Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Ok my cooling tips were shot down, how about some warming tips for those off us that have gone for Barramundi at the beginning off spring! Yes my fish are doing good thanks. But there are some that have not done so well. So this post is for them. I am doing experiments as I type to try and increase the water temperature in the fish tank. So far its working, but this is all just fun and games to me, I just wanted a water feature! As I have a little time on my hands I thought I may as well experiment a bit, so I have.
1.raised the stem pipes by max height off media.
2.replaced bells once water at max.
3.turned pump valve to maximum fish tank introducing the overflow pipe.

Starting temps are ST.18.8 FT. 17.1

I forgot to mention ambient temperature was 26deg at start of test indoors. Now if I wanted to cool the water down I would have left the bells off and let the sea breeze cool down the beds and the water. You just have to love the Freo DR.
Just under 2hours into testing. And one nana nap,

1.I had to turn back the fish tank valve. The filters wont handle the extra water even with the overflow pipe.
2. FT.22.7 ST.23.6. Ambient temperature has gone up to 29deg, indoors,

3. I cant understand why there is still a difference in temperatures between the sump tank and fish tank, the pump is at 600ltrs per hour to the fish tank, and 400ltrs per hour to the grow beds. Cycling six times per hour, the sump tank is submerged 500mm underground.

4. Look on the Brightside my Barramundi are enjoying the extra heat. And the extra feed,

Welcome back Blizzard.

have you considered the old poly pipe in the sun trick?

just get a roll of 1/2" poly pipe make it into a coil put it in the sun and run some of your water through it and back into the sump or FT.

Could you run it on the main pump or put a another smaller pump in the system on a timer set to run during the day.

if you ran it on the main pump it would need a valve to switch it off at night.

that’s a idea I will work on. Thanks Slowboat. I have a few metres of 19mm black poly pipe sitting around here, as I already have an overflow release valve and the fact that I use a timer now, that could easily be incorporated into my system, without any major changes, I have just moved the Barra back inside for now, their not looking happy ATM. A couple off days inside will warm them up again. I have to fatten them up for my 50th birthday in February, the kid is buying me a bigger BBQ for Christmas, I don’t want to have to eat silver perch on my birthday.

I have toyed with the idea of hooking up a solar heater (using black poly) with a compost heater to provide heat for next winter, might be an option?

Heres 56 threads on heating AP systems, if you find an easy, cost effective way let us know as you will be a very rich person.

search.php?keywords=heating&terms=all&author=&sc=1&sf=titleonly&sk=t&sd=d&sr=topics&st=0&ch=300&t=0&submit=Search

Have you come across anyone doing the solar and compost together Charlie? Not saying it would work, just wondering if you've seen it. I did it with an IBC that I used to use for a spa, and the water at times was too hot to get into (albeit winter was very mild), but have no idea if it'd work for the water I am pushing now (better then 6500 litres) ahaha.

Just to clarify I'm just asking if you've seen the two together, not to say pros or cons of my silly idea ahaha. I'm sure enough time has been wasted on this forum on these ideas, but I've got it in my head that I want to do it next winter, so I'm still going to have a crack! Last winter water only got too cold for Jades once or twice, and only by a couple degrees, but I'm now in a slightly colder area.

Cant say Ive seen both together, Bcasey.

I think with a number of things in place you can heat an AP system, and it has been done to a degree. Usually at a cost though unfortunately. Which is the only reason I mention it. Same with cooling.

Compost has been done and from everything Ive seen it can work kind of but obviously it has its limits and efficiency. Same with solar, greenhouses, rocket mass heaters, oil heaters, aquarium heaters, coiled poly, only pumping during the day etc etc. Just to name a few.

With your spa, you don't have big heat sinks attached, which is where the issues lay with AP. But maybe combine this with insulation, pumping during the day, greenhouse, heated aerators, solar etc etc you should be able to achieve some form of heated system. How effective I don't know but would love to see someone have success with it.

I mean look at Robs geodesic dome, it was constructed for cold weather growing and he has admitted it hasn't been cost effective and basically winds the system down in the cooler months. Could he do more? Sure, but once again you don't get something for nothing when it comes to energy.

If you have the time and the will Im sure someone will come up with something but I still sit on the fence till I see an effective solution.

This is a good read too Bcasey.

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=3976&hilit=array

I'll preface this by saying that I am aware that I'll likely never break even heating a greenhouse. at least not in my climate. I have too many days with no significant insolation, due to incessant cloud cover. Currently 1/2 degree above zero C, and ~90% relative humidity.
That said, I am currently closing in a greenhouse, attached to my house, that I'll certainly heat the tanks in, and possibly the air somewhat as well. Some of the heat lost will be recovered in the house, and some of it will be viewed as a cost of pursuing the hobby. I'll still probably only allow for one to one and a half kw draw for heating and supplemental lighting., but I may include some wood heating as well.

My thought that I wanted to raise here, and I will almost certainly try as I put my system together, is a heatexchanger between the tank and growbeds. According to the numbers I ran, 1 meter of 5/8" (16?mm) hdpe tubing will exchange up to 40w at a 10 degree temperature delta. If I ran the sump to fishtank ( or better yet GB to sump) through multiple tubes of the hdpe inside the SLO piping from the fishtank, I could recover some portion of what is lost to the GB's.

Has anyone tried this? It should work just as well to cool return to FT in your hotter climates.

Thanks Charlie, and yeah realise it might be a lot of work for naught, but I'm not looking for huge change just a little, so I'm going to have a crack (by next winter anyways).

I've also got access to two refrigeration units (my coldrooms for cafe) that pump out hear for free, so also looking at integrating this. But it's all awhile off!

GM, that's above me haha

I love experiments. When you get started, make a thread so we can follow your progress.

Well the warming worked. But the piping let me down overnight. It leaked at the filters at first then the water undermined the bricks that the filters were sitting on. I was going to clean the filters yesterday but I did the test instead. It took a far bit of a challenge to get the filters working correctly again? I think I left the valve to the fish tank to far open for the filters, just finished my API test and all is the same as yesterday. Nitrates 40/80ppm still after a 300ltr water change?

Oh well no fish loss, I was a bit stressed with the water loss this morning but know body died so its just a learning thing as not to stuff around with things that work.

Oh and temps are 24.1 FT 25.6 ST. now,

Blizzard, your sump tank is hotter than your fish tank because the sun heats your beds and this heats the water....

The mass of water in your fish tank has no direct heating, only secondary heating, therefore the sump which has direct heating - grow beds in sun - will always be higher...

I can not see any of your experiments being successful in the long term, you have risen by too much in 2 hours in my eyes and will then lose this overnight if it is a cold night..

As the weather cools rather than gets hotter, your experiment will go backwards and eventually prove to be a failure, do not view the fact that your tank is getting warmer while the weather is getting warmer as a success on your part or that you will be able to keep your tanks warm as the weather cools.

The only ways to try to beat the heat/cold are:

1. Lots of insulation + smart/cost effective way to change the temp by small amounts.
2. Throw *frack* buttloads of cash at the problem.
3. Do an indoor system.

Narh, I just like to stuff around a bit more first.
Its all new to me so I have no limits as what I will try, I just wanted a water feature at first, now I am growing vegies and fish, in a water feature, I still have a fair bit of building to do, but for now I am enjoying the journey.

Life is to short to be to serious about aquaponics? Its just a hobby!

Actually no, a good understanding of aquaponics will teach you about plants in general, which will lead to better dirt farming skills.
You also learn about fishies in a way that a pond will not teach you.

Aquaponics is more sciencie than it is some throw away hobby.