Question about Greenhouses.

[ButtonLife]

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

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.

[keith_r]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

I think, you can build your greenhouse easily and you don’t need anyone help for making greenhouse.

[commander]

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.