot deep grow bed... I was able to get my hands on some scrap lumber for $0.50 per board. I got 2x4s for the legs and glued them together, 2x6s for the walls and stacked them 3 high, added 3 2x4 running on edge down the middle held up by joist hangers and used 2 layers of 1/2 inch plywood for the bottom. In the end, I spent WAY more money than I needed to because of the cost of the hardware to attach everything. 9 cubic feet of grow bed - Lumber cost $13.50, hardware cost about $50. Plus the cost of the liner... liner was about $50 on eBay.

When I do it over again, I will have a 2x4 frame on the bottom, nailed and glued, 4x4 legs that also act as side supports on the outside and plywood walls and floor, sealed with RubberizeIt. Might not be any cheaper, but it sure would be easier!

If you have the tools, making it yourself is a great option because you get exactly what you want. It took me a while to build this one, but it was 130+ degrees in my garage so I was only working 10-20 minutes at a time.

Also, don't forget to seal the wood somehow. I used boiled linseed oil, but I'm sure there are better options.

And if using an EPDM pond liner, keep in mind that you won't be able to make sharp corners with it. The corners at the bottom left quite a gap. I ended up filling them with AB foam. If you leave the gap between the wood and the liner you might have issues with punctures. Don't cut or attach the liner (I used staples) until you've let it settle in. I filled it with water and smoothed out the wrinkles on the bottom, then folded the edges, stapled (from the center of each side to the edge) and cut. I would imagine using RubberizeIt (or a similar product) would be far simpler since you don't have to worry about that whole song and dance. Just be sure whatever you use is fish safe and UV stable.

My search found this posting.
Could any or all of you draw a small diagram in microsoft Paint or scan a diagram, maybe put a picture or 2 of the basic structural part of your grow beds ?
Give me a link to already posted information ?
Since the weight of a 4 feet by 8 feet grow bed will weigh a ton or more, I will need that to be strong enough.
I am considering building that size out of lumber I can get cheaply.
I would hate to have a bed full of stone, water and plants, collapse in the middle of the night.

Some descriptions look good, but a diagram is worth more that a thousand words.

my only concern with yellow tongue is that it is not water proof. make sure you seal it properly before you line it. should be fine. if water gets in then it can fall to pieces but it will take a while.

i made a brow bed out of corrugated iron, iron edging and a liner made of pvc from bunnings. supported by a single bed frame i found on my neighbours chuck out. the iron i got from a carport i help demolish. the only issues i have is that the liner doesn't go up and over all the sides.

I looked at making some, but the price of the materials was more than using IBC.
One IBC, will make two grow beds, so 2 x 1 x 1 x 350 for $75.


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