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ButtonLife
10-12-2011, 11:41 AM
Hello I'm new to AP, but I have been planning to have my own setup for a little while now. I've purchased most of what I need to setup my AP system. I have a 37 gallon FT, a Lifetech AP4500 water pump (only cost 20$), and I am planning on making my GB's in the same fashion as Francois (with liner):
my pilot project (http://www.diyaquaponics.com/forum/showthread.php?294-my-pilot-project)

I wanted to know if anyone had experience on DIY greenhouses? I live in Texas, but it still gets down into the low 30's F and I'm worried about my plants/fish getting too cold. I wasn't wanting to build a necessarily extravagant greenhouse but I wanted one large enough for me to have my GB, FT, and for me to fit inside. I also wouldn't mind having a little extra room for future add ons.

I have someone that will be helping me build the greenhouse that has extensive knowledge in building houses, but I just wanted to see if anyone here had any input on what to have or how to make the greenhouse.

Also going to starting with goldfish/cabbage (will be switching to Tilapia as soon as the system stabilizes)

Thanks. :D

keith_r
10-12-2011, 12:39 PM
you might want to consider a native fish, tilapia will die when the water temps get into the mid 50's or so..or provide lots of heat

Oliver
10-12-2011, 01:26 PM
ButtonLife,

We went the greenhouse route in the beginning and discovered that heating and cooling it was, and still is, cost intensive.

We live in a dry climate that reaches up to 105 (95 avg high) in the summer and 25 (30-35 avg low) in the winter.

We have just completed a grow room of the same size (220 sq ft) as the greenhouse. It has a much smaller swamp cooler and we heat the fish tanks (320 & 120 gallon) and the room with a 40 gallon natural gas water heater via a circulation pump and thermostat.

We are hoping that our utility bill will indicate a much better energy profile from this point forward.

In time, we will be able to tell the energy cost difference. We are currently using fluorescent grow lights which are also high energy consumers. We plan on switching to LED grow lights once we test them out on one of our four grow beds.

I will be posting that information once I have it, for it all takes time.

Oliver

ButtonLife
10-13-2011, 05:55 AM
Well I wanted to avoid having to do this indoors because we don't have the space or the extra money to spend on all of the added costs associated with inside growing.

aquaarche
10-13-2011, 09:01 AM
Well I wanted to avoid having to do this indoors because we don't have the space or the extra money to spend on all of the added costs associated with inside growing.

For a $100 or so you can erect a hoop house in your back yard completely cover it in plastic and if need put a portable heater in it just to warm it up if it gets to cold.

Oliver,

I used to live in Berdoo so I know how hot and dry it can get there in Yucca Valley. I'll look you up when we're out that way towards the end of 2012 or early 2013.

ButtonLife
10-13-2011, 12:02 PM
Well I wanted to avoid having to do this indoors because we don't have the space or the extra money to spend on all of the added costs associated with inside growing.

For a $100 or so you can erect a hoop house in your back yard completely cover it in plastic and if need put a portable heater in it just to warm it up if it gets to cold.

Oliver,

I used to live in Berdoo so I know how hot and dry it can get there in Yucca Valley. I'll look you us when we're out that way towards the end of 2012 or early 2013.

Do you think it would be safe to put a portable heater in it? When I think portable heater I think about the electric heaters. I only ask because in Texas we are having one of the worse droughts recorded in our area.

aquaarche
10-13-2011, 05:31 PM
Yeah as long as you are watching I would leave it on and take off for the day. To many variables. or maybe a strip of black plastic to heat up from the sun on top of your hoop house it could give little shade during the high sun hours of 11-2.

I would suggest a smudge pots like we used in the orange groves in California.

I am sure DYI has other suggestions that may work better.

ButtonLife
10-14-2011, 08:16 PM
Probably going to just fill a trashcan or 2 with water until I have solar power out at the greenhouse so I don't have to worry about the electric bill being high.

kalkmarkson
11-29-2011, 03:03 AM
I think, you can build your greenhouse easily and you don’t need anyone help for making greenhouse.

commander
11-29-2011, 02:30 PM
Check out this website. They sell a tubing bender built especially for hoop style greenhouses that uses top rail.tubing as the building material. We are about to purchase one of the 24ft benders and possibly one of the 6ft benders to build some grow beds.

foodchain
12-06-2011, 07:05 AM
Let me know how it works. What you like and don't like. I am considering this kind of thing myself.

rambomadaba
12-10-2011, 02:58 AM
i want to buy the 10x12 harbor fright green house, and am looking fro coupon to save some money

kyrocketscientist
12-11-2011, 01:55 PM
Rambomadaba. I have heard that the Harbor Freight greenhouses blow apart in just a little wind. Go to their website and read the reviews. John

foodchain
12-12-2011, 05:29 AM
The 6x8 is/was on sale for the holidays, but the shipping charge for oversized shipping burns up the savings. I am in my local harborfreight every week or so, and schmoozed the manager a bit. He said if I want one, to talk to him, he would get it to the store on an order and I can pick it up from him. Try doing the same. Beats paying for the oversized shipping.

davel20
12-12-2011, 07:14 AM
Commander,

I"m thinking about building a hoop house, could you post the link you referenced again for the tube bender?

Thank you

Dave

rambomadaba
12-12-2011, 08:09 AM
thank you kyrocketscientist , i have a lot of tricks in my bag to solve this problem, i am very handyman , i have the tools and the knowledge to fix this problem, because you can't beat harbor fright price , i checked all web sites and many manufacturer , they all in thousands for the same square footage .

rambomadaba
12-12-2011, 08:16 AM
Thank you foodchain , i will do that am just waiting for a harbor fright coupon i just bought from ebay for the 10x12 for $2.99 , i will save $280.00 .

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

commander
12-12-2011, 10:02 AM
Here is the link for the tubing benders.

http://shop.hoopbenders.net/

lsoverstreet
02-01-2012, 02:12 PM
Has anyone used the tripple wall poly-panels for the greenhouse roof? I am in the Houston TX area and I am building a solar greenhouse that I want to grow in year round. We get plenty of heat down here, with mild winters, although we do get some cold spells from time to time. The greenhouse will house my aquaponics system, which will be powered by a solar powered 12 volt system. Some say double wall is the most you would need down here, but I suspect that is for those that take the winters off.

aquaarche
02-04-2012, 03:50 AM
freindly aquaponics has a ton of stuff on green houses

www.friendlyaquaponics.com (http://www.friendlyaquaponics.com)