Had the great pleasure of meeting a fellow CA Aquapon, Andy from Santa Barbara. Got me to thinking we shouldn't be left out. There is a Florida and Colorado group so there has to be one from CA. Besides we can share links, ideas and suppliers
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Hey everybody. I wanted to start a thread about Aquaponics in Oakland, CA specifically.If there are folks that are willing to trade fish, or seeds, or used equipment that would be great.Anyone…Continue
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Started by Janet Little. Last reply by Robyn Barnes Mar 10, 2016. 2 Replies 2 Likes
Complete Aquaponics system 300 Gallon IBC fish tank with Tilapia fish, breeding adults and hundreds of small fish for next seasons harvest. 2, 4 by 8 gravel beds with gravel for growing veggies,…Continue
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Hi California aquapons... I am going to Santa Barbara next week, and would love to find Andy - or any others out there in Santa Barbara who have an aquaponic garden that I could visit. There is a big interest in my community (Grass Valley/Nevada City), but folks need something to actually see working.
thanks
Hi Jon....Wow, I would love to see what you are doing!
My real estate too is at a premium. The 55 gallon water filled drums on their sides go "under" the IBC growbeds, so they shouldn't take up any extra room. My greenhouse is a very tight fit with growbeds on each side!
Here's my crazy idea for heating greenhouse for AP with firewood. After much studying, learned water has a greater thermal mass than stone. So....I'm putting a "Rocket Stove" made of brick instead of 55 gal drums, in greenhouse. Built a Mortar "U" channel just below ground level (so top of it is just at ground level). Stovepipe will come out of stove and lay inside the U Channel that runs full length of the greenhouse. The top of the "U" channel will support 55 gallon drums, laying on their sides, filled with water. Will fire up the stove for a few hours in the afternoon/evening to heat the brick stove, as well as the water in the barrels. The idea is, the heat from the stove pipe will heat the water in the steel drums and that warm water will release heat all night long inside the greenhouse!
Josh --
I'm in Pleasanton and have a bed full cilantro growing outside and the temps have been in the 20's. Been covered the last two nights. I've got Koi and Shubunkin. Plant growth is slow right now, but still growing and will take off as soon as we get a little more heat. Next winter I will have a heater install to take on the coldest nights and warm the bacteria up some during the coldest times. I'm using only gravel.
Wow! That's a lot of information!!! Thanks for sharing. I'm really impressed. She is using a clay and I've heard gravel is the way to go for your media. Is there an accepted "way to go"? Also, in theory, you could have a worm bin attached to the side that might heat the tank...or paint the tank black on the sun side...? Unfortunately, I don't think I have room for a greenhouse (or the strength in me to build one right now), but I would think there is a creative way to maintain heat. I'm totally hooked...
My advice is get a hoop house or a greenhouse. Aquaponics works best when you can control the temperature. The plants and fish need set temperatures and they cannot go too low or you will have losses. I used to live in Castro Valley and I know you can get quite the frost in the mornings. There are several ways to heat the greenhouse. I am working on thermal mass heaters, worm composting inside the greenhouse, solar heat boxes. You can also warm the greenhouses by insulating the side that doesn't get direct sunlight.
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