Raft/Deep Water Culture Growers

Chris , are your boards 2inch thick? If you took a4

Chris, are you using the 2 inch board. On average how many holes per 4+8 sheet do you use. Are you using the 2inch net pots? What kind of media are you using for your seedling out in the rafts? Thanks Paul

Paul, I use 2" blue board.I cut my 4x8 sheets down to 2x4 or 2x2 for ease of handling. My spacings vary depending on stage of growth, grow out cycle and crop. Check out "Hole Spacing" in this group.I use coconut coir for seeding, but I have been testing a new method which I will post the results of soon.

Fantastic Website Chris...very professional. One of the best that I have seen :-)

Thank you Sahib. My wife spent many hours working on our new site and she gets all the credit!!

I too am in the process of designing either a web site or a Word Press forum type web presence as well as a Facebook page. Your web presence is really informative and one that I will refer to in my design :-)

Well done once again ;-) 

Chris, . I located a 1inch Dow Blue board at a very good price. Will this thickness work, or is the 2 inch needed for plant health as well as ease of handling.Paul

One inch foam might be a little weak when loaded with mature plants. I use 2" net pots and they are 2" deep as well as 2" in diameter. The bottom of the net pot just touches the water with 2" foam. With 1" foam half of the pot would be submerged. Give it a try and see how it works. If the foam is too weak or you have other issues you can always double up the sheets.

Aloha Rafters. I hope the new year is starting out well for all of you. I must apologize for lack of participation for the last month or so. My farm and business are growing faster than I can keep up with. I have just finished with some major projects and will have more time for this forum.

Chris

Thank you!  I just got a call back from Doug, the local distributor (Colorado Lining) for Raven Industries;  the minimum he can order is 50 linear feet 6' wide, for $388,00 (plus shipping).  That's about twice what I need, but at least it's not thousands time what I need -- but I'd love to know if you can help me for cheaper . . . .

On another note, have you heard anything from the Friendly Aquaponics people lately?  Are they all ok?

:)

carroll

Excellent quality, very tough and very white too! Excellent services.

Roger Pilon

Costa Rica Aquaponics

Thanks, Gina -- I appreciate the help -- and the encouragement. (Their manual is well-written, but I have no technical background at all, so I might call on you if I run into problems!)  Right now  I'm collecting prices and trying to figure out how to get things done in the most efficient manner.  Getting the liners is huge, but since I haven't even gotten my fish tank or built the troughs yet, I'm not in panic mode . . . .

  Glad that the Friendlies are ok -- and we're all sending positive thoughts (at least) for the people in Japan! carroll --

Thanks, Roger -- I'll see what Gina can do -- but Global Plastic Sheeting's prices are obviously much better than those by Raven Industries!  carroll

I LOVE HOW EVERYONE IS SO FRIENDLY AND HELPFUL ON THIS SITE -- not just deep-raft, but on the whole community website . . . .  makes me smile

Hi Carroll,  unfortunately we only have enough in stock for one trough(11ft), but am placing an order tomorrow, as I said earlier I have another order to fill.  Our pricing currently is $2.35/linear foot plus shipping.  Not as good as Global, however we will sell quantities for micro systems as opposed to a 100' roll.  Our price does fluctuate from time to time, so as soon as my order(and pricing) is confirmed with the manufacturer, I will let you know if it changes any.  It will probably take about two weeks to get it in, so let me know if that works for you!  Confirm me as your friend here and I will shoot you a message as soon as I know about the pricing.  Sorry we don't have enough for you right away! 

Gina, I'd like to get the lining I need from you, so please include my feet of it when you order!

Thanks for friending me -- I was wondering how that worked!

Tim says it needs to be exactly 6' wide -- from Michelle's post it sounds like with Global shipping they do the same kind of measuring that you get from lumber, which would mean it wouldn't be wide enough!

I'll send you my complete address and shipping info in an email -- thank you so much for helping me out!

carroll

Thanks, Gina -- I'm excited too!  I was getting so frustrated about liners! I just looked on your website, and there's no email address, so how do I get my address to you without posting it on here?  Or is that what I'm supposed to do . .  .

Thanks, carroll

After adding some seaweed fertilizer the my system I now have a far amount of algae growing. I have covered my tanks from light and added extra air which has not  helped yet... thoughts? 

Some of my plants are yellowing. I have a gravel connected to two raft systems  filled bed with worms and all levels seem good... thoughts

If your plants are yellowing it is probably iron deficiency. You will need to add cheated iron to the system. The plants should green up once iron is in the system.

Where is the algae growing?? In the water or on the sides?

Question:  When and why do you use a 2" net pot or a 3" net pot and in cutting the holes, is there a general rule of thumb as to the pattern or space requirements?

