New to group

[Yaacov Levi]

Hiya

I am new to the group, and looking forward to hearing what others are doing. I am putting together 2 small systems, an in-house one, with large aquarium, reservoir and grow beds. Plan to grow out a breeding trio in house, and some veggies, year around. Outside a hoop house with a couple IBCs, one for grow out for harvest and another for looking at possible breeders.

Jake Levi

Harrisville, MI

[Leo White Bear]

Hi Jake-

  At the moment I also have two units going.  One small barrel-ponics in-house with a pineapple and some herbs.  The other is a larger unit outside that incorporates the grow-bed and trough set-up using a 250 gal milk bulk tank for an aquarium.  Last year I used a 55 gal aquarium and two 30 gal totes for growbeds.  I also am a firm believer in scrounge technology, use what works and have fun experimenting.

White Bear

[Yaacov Levi]

I have a 55 and a 50 now, but looking for a 75 , the other two I will use for grow outs. For the inside operation I will use a 50 gallon or bigger tote for the reservoir and build a 6' l by 3' wide grow bed with pond liner inside a frame. I am debating between a 4' or 3' width.  I dont know if I will get the hoop house done this season, hoping so. I like your avatar. 

Jake

[Leo White Bear]

  The width of your growbed will be influenced on how comfortably you can reach into it.  Remember as the plants mature, your reach will be shortened a bit due to the plant height and the intensity of your planting.  any support that is needed will also be an indication of your reach, i.e. cages or lattice for tomatoes, strings for climbing vines.

  If you just grow lettuce well then these interferences will be mute but who just wants to grow lettuce.  Don't get me wrong, lettuce is fine for a salad base but some tomatoes, cukes, 'shrooms, herbs and such are much more exciting.

  Whatever you decide, have fun with it.  Aquaponics is fun and educational for all family members.

I am pleased you like my avatar, I am named after the Kamondor or Spirit Bear of the Appalachian Mts. of North Carolina.

[Yaacov Levi]

Hi Leo, Thats how I see it, its fun. The width of mine also has the factor of fitting into the room, 4' can just work, lettuce is about moot, as its one of my least favorite veggies. There are other greens like chard that will work as well, or better. No shortage of veggies to grow. Accomodating  the grow bed to other room plants is the challenge. It will work out.

Leo White Bear said:

  The width of your growbed will be influenced on how comfortably you can reach into it.  Remember as the plants mature, your reach will be shortened a bit due to the plant height and the intensity of your planting.  any support that is needed will also be an indication of your reach, i.e. cages or lattice for tomatoes, strings for climbing vines.

  If you just grow lettuce well then these interferences will be mute but who just wants to grow lettuce.  Don't get me wrong, lettuce is fine for a salad base but some tomatoes, cukes, 'shrooms, herbs and such are much more exciting.

  Whatever you decide, have fun with it.  Aquaponics is fun and educational for all family members.

I am pleased you like my avatar, I am named after the Kamondor or Spirit Bear of the Appalachian Mts. of North Carolina.

[Leo White Bear]

another thing, remember ventilation.  Plants will express quite a bit of moisture.  Protect the walls and floors unless they are made of concrete or tile.  I did a 18 unit IBC system in an old barn that eventually had adequate venting, before it was installed it looked like it rained inside.

[Yaacov Levi]

That is one of the advantages of a hoop system, and for a smaller inside one. I am going to go with the 3' W by 6' L growbed inside.

Your 18 IBC unit is a lot bigger then I want, the IBC  one I want in the hoop house is considerably smaller, six IBCs will do fine for me in the hoop house, with only two of them as complete units, the other four will be cut in half for growbeds. Its considerably smaller. 

I am not starting the hoop house until I can locate some food safe IBCs, so far lots of chemical ones around but no food safe ones, yet.

[Leo White Bear]

Jake

You can check out some of my pics here

http://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/photo/photo/listForContributor?s...

My friend June Washington was helping me keep that chair down so it wouldn't get too far away from him.  I used 2" PVC for cross-over tubes.  This allowed me to use only one pump for two totes.  I also made duo inlet manifolds for both growbeds, each with its own ball valve so I could regulate the water flow per growbed.  If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

[Yaacov Levi]

Wow !  Was that the dairy barn?  A lot of air to heat.

 

My hoophouse plans are more modest, 2-3 totes with fish, and 4-6 half totes for plants. My plans are much more modest, but ultimately longer, to see if more cold hardiness could be developed in a strain. Breeders will be winter survivors, first year of some temp to 47, then breeders from the best survivors. So it will need some pretty good temp controls.  I will have a smaller number of the hoop house stock in the house for controls. And a wood stove backup if power goes out.  I plan to hold hoophouse temps to 50 or better the first winter, then see if they can be worked lower. I am sure some lower is possible, I remember tilapia surviving 50 in ponds Near Daytona before the ground water pumps were turned on, it was 71F, and fish would gather around the pipe bringing it in. So, its going to be a longer time plan then I want, but I shall see what can be. The stock being wintered in the hoop house will be the ones I select breeders from.

Lets hear it for scrounge technology !

[Yaacov Levi]

This is the one project, with Blue Tilapia,  the other one is with Blue Gills. Thats to be growout rates from 3-4 broods , and see if selection rate can be increased with different lines.