Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Just getting started with some R&D. Would love to put a small system in my basement and have a larger system outside in a greenhouse.

Is there any merit to running the larger operation only seasonally and maintaining some stock in a smaller indoor system during the winter?

Thanks in advance

Hey ladieu!

I am in Cashtown near Gettysburg.

Yes, there is merit in having a small indoor system for the cold season. Check my 2007 system (link in my .sig) for an example. This is my plan for this year too - ramp it up from small/medium indoors to large outdoors as the weather improves.

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DD's Landing Page

Plant and fish pictures are money

i'm in northeast ohio, have a small indoor system (my second) after starting with a small system this past year..
Big Al is in ohio with a greenhouse w/ year round fish

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my basement system;
viewtopic.php?f=18&t=8354

Thanks for the replies... can you link me up to big al's page?

Also are you guys all doing tilapia? Any merits to colder weather fish??

-Nick

Interesting post dave, I'll read through it in more detail this weekend.

Can you recommend a set of plans for an indoor system? I've got grow lights and start seeds inside for my soil garden. However it seems there are so many version of systems I am overwhelmed and don't know where to start.

The barrelponics manual is always a good start.

You may search for Janet Pelletier's system on here too, she used exclusively Rubbermaid stock tanks. She used loop siphons which is a teeny bit more sophisticated than flood and drain on timers. To do flood and drain you either limit your grow bed volume to keep the fish tank from losing too much water when the beds are flooded or you use a sump to allow for the change in levels.

CHIFT PIST is a simple configuration with good characteristics. It stands for constant height in fish tank, pump in sump tank. Joel's original thread for this is a very simple layout. Fish tank higher than grow bed, draining to grow bed, then draining to sump tank, with pump pumping back to fish tank.

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DD's Landing Page

Plant and fish pictures are money

Here's the link to Joel's CHIFT PIST setup, no one here would fault you for setting your system up this way:


viewtopic.php?p=48761#p48761

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DD's Landing Page

Plant and fish pictures are money

I put a post up on my blog today about a barrelponics system I found

http://www.saveourskills.com/complete-g ... rrelponics

not trying to spam.. but thought it was relevant to the thread... I'll take a look at it this weekend, however it is too big for my basement space. I have a smalish area set aside,


the links you provided might be more relevant to my goals so I'll check them out.

-Nick

The barrelponics manual I was talking about is the one from Travis Hughey (barrelponics is pretty much synonymous with him), have you seen that one already?

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DD's Landing Page

Plant and fish pictures are money

Dave, I have not seen that one. I'll be sure to read that one as well. I think Dennis also has a pretty good system on his website for $100

Obviously there are 1000 ways to skin this cat ... that's the problem... paralysis by analysis!

Thanks for the starting points... i'll get on my R&D

yeah, travis has done some really great stuff.. his manual and information can be found here;

http://www.fastonline.org/content/category/4/15/29/

my "summer" system was 2 pair of barrel growbeds draining into a 110 rubbemaid stock tank (it got way to warm in the summer, even completely covered)

my basement system is based on that, but i have 3 55 gallon glass tanks on the floor, and only 1 pair of growbeds draining into them... the flood tank just fits the low ceiling basement with a couple inches to spare

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my basement system;
viewtopic.php?f=18&t=8354

Here is the plan

* read all the manuals
* measure and photograph the space i want to put it in
* design the system and post it here for feedback

thanks again

Sounds like a good plan Nick, there's this link too:

http://sketchup.google.com/

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DD's Landing Page

Plant and fish pictures are money

thanks dave, I've been looking for an excuse to try that out

I'm in York County, PA. Been tinkering with AP in my basement for a couple years... Still trying to find what works, but I think the basement tests are limiting... Looking for some other DIY'ers to brainstorm with...

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Tim
www.FoxWoodRunFarm.com