1001 questions

[Hélène Desilets]

I have this crazy idea of starting a aquaponic system to keep in my barn this winter. I have the bell siphon thing figured out and the pumping system I want to use (air lift) but I still have so much to learn.

-what is the ratio of growing beads VS fish tank?

-in my barn it can go down to -5C what can I grow?

-how to deal with the increase humidity?

-will the fish need feeding or will they be sleeping?

-is this just a crazy idea and I should wait for spring?

I would grow trout or perch (local fish)

please let me know

 

thanks

[TCLynx]

Using an airlfit you may find it difficult to get enough water to pump high enough to let you do siphon flood and drain well.  (airlift pumping is not more energy efficient for most situations.)

I like to have twice as much grow bed as I have fish tank (but then you usually also need a sump tank)

When it is getting that cold you are very limited on crops that can be actively growing without any supplemental heating and you may even be risking your water freezing if you don't have enough water movement.

to grow plants you would need lots of light at least in the day time which you probably won't get inside a barn.

deal with humidity by ventilating.

Depends on the fish and if you are doing any heating

I would say collect all your materials and continue learning and build it outside in the sun come spring then put up a greenhouse for next winter.

Where are you located?  Do you like trout or perch?  I would say grow what fish is locally available provided you can keep your system at appropriate temperatures for those fish.  If you don't like to eat fish, consider goldfish or Koi.

In a warmer climate that still gets cool, I would recommend catfish or bluegill.  I only recommend tilapia for people in nearly tropical or indoor heated growing operations.

[Hélène Desilets]

thank you for the reply.

I gess air lift would be best for something like floating beds then?

I was thinking of adding articicial light since I need it for the chickens anyway.

ventilation in a barn is a tricky thing I find, if you do too much the water freezes and too little mold has a feeld day. but I will look into that.

from what I understand I think it would be better to make myself a greenhouse of some sort in stead.

I am located in Québec Canada in a mountain region so we get a lot of snow (some say we manufacture snow here) and the tempature can go down to -20C and -30C.

I love fish...i am dreaming of smoked trout and perch amendine!

I have a trout hatchery near by and have some perch in our artificial lac (I dont know how it got there).

thank you for the advice...i will probably have at least 996 more questions to come.

 

it is good to know there is a place to get answers.

[TCLynx]

Definitely do some extra research into appropriate greenhouse design and technology for your location.

To start growing some fish inside before you can get a greenhouse built, you will probably need to get a system with extra bio-filtration and solids removal that you will be able to do water changes in and perhaps grow a small amount of plants under some light but you probably won't want to be putting in enough light to grow very much in the way of plants, hence why you would need to do water changes.  Chickens don't need nearly as much light as plants do.

And the ventilation/heating/dehimidification will be another thing that you probably need to do in a somewhat climate specific manner.  Those of us living in a drastically different climate will have trouble advising you well.  I grew up in Northwestern Lower Michigan so I understand lots of snow and most of the winter not getting much above freezing.  It isn't that the air can get damp much when it is either freezing cold or being heated but what little water gets into the air is going to go condense on any cool surface which will either ice up or become moldy.

To really deal with fish and plants you might even be better off insulating a space around the aquaponics so that it will be easier to hold an appropriate temperature and avoid having as much of the humidity escape out into the larger barn to cause issues.  Perhaps even and insulated box type room around the fish tank area and then make a sort of greenhouse like tent over the plant area so the light inside there for the plants can shine out and provide some supplement for the chickens.