Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Some of you are aware that I run a system inside a greenhouse. The greenhouse was a cheap Chinese one bought from eBay. I ran gaffer tape along the seams and strengthened a few pieces of frame with fiberglass.

This was not enough. I came home the day before yesterday to find the garage full of mangled pieces of metal.

The reason: My wife put the mangled frame of the greenhouse in our garage to save it from further damage after some strong wind flattened it.

The frame is bent beyond recognition. In addition, welds have snapped in at least 6 places.

The collapse took my growbeds with it, causing them to fall into the fish pond.

I am away for two weeks so my poor system will have to cope as best it can.

When I come back I will be straightening, welding, and strengthening.

Anybody who buys these greenhouses, be advised: Save yourself some pain and strengthen them.

NOOOOO! What a thing to come home to (and what a thoughtful wife too ) Thank you for the heads up as I was looking at getting one too - now I am wondering if I should just build one myself with a wooden frame etc...
(so you can weld? that metal should be pretty thing I would think, does that not make it very difficult to weld )

Yes, the metal is thin (this is probably why the welds failed in the first place) and my welding skills are very weak. So I will have to come up with something involving patches or sleeves.

how about pop rivits?

Thanks for the heads up aeldric. I got a gazebo from a garage sale for $30. Apart from one limb that broke (it was rusted) and is now fixed with duct tape/gaffa tape it's still going a treat. Going to put some side on it soon.

Yup. I'll probably do that to. But when the wind catches that huge surface area it is strong enough to bend steel and break welds - so I don't want to put pop-rivets anywhere where that kind of force might "pop" them. I want to put in some big chunky welds in those places. That may mean sleeves pop-riveted to the current struts, then welding of sleeve to sleeve.

Thankd aeldric, I have missed two auctions because i have been busy, now i'm glad

Stu, can you fit one of yours in your suitcase?

Nah, it's full of tamarillo cuttings

thats what i want to hear

Hi,

Speaking greenhouses... Any ideas/comments on trying one of these carports from Supercheap Auto as a greenhouse. I believe the material is a polyethelene and the frame would seem strong enough, if reinforced, just to make sure. (Extra rivets/screws through poles should do the job).

Thanks

Hing111

Doesn't seem to be very transparent

probably the same type of construction as the one aelderic bough from ebay

That looks ridiculously cheap I'd not put my toy cars in it.

Be aware when considering timber you folk have serious termite issues in places.

I'll be glad to join your journey building though.

You need basic experience. I can't talk a noob through building a decent structure. I can help if you have the basics.

One of my other hobbys is hanging around recycling centers there is dozens of them dumped all the time extra rivets and screws wont make the week metal any stronger

been to the one in campbellfienl?

I reckon Monya has got it worked out re greenhouse. Looks like a lot of work, but it isn't really... in the overall scheme of things it is pretty important to have your precious fish and vegies well housed... It is a temtation to make quick fixes of things in order to get on with it. It is so exciting this whole Aquaponics thing that it is tempting to go the cheap / quick route.
Doesn't work in the long run.
I am still trying to work out what I will do in the end for a greenhouse that is good for years to come but won't break the bank.
I have had one of those supa cheep carports, it was great up until the first storm came through, then most of it was mangled around my wife's car, the rest was on the neighbours fence. Waste of 129.00 or whatever it was.
They would last really well if you had them put up inside another shed!!!!
Muzza