stucco's system Expansion

[foodchain]

Stupid question: Apoxy is expensive. Water proofing agents in general are expensive, at least the ones I have been looking at. So, would it be more cost effective, though not as nice looking, to built the GB in wood framing, and line with the pond liners than to ferro it? I really like the look of the work you have done here, but when I price it....it just doesn't add up to be something affordable. I have looked at building a cinder block GB and lining it, wood ones, plywood ones, I have used gutters but only good for really shallow roots. Generaly the plastic tubs are too small, livestock troughs are either expensive or galvanized. Maybe I am just being a wuss here and not wanting to crack the budget. Ideas/Advice?

[foodchain]

Your original entries of this thread are of a wood framed GB, skinned in concrete with a strength member. Concrete is cheap enough in thin walls like this. Lumber isn't, but may be possible to reclaim some or just bite the bullet on that part. But we are back at the original problem of water proofing/sealing it. Tiling would help, but you still have to seal at the very least the grout. So that's a no go. Fiber glass resin....but steep price for the amount you need. This is a hard one.

[stucco]

Its square tubing on the top and angle on the bottom… I’m going to hide the plumbing in the angle. I’ve gotten sun burn from the wire feed too.
I use Sherwin Williams’s macro epoxy for potable water. It’s around $100 for a 2 gallon unit.

[stucco]

I have an 8” pipe as a return line for the growbeds and raft tank on the large system. The entire 8 bad system flows through this pipe via bell siphon. The pipe is most of the time submerged in the sump but, I have let the water level go down for days or weeks at a time. The interesting part is… today I noticed that there were some leaves and food sticking through the holes in the strainer so I removed it and around 40 2 inch tilapia fry came pouring out into the sump. These poor little fish spent their entire life swimming against extreme current, flopping between siphon cycles and I guess that they were eating food that made it past the fish in the raft bed. now they have to deal with 95 2 pound channel cats.

[stucco]

[youtubeg07cdiv]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKiO-GKEy9g[/youtubeg07cdiv]


Release the kraken!

[stucco]

I’m almost finished with the tower system.
Today I installed the tank and cover, now I just need to save for 15 bags of hydroton

[urbanfarmer]

[youtube:330zu328]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKiO-GKEy9g[/youtube:330zu328]
Release the kraken!

I thought they pulled you in at the end and you were going to die!!!

[stucco]

Sorry it’s so dark. They feed way more aggressively at dusk

[stucco]

[youtube:11m40y9f]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RZlCzD-xdE[/youtube:11m40y9f]

[alex281]

Stupid question: Apoxy is expensive. Water proofing agents in general are expensive, at least the ones I have been looking at. So, would it be more cost effective, though not as nice looking, to built the GB in wood framing, and line with the pond liners than to ferro it? I really like the look of the work you have done here, but when I price it....it just doesn't add up to be something affordable. I have looked at building a cinder block GB and lining it, wood ones, plywood ones, I have used gutters but only good for really shallow roots. Generaly the plastic tubs are too small, livestock troughs are either expensive or galvanized. Maybe I am just being a wuss here and not wanting to crack the budget. Ideas/Advice?

I made my GB out of wood and pondliner and its holding 400 pounds of gravel and looking great! the Liner and wood hardly cost me anything!