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greenhouse *UPDATED* New aquaponic greenhouse build. *PIC HEAVY*

Man, that looks like some real hard digging!!! I sure wish I lived closer... I'm old, but I would have helped all I could...
I would say that I couldn't believe you found that phone cable, but I have cut many wires in places I would have never expect them... LOL
Things are looking great!!! :)
I am about to build another IBC system and I will be burying the fish tank... With the grow bed on top of the fish tank it is too high for my wife to reach everything... Plus, with the fish tank buried, the water temperature stays warmer in the winter time... At least I will be digging in sand... However, if the sand is too dry, the sides will continually cave in and a 4 x 4 foot hole becomes a 8 x 8 foot pit... :(
Congrats again on the digging being done!!! Time for a :beer: ........
 
man you aren't kidding, I've dug in sand before I hate it too!I'm looking forward to your post about the heater. I think I'm going to heat the water in the sump tank during the cold months and let it pump warmish water to the fish instead of putting the heater in with the fish. Thoughts?
 
xXA_HillbillyXx said:
man you aren't kidding, I've dug in sand before I hate it too!I'm looking forward to your post about the heater. I think I'm going to heat the water in the sump tank during the cold months and let it pump warmish water to the fish instead of putting the heater in with the fish. Thoughts?
Click to expand...
 
That is what I was thinking also... Great minds think alike!!! :)
I had thought about either the filter barrel or the sump...
I wasn't sure how much water you were going to keep in the sump though...
I will try to make that write-up on Tuesday and post it in the Grow Tech section...
 
Here is a link to an element like I used: http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11764485
 
However, I can't find a link to the thermostat that I used... :(
 
But it looks like this one, however this one doesn't say what the temperature range is: http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Ranco-C12-5010-Line-Voltage-Mechanical-Thermostat-A-C-Heat-Cool-Control-/231471497997?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35e4c6c30d
 
or you could use one like this:
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DAYTON-2NNR7-Line-Voltage-T-Stat-30-to-90-F-SPDT-/331346391638?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4d25c8b256
 
I'll keep looking and put all the information in the build post...

Rairdog said:
Here is a good heater build for AP
 
Click to expand...
 
This looks a lot like what I built, but I can't use YouTube to play videos as my internet connection out here in the woods is not fast enough... :mope:
 
xXA_HillbillyXx said:
I like the idea of putting the heater in the filter barrel. That way I won't have to worry about temperature spikes from the water level raising and lowering.
Click to expand...
 
I'm just thinking out loud, but...
One of things that might be a problem with putting the heater in the filter tank is that the warm water will have to travel through the whole system before it gets back to the fish tank... This will cause a large latency in the heating of the fish tank and you will lose heat in the system before the warm water gets back to the fish tank... Sometimes, if it is going to be a hard freeze, I will turn my pump off to help prevent heat loss through the rest of the system... Also, if the pump fails or loses prime, the fish tank will not get any heat...
The only downside, that I can think of, to putting it in the fish tank is protecting the fish from contacting the heating element... I don't have a large number of fish in my fish tank as I am not "raising" fish to sell or eat...
I am thinking of redesigning my heater to help protect the fish from contact with the element... As soon as I get the bugs worked out of it, I will let you know...
I am also trying to figure out the cheapest and easiest way to insulate my above ground fish tank...
 
Congrats again on a job well done and your awesome design work!
 
If you heat the water in a GH you will have a huge condensation problem dripping on your plants.  The only way I have seen it done successfully is heating the GH.   I run my system for 8 to 9 months with no heat.  It will run in the low 20's at night no problem.  I just keep an eye on water temps and shut it down when it gets down to mid 30's and a cold spell is foretasted.   Brassicas, spinach, lettuce, chard kale and other cool weather crops will take 40 deg water.  They grow slow at 50 and take off above 60.  The cost of heating your FT is not worth the cost of veggies or trying to raise Talpia over the winter.  Most all of the experienced AP'ers gave up on Talpia including those in FL(unless indoors or 1 season grow out).  You could use the heater to give a 10 deg bump early and late season.  I would wait a full season to monitor temps.  Trying to heat the water to 70 over winter could cost you up to 200/mo.  I would build a rocket mass heater if I had your setup or at least design system/plumbing to accommodate one later.
 
Just curious, are you raising your fish for food or using them as a source of nutrients? I know it will get much colder in Northern Alabama than it does here in Central Florida, but with my heater set at 50 degrees, it really doesn't increase my power bill that bad. However, I don't have many days in the low to mid 40s here where I live. That said, I assumed that you had planned to heat you greenhouse up to maybe 45 - 50 degrees or so, which would mean that the fish tank heater would only have to make up a few degrees to keep whatever variety of fish you are using alive.  If you insulate your fish tank, then it should also hold its temperature fairly well due to its relatively high specific heat capacity and the relatively small exposed surface area (If the circulation system is shut off to prevent increased heat loss). You could also install a bypass on the pump line that would block the fish tank and allow for water circulation through your grow beds to prevent freezing should your green house heater fail.
My last greenhouse was old school and had two layers of sheeting which used a blower to inflate the space between them for insulation. the green house also used an old oil burning heater that was given to me for free by a friend that added a central air & heat system to his home. I haven't been in the nursery business in many years, so I am not sure what the big ornamental growers are doing now for insulation, if anything.... In this area, the fern growers seem to continue using irrigation as a heat source and plant insulation.
Just some ideas....
 
Got the front and back walls on, still have to figure out what I am going to use for siding.
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Also got the chicken wire on the side walls and lined from the bottom of the walls to the ground, fastened plastic around the bottom of the greenhouse then dug a trench and buried the plastic.
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And I got a door made, but by the time I had the door made and put in I was too tired and sunburned to do anything else...
 
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CHEERS TILL NEXT TIME!!! :cheers:  :cheers:  :cheers:  :cheers:
 
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