Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I have a feeling with all that stuff and stuff going on...she's busy! I can't wait for updates and pics of course! This thread is very motivating for me.

later,

jeff c

Oh, hey!
I'm so sorry. I've been sick. Stuck in bed. Who has time for that?


I have some new pics, and a new video I need to edit, but all that is still in the inbox. But to whet your appetite, and as a thanks for asking about me:


The only way to work through days of 45ºC heat index...

Hope you feel better soon Karen

oh that sucks, getting sick in summer is especially terrible. Yes, get better quick.

We were wondering if you fell down in the sump hole and couldn't get out.

Eat well and rest well so you can get well.

I just got over a terrible sick period of about 2 weeks maybe another week of coughing after that. Really, I only missed two days of work, but the worst part of it was the first day...anyways, it's over now, and I'm better!

We are having great weather here, with 65+ Farenheit weather on the coast, beautiful, we are 3 hours from Seattle, WA which is also having great weather with us, so we'll be busy at the hotel...I'm sure!

Great to see the pics, and of course, you're on the top of my charts for tuning into this forum...!

later,

jeff c

P.S. Hope you feel better...chew on some raw ginger root, or make some ginger and honey tea...it cures just about anything! (And helps stimulate appetite).

65 F is a cold summer day in california

I am again very sorry to have been out of touch. That illness I mentioned in my last post ended up being a pretty bad case of food poisoning, to the point that the Dept. of Health interviewed me to find the source (no word yet).

Lots of progress!

I've lately been working on the troughs. The first one is nearly complete. The plumbing hasn't been added, but that shouldn't take long. I did it alone, except for the final bit of adding the liner.

First, I laid down the base:

I have the base up on 2x4s to allow me to clamp. I removed the extras as soon as the base was built.
The cross-bars are to prevent the bottom from bowing out under the weight of the water.

Then, I constructed sections of the sides. The vertical bars are 16" (40.6cm), because the plywood and insulation is 4' wide, so 16" is 1/3 of that:

Constructing these sections separately was a mistake. The length of the 2x4s changes in the heat and humidity, so attaching them was problematic. Next time, I'll bring in the precut pieces of 2x4 and construct the troughs in place.

And then I attached the side sections.


And attached, and attached...


I then added insulation and plywood to the sides. Each piece of ply and insulation has been ripped into thirds lengthwise.


and added insulation along the bottom. This was also a mistake.

Having the insulation above the crossbars simply leads to a lot of broken insulation, and I'm unable to walk along the bottom of the trough. I will put the cross-bars above the insulation on the next trough.

Next post, adding the liner.

The liner is 12' (3.7m) wide and 100' (30.5m) long, from Valiant Industries, and comes on a roll.

This took two people.



Clamped the end to help lay out the whole thing:


All laid out:

(My friend Fer walking away from the camera)

Folding the corners (holy hell that was hard!):


Putting in a few inches of water to get the liner to settle before the final staple job:


This is how I left it last night before we left, with a few rafts inside to give any animals a place to rest if they fall in.


I'll add some braces and finish filling it tomorrow, and check for leaks.

uh, what's going to keep the sides from bowing out
Hopefully it will be alot of braces. Cringing, but hoping. Wow, that's alot of work going on there.

Yup, bracing. Behind the greenhouses, and scattered around in the GHs, there is a ton of 1" square steel tubing. I'll be using that, much like the Friendlies used form stakes:



Also, my new sign, painted by Fer, in the photos above.



I only put it out when expecting people.

lots of progress, great work!

I like your work Karen......... what is the white liner made of ?

Expensive sign....... spose it could always double as a means of transport...!!!

Thanks! The liner is ...
(from http://www.valiant-industries.com/Dura_Skrim-Dura_Skrim_12_WB_12x100.html)


I can't put a permenant sign out there, so the car does for a stand for now.

Karen would it have been better to have more cross brace and have a layer of ply on it before the foam?