Help need advice!!

[Cliff Dillon]

Hello all,

I am new to the Aquaponics Gardening Community and new to aquaponics as well.  I recently purchased a comerrical sized greenhouse which I will be errecting in the springtime.  I am looking for advice on alternative ways to heat it.  I plan on dedicating 1/3 of the sq footage to aquaponics and was hoping to get some advice on what type of system to build.  I am planning on using IBC totes.  I have been researching designs and have noticed some have sump tanks some don't.  I have seen others both with and without biofilters.  I am confused and not sure what I need and what I don't need.  What is the purpose of a sump tank?  Is it necessary? 

 

I currently am building a small barrel ponics sytem as a test run.

 

Thanks for all your help.

Cliff 

[Miriam Badou]

I am in Phoenix AZ so I know about summer heat. Our greenhouse is 12x29 and is made with polycarbonite panels. It holds the heat so well that I don't have much problem in the winter ( if you can call it winter here ) but I'm not sure how things will go in the summer. I guess it will be a swamp cooler and fans. I have been having problems with my winter veggies though. It actually gets really hot during the day and they don't seem to like it much. If I forger to open the vents before I leave, it gets close to 100 deg. in there. I haven't tried root veggies in the AP beds yet but they say that they will grow, just not look the same. We did get a few nights in the 20s and 30s. I just used a space heater and it seemed to do fine. If you can afford them, the polycarbonite works really well with heat retention. I was going to try the plastic hoop house but I haven't as yet. I think that would work well in the summer because you can open them up for the airflow. I think your idea of boxes for your root veggies are a smart idea.