David, You should get lots of different opinions and reasons on your questions ...  :) 

For me, I use the 2" slit pots (2" styro with a 2" hole) because that size, is all I need for the plants I grow in my rafts. I use the 1 " horti-cubes to start my seeds ....they fit fine in a 2 " slit pot.

Some of the larger varieties of romaine and bok choi's....their roots can get a little tight in the pots. But most of what I have raised in them, is a non -issue as far as size goes.
I've always had a combined/hybrid  system with my water going through gravel beds 1st,. then my rafts. I simply grow the larger things in the media....peppers, tomatoes, okra, ect.

.

On the other end of the 'size spectrum'.....as an experiment, at Sahibs Aquaponics, I took some tomatoes in regular plastic 6 " pots and placed some in rafts. I used a serrated knife to carefully cut the holes. Since they are in a mixture of coir, I was concerned about it, perhaps, being too wet. So I made sure the pots only are about a 1/4 to  1/3 of the way into the water. Almost like a wicking bed with an endless supply of water. The tomatoes are loving life ! Well except for the cold snap we just had in FL...   :(   (we have a smile face that is sweating....we need on shivering)

(The tomato plants do have a strong overhead support system)

As for hole spacing.....you have two things to think of....one, how much room does the plant need ? How valuable do I consider the space of my rafts ?

Earlier, I mentioned larger romains, since they do need a lot of space.....I now grow a different variety that doesn't need as much room.  Since younger lettuces seem to be sweeter when young, I tend to keep the hole spaces close....most at 4 " centers.  With the holes that close...I make the rafts smaller in size, since that tends to structurally weaken them. 

I have had rafts with holes further apart....and I've moved plants when they are getting crowded to the those rafts.

It all depends on what 'your' over all desire and goals are for 'your' system.

What paint do you use to paint the rafts?

Does it stop the extruded polystyrene from breaking don because of UV light?

And wont the paint leech chemicals into the system? 

Aloha fellow Aquaponicos!

Please STOP buying the styrofoam and pain fot the rafts...

I will share how to make the ultimate floating raft for your system cheaply, easily and superefficient with so many benefits for you and system.

We can build this rafts   from locally available materials that are way safer than foam with incredible results.

I will take pics and post them here , so, you can have a better idea how is made.

This will be a revolutinary concept in Aquaponics

Very intruguing, Giorgio. Bring on the ultimate floating raft!

Sounds great!

I’ve been doing backyard aquaponics for almost 4 years now and I was doing mainly the Raft system using the styrofoam boards from HD, (I have no choice, I live in a small Island).

These board get waterlogged  rather quickly and working with them is very messy and you have to do so much work with them.  Finally I got tired of buying new foam and making new rafts and I figured out a way to make them last longer,  I got some FOOD GRADE epoxy and painted the bottoms that touch water and they seem to be doing good so far but still you need to put some sort of aeration in the grow bed for plants to grow better which will required space, time and money (resources).

Finally I came up with a great solution which will create aeration naturally and is pretty cheap and easy to build.   I teach a Aquaponics class in the backyard and many of my student were impressed with the new design and after a few crops I feel confident that is a great way to go and I want to share with the AP community.

FYI:  I’ve dome my research and I’ve talked to the manufactures of some of these products that I use but you are welcome to double check and share.

I took some pics and I will try to explain how I did it.

The top is called Polywall from HD and I cut it to 2x4 pieces for easy handling u can make them bigger if you wish.

The pontoons are 2" PVC pipe with caps I don't use glue just silicone

I used 1/2 pipe for the frame, you can get all T's and Elbows anywhere (HD) cheapest.

I used stainless 1/4" screws to sucure the Polly the the frame

and I used zip ties to secure the frame to pontoons.

You don't want to make any holes in the pontoons or it won't float.

These are so easy to make and no need for painting and no mess and the 2" net pot just barely touch the water (which is what we want)

The only thing will be  to figure out some sort of clip to secure the raft to the side of the grow bed when plants get big and heavy  cause it will sink a bit

Have fun

Giorgio

Great idea, I'm gonna test this method on my system. Thanks for sharing.

Great idea indeed. Never liked the idea of the rafts not having any support. Looks like this will last quite a bit longer. Will have to do a price comparison of raft+paint against (a list of parts) for the ... We need a name for this new raft type. Polywall Pontoon, Hawaiian Raft, Big G's Raft,...

How about threading an air injection port in the side of the pontoons to pressurize the pipes? Like the type for filling a tire with air. Granted you would have to glue the end caps on, but it should give you more buoyancy. Interesting idea.

If there would be an intake for air like on a tire then one could also use other lighter gasses to fill the pontoons giving maximum lift.

Interesting idea. About how far apart are those 1/4” screws placed? And the system water has absolutely no contact with them?