Greetings from Nova Scotia!

[Christine]

Hello all! After coming across a 'Growing Power' video on u tube, aquaponics has become a bit of an obsession for me. With all the GMO food out there, I am determined to get to a point where I can grow enough food to sustain me & my family. I would like to have an aquaponics set up with tilapia that can run year round. Our whether here ranges from -30c in winter to +30c in summer, give or take a bunch. So I built a 14' x 18' greenhouse and plan on building a pond partially below ground and partially above ground built with cinder blocks. I want to build a rocket mass heater and after running the duct through the mass (cob) decrease the duct to 4" and run it around the pond through the cinder blocks. I plan to put dampers in so I have control of the heat running through both the mass & the pond, just the mass, or just the pond. There will be four 2' x 8' grow beds using auto syphons for the flood & drain cycle. I would love some feedback, especially with heating the pond with the mass heater.
By the way, I was really happy to find this site for both the info and the many other people out there obsessed as well!
Cheers, Christine

[urbanfarmer]

Greetings Earthling, and welcome to the addiction!

[davidstcldfl]

Hi Christine....

[David - WI]

I would love some feedback, especially with heating the pond with the mass heater.

It's just not practical... probably not even possible. If you make the pond deep; you might have some luck with perch, bluegill, or walleye... but you aren't going to be able to keep the water warm enough for Tilapia to survive. The amount of wood (or other fuel) needed would be staggering.

[Christine]

Thank you urbanfarmer. Hi davidstcldfl. Thanks for the input David, do you have much experience with rocket mass heaters? I have to say I've been more concerned that I would end up cooking the fish long before planning to. I use wood to heat my home, and even if I use the same amount of wood in the rocket mass heater I probably have at least 3years worth of wood around my property. I've been thinking about thermostat controls for the dampers.

[David - WI]

I have to say I've been more concerned that I would end up cooking the fish long before planning to.

I'm afraid you're going to have to chip them out of the ice before you can cook them.

Obviously it depends on what you covered your greenhouse with, how big around and how deep your pond is, what kind of wood you have, etc... but I would bet that it will be impossible to maintain a temperature suitable for Tilapia through the winter.