My First System - Aquaponic Gardening2024-03-29T15:59:52Zhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/forum/topics/my-first-system-5?commentId=4778851%3AComment%3A589940&feed=yes&xn_auth=noNo money crop here, other tha…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2014-12-18:4778851:Comment:5900952014-12-18T03:18:28.684ZChris Blancohttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/ChrisBlanco
<p>No money crop here, other than my prize winning lettuce that I will grow :) </p>
<p>I may not install all the cooling to start, but at the same time while I am installing everything I would want to make electrical changes NOW while the studs are open. As well as install the ducting ports so that if I need them I don't need to go rip apart the grow room to install them. So I want to have my dream system planned out. Most of the exhaust information I have gotten from Just4Growers, as they seem…</p>
<p>No money crop here, other than my prize winning lettuce that I will grow :) </p>
<p>I may not install all the cooling to start, but at the same time while I am installing everything I would want to make electrical changes NOW while the studs are open. As well as install the ducting ports so that if I need them I don't need to go rip apart the grow room to install them. So I want to have my dream system planned out. Most of the exhaust information I have gotten from Just4Growers, as they seem to have the most comprehensive tutorials on the subject. <br/> <br/> <cite>Jeff S said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://community.theaquaponicsource.com/forum/topics/my-first-system-5?commentId=4778851%3AComment%3A590000&xg_source=msg_com_forum#4778851Comment590000"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>Chris, I don't know where you got your info but I would never invest that much money in equipment and pay continuously for all that power unless I was growing a money crop (marijuana) lol. You said you want to economically feed your family but it takes a lot of veggies and fish to cover that investment. I would start cheap and add on as needed. You shouldn't need any cooling in your garage in your area. In the summer open the door and turn on a fan.</p>
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</blockquote> Chris, I don't know where you…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2014-12-18:4778851:Comment:5900002014-12-18T00:01:14.617ZJeff Shttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/JeffSullivan
<p>Chris, I don't know where you got your info but I would never invest that much money in equipment and pay continuously for all that power unless I was growing a money crop (marijuana) lol. You said you want to economically feed your family but it takes a lot of veggies and fish to cover that investment. I would start cheap and add on as needed. You shouldn't need any cooling in your garage in your area. In the summer open the door and turn on a fan.</p>
<p>Chris, I don't know where you got your info but I would never invest that much money in equipment and pay continuously for all that power unless I was growing a money crop (marijuana) lol. You said you want to economically feed your family but it takes a lot of veggies and fish to cover that investment. I would start cheap and add on as needed. You shouldn't need any cooling in your garage in your area. In the summer open the door and turn on a fan.</p> Ok, the answer I got for the…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2014-12-17:4778851:Comment:5899982014-12-17T21:57:35.660ZChris Blancohttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/ChrisBlanco
<p>Ok, the answer I got for the lighting changes my whole design (at least for electrical and exhaust!). I will be running 3 600W over the GB and 3 400W over the DWC. I will also need to upgrade my exhaust to cool that many lights. Ugh. This gets more expensive by the minute! :) I don't care, but the wife may not be that happy!</p>
<p>Ok, the answer I got for the lighting changes my whole design (at least for electrical and exhaust!). I will be running 3 600W over the GB and 3 400W over the DWC. I will also need to upgrade my exhaust to cool that many lights. Ugh. This gets more expensive by the minute! :) I don't care, but the wife may not be that happy!</p> I just asked in the Lighting…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2014-12-16:4778851:Comment:5901632014-12-16T15:36:45.095ZChris Blancohttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/ChrisBlanco
<p>I just asked in the Lighting group. Thanks Jeff!</p>
<p>I just asked in the Lighting group. Thanks Jeff!</p> I'm no lighting expert but in…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2014-12-16:4778851:Comment:5901582014-12-16T15:04:01.521ZJeff Shttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/JeffSullivan
<p>I'm no lighting expert but in my opinion (4) 400watt lights would give you enough performance to handle the 2 8' GBs while allowing for more variable height adjustment for different plants. It would also cut your electric usage by half. I used a single 400watt over my IBC GB last year and it was more than sufficient.</p>
