Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Interesting bed... I'd like to see how it goes filled up.. Will it be media filled or floating raft?

what kind of hard coat are you putting on the foam?

jT

The bed is supposed to have expanded clay and use an auto siphon, but the boss wants to use it for a wicking bed. We’ll see. The hard coat im putting on the foam is “primus” it’s a polymer modified cement base. It goes on with fiberglass mesh and is finished with an acrylic paint that has ground up marble in it. It’s really strong stuff, but not very impact resistant. Meaning it will hold a lot of weight, but it dents easy.

I think your system needs more cowbell

Here's a video of the dryvit surface coat -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZcbVink ... r_embedded

Doesn't say what the backer board is but I assume it is either 5/8" OSB or 1/2" cement board. But there appears to be no surface cracking.

Stucco, I notice you have gussets at the midpoint of the bed I assume to prevent bowing. That from experience?

Hey johnmc, the gussets were put on in an attempt to use fewer materials and keep the weight down, but the thing still weighs close to 200 lbs. that impact test was more than likely a foam wall. The eifs material is flexible. That is why that impact test looks so good. Because of the material changing direction corners are more ridged if they were to do the same shot at a corner it wouldn’t look so good.

Hey stucco, you fill that new bed yet? Hows it holding up?

I haven’t filled it yet. The water proofing is supposed to cure for a bit before adding water. I made a stand for the foam bed, but I decided to put another stucco bed on it instead. The boss still wants the foam bed for a wicking box. Were you considering making a bed of foam or just taking bets as to whether or not it will bust under the load

stucco,

Not bets, that would not be nice. I am just curious if the foam/mesh/plaster can handle the sideloads without severe flexing or cracking. Build one, you bet.

Looks like you building another tank out of black pipe, diamond mesh and mortar without foam? In-ground or above ground? How many layers of mesh you using on this one?

The black pipe is rebar tie wired to2 layers of expanded metal lath. It sits on a wooden frame.

I'll probably be picking your brain about the potable water safe coatings here hopefully in the near future. I told you about the home we hope to build here soon. Well, if I can come up with a reasonable coating for the air form and concrete walls, I could build grow beds right into the sides of the house that would also double as rain water collection system.

Any of those coatings you have been handing stick well to things other than stucco?

Het tcl, you can pick my brain all u want I’m afraid you u won’t end up with a very big bag of fruit. Google cistern coatings for potable water that would be a good start. If you don’t want to go that route the materials I use will stick to anything except for wood and there are ways around that.

Duck race! Nice visual stucco.

If the tank won't flex full of water then a gravel load should be no problem. The builders out here put a felt roll stapled to wood followed by mesh, then stucco. Only technique I have seen applied. Aesthetics in Dallas are a preference for brick.

Great looking GB.

What is a wicking box?

Thanks
Mark

It's a box with a wick A better decription is a planter box ,, that has rope or similiar material hanging down into the water / liquid fertliser that "wicks" or draws the water and nutrients up to the plants.