Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

That's true, is it starting to cool off there now? Here we are still in the high 80's, low 90's which can add up to close to 100 in the greenhouse. I am ordering the shade cloth, and planning ventilation.

Just the 300 gal Dave, for the future I'm thinking of using pondliner and foam though.
Getting to be long sleeve weather here Joyce, 70's, 60's with some bouncing about.

John, great work there, and that greenhouse is sweet! I predict success with strawberries once they get the right amount of heat and sun. I would be interested in hearing how your winter goes, and how well you can nutrify strawberries come spring (the system will take some time to cycle in colder temperatures me thinks). What are you plans to cycle the system?

Thanks Michael, I have Two aquarium setups inside that are cycled, only a 10 gallon,(40lt) and a 30 gallon (120lt) though. I stole some strawberrie plants from my dirt garden to plant in the inside growbeds, just a few small pet watering trays really. I'm using them to play with shallow growbed syphons and waterfalls etc. I don't plan on growing any in the green house in quanity anyway. I'm looking about the local stores for plant seeds and can not find anything, too late in the season here I'd guess.
Anyway to answer your question, I'm hoping to use some of my existing bed material and get ahold of some yellow perch fry, will use some of the bottled bacteria I think as well.
Any suggestions?

John, that is the most beautiful wood burning stove I have ever seen!


No need for bottled bacteria, you already have that in your system. Once you have the beds and pond/tank set up and plumbed, add the gravel to your sump tank. I say this because putting gravel in your stock tank will only neccessitate that you remove it later when your fish are in there. Adding gravel to your grow bed spreads it out too much and exposes the substrate to the sun where it can be overtaken by algae (something you will always be battling). Once the gravel is in the sump tank, cover it to keep out the light. This will be your temporary bio reactor until your beds are established.

Lastly, if you can get fingerlings, start there. Fry are too fragile to survive a new system given the adjustments you will undoubtedly be consumed with trying to keep the biosphere stable and make sure those Yellow Perch will be able to handle the low temps unless you plan on heating the pond at night. You are making a big leap and I wish you the absolute best.

Mike

Lol, its a gas fireplace Mike. Used only on the most romantic of nights as it puts outsome serious heat.
I'm not going to use a sump tank exactly. Ill pump up to a blue barrel or two and have them gavity feed the grow beds with a syphon set up, then the grow beds gravity back to the fish. I can put the gravel in them though, should work just as well, yes? As yet I haven't secured a source for the Y.P. but they should handle the temps being a local species, but I do have ideas in mind for extra heat when needed. Understand, get fingerlings not fry. I need to make sure they will take feed as well. I have read its very difficult to feed train the babies and a lot are lost in the current methods. Lineing up a feed source is also on the list, Not to mention getting power to the green house, piping etc.
Thanks for your suggestions.

Well, It's safe to say you won't need a heater where it's at....

Filled the fish tank with 60deg. water last eve, have a pump circulating the water and its now at 70 deg.
Green House temp is 15 degrees higher than outside.
Setting up blue barrel growbed frame, Its all good.

that's a good sign.

John - an idea if you plan on hand washing the gravel - if u have a pickup truck, load the gravel in the bed, go to the local do it yourself car wash and pressure rinse the gravel. Lay down a strip of plastic in the corner between the tailgate and the bed beforehand to keep gravel from running through the crack. You will still lose some gravel, but it's way faster and no mess??? Check it.

Thanks mike I'll give it a try.

Greenhouse temps today at 1pm 100deg (37.7), Outside 82deg 27.7),
Water 78deg (25.5).
Moved a dirt Garden Bell pepper plant into the GH in an attempt to prolong its life, forcast for next wensday shows a low close to freezing. Winter snows about another two months away I'd guess.
Finished the inside gravel work will do some piping in the morning and some finish work on the outside of the green house.

John have you been thinking of using any passive solar or thermal storage in the greenhouse for winter? Just Curious.... what are your expectations or plans for night lows?

Mike, the floor is 2inch certifoam then 9 1/2 inches of pea gravel, hoping that helps. Also going to use two blue barrels as a holding tank hoping that will add to the thermal mass. Have some brick laying about, so that is an option for some heat storage as well.

wow, the greenhouse walls do strange things to the eyes in that pic

looks great though!