Comment

Comment by Jim Troyer on November 18, 2013 at 8:32pm

@ Bob

Kim has about 250 gallons in her Fish Tank tote and another 150 gallons in the sump.  The sump is open top and FT has the middle 1/3 cut out.

@ Kim: 

My water matches the air temp twice a day, as the air warms up and as it cools back down.  The water temperature will fluctuate less than the air temp and the average temps will about the same, with air moving more than the water.  A tattle tale thermometer (keeps hi/low record) might be a good idea in your location to know how cold the air is getting.  Sounds like 10 degrees colder than my location. How did the blanket perform last night?

@ Matt:

Dark colors radiate energy faster than light colors.

found on the web today:

Comment by Robert Rowe on November 18, 2013 at 10:42am

Kim

I am using a Frost close called Planket available from Home Depot. Last year I covered my 220 gal goldfish tank with white shade cloth, all the way to the ground, and it made quite a difference. This year I am using the Planket which is a dark green to cover my dome and 2 days last week my dome temp. went to 112 degrees peak, The smallest size they had was 10  ft x 15 ft and they had if memory serves a 9 ft round one. Your main problem is lack of volume. Put a bowl of water beside your tote and measure it in the morning and it will probably measure the same as the outside temp and the tote might be a degree or 2 warmer., whereas a several hundred gallon container will still have residual heat from the day before. 

Comment by Matt Miskinnis on November 18, 2013 at 9:51am

Hey Kim,   during the summer I had foam insulation around my tank to keep the sun off and help cool it.  I now have the insulation removed,  I painted the tank dark green to absorb sun light and help warm the tank.  I also added 100 feet of of black tubing that runs on a separate motor that simply runs itself back to the sump.  This is only good for day time though,  at night everything is back to the elements.  Im probably going to look into spray foam insulation to out around the tank but don't know the price.

Comment by Kim Romen on November 18, 2013 at 9:45am

options for insulation I've come across:

foam board

spray on foam

dark insulating blanket (per Sylvia Bernstein)

black plastic draping

thermal blanket

wood slats or mesh materials to cover the top so not to impair oxygen flow too much

Anyone know of pluses/minuses to these, have preferences and know where I can buy the materials?  thx!

Comment by Kim Romen on November 18, 2013 at 9:11am

The thermostat on my fishtank has inside and outside temp.  the outside temp is almost 10 degrees higher and that's early morning before sun is anywhere near the AP system.  I'm wondering what others with totes ar finding for temps right now.  I'm down into the low 50s in the mornings and not running the pump at night so I'm wondering if it's accurate.  How closely do folks find water temp matches the outside air temp?  I think I have no choice but to insulate the tank ASAP, though.

Comment by Kim Romen on November 18, 2013 at 9:06am

Robert, I live at the base of South Mtn in Ahwatukee.  Must make it colder as there is only one street of houses behind me and then mtn, so less city heat.  Hard ground as well, not sure if that makes a difference.  The tank is 1/3 open on top. one side is 4 ft -5 ft from a block fence, but could get some wind where it's located.  Shut the pump off at night.  turning it on at 9:30am and off at 4pm.  that controls the solar heater that Jim put in for me, too.  thx for all the info!  A few degrees is not a lot of protection for 500 watts!  But, I'm still thinking it'd give me piece of mind for the coldest of nights.  I suppose I could look up how much electric it would cost on SRP's website, but does anyone know off hand?  thx, agaian!

Comment by Robert Rowe on November 18, 2013 at 8:44am

Kim

What part of the valley do you live in? I live at the base of North Mountain and my FT has only gone down to,(See Log below:. Your temperature drop is going to be a function of the volume of your FT. The larger the volume the slower the drop. Is your FT open on top? Is it exposed to wind? Do you turn of your pump at night? The electric heaters will only give you a few degrees of protection at 500 Watts.

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Comment by Kim Romen on November 17, 2013 at 11:13pm

I posted this on the discussion wall but rumor has it the comment wall is the place to go so I'm posting here, too.:

Water in my sump was 54 degrees at 8:30 this morning so the water in the fishtank must've gotten down to 50 degrees last night. The fishtank is 1 degree less than the sump, which doesn't make sense to me since it is enclosed more and larger. I have a solar heater that Jim Troyer made me for the day but want something supplemental for the night. David Schwinghamer posted last year, I think, about his success with Catalina 500 Watt, I believe this one: http://www.amazon.com/Catalina-Titanium-Heater-500-Watt/dp/B000PNCF... . David, if you see this, has that still been working for you? Also wondering if folks with ponds seem to have an easier time or still have to heat? It's not even cold, yet, so I'm worried. Thanks

Comment by John Malone on November 16, 2013 at 1:14pm

I don't weigh my produce.  I probably should.   I'm usually so glad to get anything off the garden that my scientific method abandons me.   Production has been a bit lean over the last few weeks but the tomatoes are fruiting heavily and are starting to colour, so that'll add to the mix.  The good wife regularly pulls a feed of lettuce from under the tomato vines too.   It's a jungle out there.

Comment by John Malone on November 16, 2013 at 1:12pm

The Chinese Cabbage is the Michihli variety.

From the looks of photos of the web I may have pulled this one a bit early since it doesn't really have a dense heart as such.  Should cook up OK though, maybe a bit like spinach?

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