Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

We are having to dismantle our system due to moving into rental property for couple of years, but dreams continue......
so reading that sinking tanks into ground dont work in keeping water at constant temp, so what else could be used..................... ah ha Cool room panels, I found one of the fish (Tuna YUUMMM ) processors has just rebuilt their coolroom/freezers and there are enough panels laying around to cover whatever.

Now Ive cut these up before so was thinking cut into 600mm strips with slight bevel each side and glue to big fish tank, again its not the bees knees but it would be one way to help. Would it also help covering sides of IBC growbeds the same way.....(I dont think so)

How about also putting the fish tank into a tin garden shed (that would be storage for test kits, chemicals, and spare pipework ) that would also have insulation on inside of shed.

But its the heat on growbeds bed that is the culprit in heat exchange....correct?

Putting the tank into the ground does help stabilise the water temp- most of the heat gets into systems via the GBs. If you can stop the heat getting into the GBs, then having a buried FT (and ST if you have one) is the best way to keep water temperature steady.

Shading the GBs, covering the media, and insulating the sides, and using water fogging/misting if the air is dry enough for it to work, is the best way to keep a system cool. That's how I've been keeping my small system relatively cool enough for the trout through the recent period of hot weather.

Even with insulation panels, a garden shed is going to get quite warm, I certainly wouldn't put a FT in one, unless the shed was also shaded- all that steel absorbs a lot of heat from direct solar radiation.

Yep... and if you use rock or metal then they heat up more than if you use clay.
some people around use covers over the grow beds and also reduce water circulation during day
(eg. Gordon - Gunagulla mentions it in his thread/s). However anything with mass has thermal inertia (heat retention) and basically will still be warm over summer nights. The only real option is to have a really big fish tank 2000L plus and/or a dam with depth and even then you will still get some heating - though the daily (diurnal) fluctuation will be less.

[edit] speaking of Gordon...he hit post first

To help keep your system cooler run constant flood on the hot days and siphon at night . If you have a run of hot days coming (watch forecast) start this a couple of days before they turn up , "Do less sooner" don't wait until your tank is 35C before you take action.

I got through a real savage long heatwave last year doing this with my system covered with shadecloth .
I also wet the ground around my system on the nasty days.

Buried tanks will stabilise system temperature swings but long term wont keep your system warmer or cooler as temperate is slow to move through soil , so it insulates .

On the shed subject I have flicked through a few aquaculture books and noticed they have all said the same if we don't have our tanks in insulated sheds we are wasting our time

Now this probably applies more to the colder months , water too cold too long and fungal diseases like saprolegnia can clean us out in a flash.

Both places I have bought my fish off have had heavily insulated sheds so I'm going to go with it

As I have room

Eventually my system tanks will be Buried in a insulated shed (shaded with deciduous trees already planted Claret Ash) Black pipe on the roof for winter heating on timer (already do this) .

Shed could have shade cloth rolled over easily in hot weather

Now Ive cut these up before so was thinking cut into 600mm strips with slight bevel each side and glue to big fish tank, again its not the bees knees but it would be one way to help. Would it also help covering sides of IBC growbeds the same way.....(I dont think so)

aquaculture generally - it is more about getting consistent temperatures across the whole year. The research facilities etc are well insulated and usually air conditioned.

you would aslo split your fish and veg and run it more along a RAS style with waste going to veg and re filtering to storage (maybe even wicking beds)

large water volumes and mitigated tempertaures help a lot.
But a colorbond shed wouldnt cut it - too small.
I reckon a shade house would be better with option to greenhouse it in cooler months.

Good example are the way small wineries and breweries set up their sheds / industrial units.
Heaps of those in SA - and they are temp sensitive as well.
[ but they recoup their costs..... ]

I've been agonizing over this same issue for weeks.

I have decided to insulate the GB's & ST's with 2 layers of 1/2" polystyrene sheet I've picked up from a wine tank insulator and shade with shade cloth.
The fish tanks will be moved into a 2 x 2 x 4 m long box made of 140 mm thick polyurethane sheets clad with ridgidised white steel both sides I got from a hospital. I'm getting a air conditioner to put in the south end. I also plan on shading the whole container a little up the hill from their present position.

Pete.