Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi all,

i'm sure this has been asked several times already, but... I'm really excited about setting up a system. Probably some form of IBC because I have access to a supply of them. But I live in Delaware on the east coast of the US (USDA hardiness zone 7a) and I don't have room on my property for a greenhouse for the system. I plan on building a small lean-to style to start plants but there is not enough room to erect a larger structure. How do the preform/work if the temps freeze and stay frozen (not always an event but is common) and what kind of fish can I grow effectively, I'm definitely looking to grow eating fish too. Any help would be super and thanks.

I would not be too worried about being under snow for some time, because the fish will not be doing too much when cold. I wonder what sort of fish are living in your local streams.

Thanks johnfenn. Mostly sunfish and bass where I live. We don't really have a lot of streams (all dammed about a century ago. It gets a little too hot in the summer to keep trout and we only have perch that move into the rivers to breed and then they're gone again. But perhaps if I can bury the tanks and keeps them shaded trout may work.

bluegill are a nice option that is not bad at withstanding cold temperatures.

I am in a similar situation here in NV. I am at 5,000 ft. At the base of the Sierras and our temperatures fluctuate greatly. I was entertaining the idea of putting in individual geothermal ground loops for each IBC so the temperatures wouldn't quite freeze, but it still doesn't help the plant side of things. I think your lean to idea is a good one; what about using a surplus sliding glass door window at an angle for makeshift greenhouse to keep temperatures up. You'd be suprised how much heat the thermal mass of an IBC holds onto each day.