Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I am looking for a commercial kit or design for some sort of structure to house a AP system, basically I want to have an all purpose structure that does the following:

* Clear roof to collect rain water in gutters of structure.
* Roll up or down clear walls, can be used in winter if you want to grow out of season veges.
* In Summer can change from clear walls to shade cloth that can be rolled up or down depending on wind direction etc.
* Shade cloth roof cover that can be rolled back and forth similar to walls.

I am in the WA, Perth metro area.

Does anyone know of something suitable, or am I asking for too much?

go into business - i will buy one

have not seen anything like it

I suppose it all depends how much money you want to spend

Doesn`t sound too difficult
How big does it have to be?

Not many greenhouses seem to have gutters. It's something I've thought about a bit in relation to the commercial one I have my eye on. When it rains a heap of water would end up running down the sides of the structure - I'd want some good drainage there

You have described exactly the way I am going to do mine...

My plan is to make a 7m x 4m rectangular gabled or curved roof 'patio' out of powder coated steel. I will either use lazer light or just regular green house plastic. Gutters on both sides for a water tank...

Then I will use a thick clear plastic sheeting to roll up on the sides, like what they use at restaurants to protect patrons from the rain. I was thinking of having the two ends permanently covered though.

Faye... Whats the name of that place on Armadale road you mentioned the other day???

You can buy all the stuff prefab.

There is ia display at Forrestdale Garden Centre.
630 Armadale Road Cnr Nicholson Rd Forrestdale. I found them to be the cheapest and quickest to supply a DIY frame with clear laserlite sheeting and gutters to collect rain in a rainwater tank. We put it up ourselves.
I planned to cover in shadecloth for the summer and found I did not really need to worry. The sides I haven't worried about yet.

Tim, sounds exactly like what I am trying to do. Where would you get the parts for the rollup sides etc?

With the collection of rain water and knowing the monthly rainfall and evaporation for a location and the rain collection area, you can calculate what size water tank is required so that you don't need to supplement fish tank fill-up with mains water through the summer months.

Thanks Faye, I will followup Forrestdale Garden Centre sometime in the next week.

The roof area is about 34 square metres and the rainwater tank is 4500l. It filled in 2 weeks last June/ July (can't remember) We are still drinking out of it now but I fill my fish tank from the bore at present. Could easily fill another 45ool tank.

The plastic is the clear 'carpet protector' PVC plastic that you can get. It will roll up and secure out of the way under the gutter.

Heres a few places... (google search)
http://www.abcblinds.com.au/clear.htm
http://swcafeblinds.com/cafe-blinds.html
http://www.sailcity.com.au/cafe-blinds.html

They are all in Perth. You would have to have a look at them to see if they are what you need exactly. Personal I am just going the macguiver my own ones.... but the commercial ones would be ideal if you had the money and they fit to what you required eg. sizes etc.