<p>I'm no lighting expert but in my opinion (4) 400watt lights would give you enough performance to handle the 2 8' GBs while allowing for more variable height adjustment for different plants. It would also cut your electric usage by half. I used a single 400watt over my IBC GB last year and it was more than sufficient.</p> Hey Jeff,
Thanks for the res…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2014-12-16:4778851:Comment:5898992014-12-16T14:53:14.547ZChris Blancohttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/ChrisBlanco
<p>Hey Jeff, </p>
<p>Thanks for the response. After further investigation I, too, decided to skip the florescents. In sizing out my grow area it was actually CHEAPER to go HID. I can cover the area with 3 1000w HID. According the virtual sun website the 1000 w lights in their "Cool Tube" design provide full coverage for an 8x8 area.</p>
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<p>A road trip would be tough, as I said I have 6 kids, but I do now and then get up to Detroit for work. If that happens I might take you up on that…</p>
<p>Hey Jeff, </p>
<p>Thanks for the response. After further investigation I, too, decided to skip the florescents. In sizing out my grow area it was actually CHEAPER to go HID. I can cover the area with 3 1000w HID. According the virtual sun website the 1000 w lights in their "Cool Tube" design provide full coverage for an 8x8 area.</p>
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<p>A road trip would be tough, as I said I have 6 kids, but I do now and then get up to Detroit for work. If that happens I might take you up on that offer! I still have a lot work to do. I need to frame out the walls, start electrical, and I am still trying to figure out exhaust. I wish I could do a green house. Oh well I will save that for my commerical operation someday :) </p>
<p><br/> <cite>Jeff S said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://community.theaquaponicsource.com/forum/topics/my-first-system-5#4778851Comment589952"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>Welcome Chris. Sounds like you have a pretty good grasp on what you want and how to do it. I was going to quadruple my 8x10 GH this fall but decided to just double it instead. The plan was to have 2 separate IBC FTs, each with 2 IBC GBs, a DWC, and 2 in ground sumps. As winter approached I opted to just do a single system. One reason I was going to separate the systems is that if there was a major issue with one system (pump failure, disease, etc.) the other wouldn't be affected. As long as you have a floating raft I see no reason to need a sump provided your tank is large enough to supply the FTs. Wish I had thought about that. I would suggest to build one system and get it operating before you duplicate your mistakes with a second system. I was just evaluating the lighting I want to use this year. I was considering florescent but for the wattage you would use you could go with MH/HPS and get a better spectrum and also utilize the heat generated by those bulbs. I bought one last year, 400 watt came with both bulbs, and was quite happy with it. <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.amazon.com/Apollo-Horticulture-GLK400GW19-Digital-Dimmable/dp/B004YXDHX6/ref=pd_sim_sbs_lg_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=16TWXC69B03T66Z7HK8Y">http://www.amazon.com/Apollo-Horticulture-GLK400GW19-Digital-Dimmab...</a>. I have Blue Tilapia and find they are very forgiving fish. My water is almost always out of whack and they seem to thrive. I'm in the Detroit area so we're in a similar climate. If you want to do a road trip I'd be happy to give some fish to get you started.</p>
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</blockquote> Welcome Chris. Sounds like yo…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2014-12-16:4778851:Comment:5899522014-12-16T02:40:22.385ZJeff Shttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/JeffSullivan
<p>Welcome Chris. Sounds like you have a pretty good grasp on what you want and how to do it. I was going to quadruple my 8x10 GH this fall but decided to just double it instead. The plan was to have 2 separate IBC FTs, each with 2 IBC GBs, a DWC, and 2 in ground sumps. As winter approached I opted to just do a single system. One reason I was going to separate the systems is that if there was a major issue with one system (pump failure, disease, etc.) the other wouldn't be affected. As long as…</p>
