Badflash's Greenhouse Build

[badflash]

I ordered the smaller 600 GPH intex pump off ebay. Brand new and $35 delivered. Only 80 watts and it pumps up to about 7'. At 5' I can get around 10 GPM which is plenty for 10 barrels. Even if I have to replace it every year, it is a bargain.

Watch for season close outs of the 8' intex pools with a pump. Probably get them for $50 about now.

[badflash]

mseaman and his partner stopped by today to see my setup. They left with a breeding colony of black mossambicus. Good to have some locals to compare notes with.

Got my 10 grow beds on line. The $35 intex pump is at its limits with 10 barrels, but they are all cycling. There is a bit of tweaking to do, but I think it will work. It is an amazing thing to watch. Sort of like a living, breathing thing. 10 barrels all filling and draining as they see fit. Every couple of minutes one kicks, so the action is pretty constant.

Hard to believe you can operate a 600 gallon pool with another 200 gallons of grow beds with an 80 watt pump. All of that and only 1 moving part.

[davidstcldfl]

Hey badflash, glad to hear you've got the Gb's cycling...
Don't you have 2 different Intex pumps ? I thought your first one, was a larger size?

Glad to hear mseaman picked up some fish......

[badflash]

I started with a bigger pump, and went to the samller pump. I want to use the least power possible. If 80 watts will do it, I can go solar.

[davidstcldfl]

'Solar'...that's a great idea Badflash. It would work 'better', if you moved to 'sunny' Florida... Of course, our river rock costs double from what you pay....

[badflash]

It all evens out over the year. In summer we get more sun than you, in winter we get less. Storage in the cold spell sucks though. 80 watts is doable with solar, especially if you build it yourself. It would need to be a 250 watt collector with battery capacity of about 200 amp-hours. A couple of golf cart batteries would do it. Collectors are easy to make and cells are cheap on eBay. Basic soldering skills and electronic hookup savvy is all that is needed.

Tweaked the growbed system, tightened up leaky connections, and planted my Swiss chard and Chinese cabbage. The basil is too small. I'll get the rest of the veggies planted soon.

[Hotrodmike]

Glad to see your up and running . Getting the watts down to using solar is a great idea .
I wonder why people think you can't use solar N of the Mason Dixon
Have A Kind Day
Mike

[badflash]

Good question.

Most people never challenge the consensus. Sometimes you have to swim against the current.

[davidstcldfl]

I never doubted that solar would work in the land of 'ice and snow'.......
I was just razzing Badlash, like I am now... :P
I'm only doing that, because I grew up 'north' of the MD Line.....and now live in 'sunny' FL where I get cold when the tempeture drops into the low 70's......

A buddy of mine always says....if a mob of people is running one way, it's probably smarter and safer to go the other...

[badflash]

I put up the side perlins today with the help of Jake, my #2 son. These are a real pain, especially working around the pool & growbed. My advice is to do the greenhouse, then do the AP system, not build over it.


Added some duckweed to the pool and put a couple of RES's in the pool with the tilapia. The float is so they can sun themselves. There is a yellow pine plank strapped to it.


Here's a shot of my 10 barrel growbed system:


My basil seedlings are almost ready to go in:


The Chinese cabbage is growing well:


I direct seeded some yellow squash and cucumber. Here is the 1st cucumber seeding to sprout:


Here is the little 80 watt power house that runs the entire system:


My faithful work truck shot from inside the structure. I'll be ordering the skin this week. It is a race now to beat the cold weather: