How Would You Heat 5000 Gallons?

[keith_r]

i've read some studies on yp that recorded best growth with a 14 hour day

[foodchain]

I don't know...like for sure. I don't have any magic data for UF to go through or anything like that. But generally speaking mine seem to do a lot better with light. That, and I like to seem them. Can't see them in the dark, and they don't like flashlights on them.

[Bioritize]

How about a rocket mass heater? You could use some sort of thermo siphon device that wouldn't need a pump. Wrap some coil around the pipes in the ground or above and then put a stainless exchanger in the tank. Or better yet, dig the tank in the ground a bit and then run the mass heater around or below the tank. This would heat up the ground as well and would likely keep a more constant temperature.

[keith_r]

how about a couple of waterbed heating pads under the tank... i was thinking of doing this for redclaw..

[bcotton]

I havent really put building cost and BTU's to paper but i daydream about a design using large diameter cement pipes under my (future) greenhouse to use as a sump, to catch/store rainwater and attempt to provide more stable temperatures in my greenhouse system. I would use large amounts of water and the ground to store heat, which should help keep the water a little cooler during hot texas summers and warm enough during our relatively mild winters.

Obviously i would need to seel the pipes from leeching with something that is probably expensive. Hopefully i would only need to do this once.

My idea would end up being a lot more water to fish/grow bed than typically used in most systems. I expect the nutrients to be very diluted at first, but figure it will catch up over time. Once the nutrient levels of the water catch up, I will just need to keep the fish, bacteria and plants balanced.


thoughts?

brian

[foodchain]

Brian, I am breaking ground this week doing this with IBC's in the ground. Gutters drain to IBC in the ground with a hydro popout if ever too full. Will know this summer if it works. If not, just another PIA project that dudded.

[davidstcldfl]

One problem to think about here in central FL is....
In regards to heating the surounding ground, as in Bioritize's idea (which sounds like a great idea for much colder areas).

By time the ground was warmed enough, to warm the water, our weather would have 'changed' and we wouldn't need the heating.
This past weekend, the highs-mid 60's/lows-low 40's. The last few days, the highs -low 80's and the low-mid 60's.

The FT's I'm dealing with have already gone up over 15 degrees in just a few days by the air tempt alone. Can you imagine if we had heated the ground....where is the on/off switch...?

[coledexter1920]

I think solar panel heater is the ultimate option because think about using coal-fuel in burning this up and electricity going to spend in heating this amount of water.

[Eleven11]

So UF, do you have any pictures of the 5K water tank?

David, from what I've read.... at about 4 feet below the surface, the ground stays at about 50 or 55F. So, if you did manage to heat up the top layer, it seems like the heat would dissipate in a short time.

I found this guy's work a few months ago and thought it was pretty interesting... brilliant actually.
http://www.sunnyjohn.com/indexpages/shcs.htm

[seaspritefarms]

I'm assuming with that big a tank you are a serious AP fanatic. These are used in professional aquariums.
http://www.aqualogicinc.com/heaters.htm

PS. they ain't cheap