<p>Welcome Chris. Sounds like you have a pretty good grasp on what you want and how to do it. I was going to quadruple my 8x10 GH this fall but decided to just double it instead. The plan was to have 2 separate IBC FTs, each with 2 IBC GBs, a DWC, and 2 in ground sumps. As winter approached I opted to just do a single system. One reason I was going to separate the systems is that if there was a major issue with one system (pump failure, disease, etc.) the other wouldn't be affected. As long as you have a floating raft I see no reason to need a sump provided your tank is large enough to supply the FTs. Wish I had thought about that. I would suggest to build one system and get it operating before you duplicate your mistakes with a second system. I was just evaluating the lighting I want to use this year. I was considering florescent but for the wattage you would use you could go with MH/HPS and get a better spectrum and also utilize the heat generated by those bulbs. I bought one last year, 400 watt came with both bulbs, and was quite happy with it. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Apollo-Horticulture-GLK400GW19-Digital-Dimmable/dp/B004YXDHX6/ref=pd_sim_sbs_lg_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=16TWXC69B03T66Z7HK8Y">http://www.amazon.com/Apollo-Horticulture-GLK400GW19-Digital-Dimmable/dp/B004YXDHX6/ref=pd_sim_sbs_lg_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=16TWXC69B03T66Z7HK8Y</a>. I have Blue Tilapia and find they are very forgiving fish. My water is almost always out of whack and they seem to thrive. I'm in the Detroit area so we're in a similar climate. If you want to do a road trip I'd be happy to give some fish to get you started.</p> I began the build this weeken…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2014-12-15:4778851:Comment:5899402014-12-15T18:25:48.330ZChris Blancohttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/ChrisBlanco
<p>I began the build this weekend by cleaning out the space in my gararge, ripping down the old paneling to install white walls, and cleaning out my two IBC fish tanks. I am also paining the tanks blue. I am so excited to be started!!!</p>
<p>I began the build this weekend by cleaning out the space in my gararge, ripping down the old paneling to install white walls, and cleaning out my two IBC fish tanks. I am also paining the tanks blue. I am so excited to be started!!!</p> i used blue tilapia i got fro…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2014-12-08:4778851:Comment:5892642014-12-08T16:36:33.303ZKeith Rowanhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/KeithRowan
<p>i used blue tilapia i got from shelby fish farm, and nile tilapia i got from a guy in the cleveland area..</p>
<p>i got yellow perch from a few places over the years..</p>
<p>first time i got bluegill from a place near chardon</p>
<p>got yellow perch from finfarm near toledo, sugar creek fish farm, and shelby fish farm</p>
<p>i got my first marmokreb from aquabid, which quickly turned into hundreds of crayfish, fed lots to the yellow perch</p>
<p>i need a couple hundred yellow perch to…</p>
<p>i used blue tilapia i got from shelby fish farm, and nile tilapia i got from a guy in the cleveland area..</p>
<p>i got yellow perch from a few places over the years..</p>
<p>first time i got bluegill from a place near chardon</p>
<p>got yellow perch from finfarm near toledo, sugar creek fish farm, and shelby fish farm</p>
<p>i got my first marmokreb from aquabid, which quickly turned into hundreds of crayfish, fed lots to the yellow perch</p>
<p>i need a couple hundred yellow perch to restock pretty soon..</p> Thanks, Keith! Where do you…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2014-12-08:4778851:Comment:5891922014-12-08T12:10:56.003ZChris Blancohttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/ChrisBlanco
<p><br></br> Thanks, Keith! Where do you source your fish from? What type of Tilapia did you use?<br></br> <cite>Keith Rowan said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://community.theaquaponicsource.com/forum/topics/my-first-system-5#4778851Comment588782"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>shoot for turning over the volume of your fish tank about 1x/hour..</p>
<p>i'm in northeast ohio, 700 gallon ft in my basement, flourescent "shop" lights over growbeds, just harvested the last of my yellow perch and…</p>
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<p><br/> Thanks, Keith! Where do you source your fish from? What type of Tilapia did you use?<br/> <cite>Keith Rowan said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://community.theaquaponicsource.com/forum/topics/my-first-system-5#4778851Comment588782"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>shoot for turning over the volume of your fish tank about 1x/hour..</p>
<p>i'm in northeast ohio, 700 gallon ft in my basement, flourescent "shop" lights over growbeds, just harvested the last of my yellow perch and tilapia, so right now i just have rosy red minnows and marmokreb crayfish</p>
<p>i use half ibc's for growbeds (4) and 4 pairs of shoplights on each growbed</p>
<p>i kept tilapia down to 48f water before loosing a few, then adding heat, i kept the water at 52 or so the rest of the winter and had no issues..the tilapia were in the same tank as the yellow perch so the perch kept the breeding in check</p>
<p>gotta take a trip to stock on game fish soon</p>
<p>welcome to the adventure!</p>
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