Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I don't know the figures but I do know the conclusions that you draw from them.

Have had many similar runs in but at least it didn't actually jump onto me... this time

Realised that I had a problem with my plan to insulate my GH.

The origanal plan was to use the cool room panels to insulate the outside of the GH and then put a skirt of insulation around the outside of the GH to partially insulate the pad of ground that the GH was setting on. This would give me a larger thermal mass without losing heat imediately out the bottom of the GH. However on the south side I don't have room for a skirt of insulation because I need to be able to drive through there.

So here is the before and after shots of the reworking of my southern GB.

In the photo you can see that the insulation stops at ground level. Without a skirt of insulation heat would quickly leave my system through the cold ground at the surface during winter.

Since I couldn't have the skirt out the side I've redone the insulation on the south wall and placed insulation on the bottom of the South GB. It is hard to see in the photo but there is less insulation on the bottom of the GB at the top of the slope (back ground) than at the bottom of the slope (foreground). The reason I've done this is because with more of the south wall of the GB exposed (at the down hill end) I need more insulation on the bottom of the GB.

Basically what it means is that I've got the equivilent of 1m of insulation into the ground if I was working on a completely flat site. Which means that the shortest path the heat has to travel to get form the GH to the atmosphere is 1m. Does that make sense? Is it enough? I don't know but it is more than most have.

If you were in one of the Norhtern North American states would you have more the 1m of insulation into the ground around your house slab?

Further Progress.

I've patched the gaps between the cool room panels. Small gaps with expanding foam in a can and the big gaps with the same covered by a bit of off cut sheet metal. GB1 is almost ready to line.

Finished lining GB1 with carpet.....

.... and got the liner in place.

Was a bit stressful placing the liner as it is rather thin (although a lot thicker and tougher than garden plastic). I don't know how they do dams out of the stuff without putting holes in it. Anyway I think I got it in without making any leaks.

At the moment it is roughly tacked in place and enough water to cover the bottom with about 6" of water. Tomorrow I'll line GB1 with the Geo fabric that will protect (hopefully) the liner from the gravel (thats the black pile to the right of GB1).

It is feeling really good to finally really get things moving.

I would hate for my liner to leak, so I use 5 layers of 200 micron.

A 50m roll of 6m wide is around $250

That's a serious growbed Stu...

To infinity and beyond!

$250 Where from?

Mining supply shops. We use 100's of rolls of it a year.

Crap that spider's giving me goose bumps just looking at that picture. I'm sure I'd scream like a little girl too.

New spanner in the works today.

The tip at DAylesford has had a pile of carpet sitting there for I don't know how long. Went to get some today so that I could finish the FT, sump and 2nd GB and they had got rid of it todays before

So does anyone know where I could get some carpet or underlay or anything that I can line my boxes with to protect my pond liner?

I though of cardborad and bubble wrap as alternatives but anything else?

Check with the carpet stores they normaly have a skip full of old stuff

Thats a good idea. I think there is one in Kyneton so could only be a small delay.

Don't know if I'm missing something or the 5 beers and glass of red is clouding my judgement, but are those long troughs grow beds. Bloody .........
How big will the fish tank be.

How deep are they.
Can't wait to see the finished product.
Did you ever find out what was wrong with your land. The whole sinking star picket thing.