Start a 20000sqm family business in Thailand - please help

[Willy]

Hi all,

As written in my introduction I am an offshore worker and have background in family hydroponics from Holland and Germany.
This is Thailand and so it will be different. I had a backyard test farm of 120sqm that fed after 2 years a small village near Khon Kaen in Thailand but it got completely scrapped by our Buffalo 2 month ago.
Sure it was good for learning but also sure it was not big enough to gather all knowledge to go commerial.
So first of all i would love to Introduce here our plan and facilities in steps:

The family (Thai rural Farmers in Rice, Sugar and Rubber) is highly motivated build on the sucess with the test system. We have a reliable labour force of about 15 Family members in a spread from Farmer to Lawyer.

here the land provided by the Uncle:

https://www.google.co.th/maps/@12.65414 ... !1e3?hl=de

Any Comments positive and negative also hard critcis are highly appreciated as the are the ladder to sucess:
Phase 1 will be a test sytem of 1800 sqm greenhouse:
Why a Greenhhouse in Thailand somebody might ask now.

only one example we learned in our 25000 EUR, and 120 sqm test field. Just a little drop of temperature with a good solar powered cooling system and you stand of the crowd. Most in Thailand are still using traditional methods and fill the market with the same products.
Hence: A sweede Root of 1.5 Kg is in Germany 1.59 EUR a go, an Imported one of 250 grs in Thailand is 8 EUR a go. And so we tried heaps of plants.
Reason 2 is that the Thai consumer is open for news and his orientation goes more and more to bio.. willing to pay a baht more.

so far so good...

and some scratches made to heat up the discussions:

Hey hoo, here come the desasterous plumber!!!

who is good in plumbing and can bring some comments to it? I have my doubts that this will work or that this is the best way to go.

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will a main pipe bring the solution to fill all fish tanks equal so that all have the same flow rate?

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To put all Filters on the on a tower is my first Idea.. but when it comes to 6 Racks with each 7 x 5040 ltr througs I am looking by a good flow rate at a huge tower and pump.
If anybody has a good solution bring it on please.

The fish tanks 1-8 the hatchery tanks h1 and h2 and the test tank t1 for trying different fish/crusty's will be connected to the system and 2 quarantaine tanks will be separated running.



The reason here to put all as much possible under the racks is, that cool greenhouse space is sacred and every square inch is a money maker. fish will only cover a small part of the expenses. Vertical is saving walkpathes so more plants can be grown.
But as I said I am a lousy plumber with a green thumb and a nose for making a $.. Plumbing, I need help! I guess.....

Just fire off your comments and are they small, every fault found before start aviods a desaster when it come to the erection of the system.
When we have reached the point of opening i hope to meet some people from this forum at the BBQ by beer and yabbies

[Jason]

will a main pipe bring the solution to fill all fish tanks equal so that all have the same flow rate?

In order to get the same flow rate, it would need to be under pressure, and would have to have valves that you can adjust. It would be easiest with using a manifold and separate lines. I think you might be able to do it using gravity, but it would take a lot of trial and effort. You would still need valves to increase or reduce the flow though.

I would also like to suggest an over flow that bypasses the fish tanks in case the flows to the fish tanks can not keep up . Just a thought.

Jason

[Willy]

well that is a first word and fully understood. Thanks Jason!!
In other forums there were also doubts about the flow rate and WHY a huge tower..
(My answer would have been: Because my test farm was built like that)
-Less electric: Lower height so the tower must go.
-Equal flow rate: valves have to be implemented
-OVERFLOW: Right, what happens when Willy goes to sleep and one tank getting the outlet blocked? It will create a lake over night and within hours there is no water in the grow throughs anymore, the pump runs on air.. Well a simple issue forgotten and the desaster would have been immense.

Now to get all under the grow beds is the next target, as wasted space in a Greenhouse costs money and not earns it.

But NO tower means saving electrics, if I wold not have such a success with my ebb/flood worm filter. Without tower this won't work anymore. I have to raise at least 3 filters then and so the others need to be raised as well and here the chain reaction is created until a 2nd pump has to be involved.
Are a couple of worms worth it to think further?



last, it will not beeing started at 20000sqm,,, phase 1 is 1800 sqm Greenhouse.

Thanks a lot for further involvements, really good thoughts in detail.

[Ruedi]

Hi Willy

I'm from Switzerland and living in Chiang Mai since 6 years.
I built an AP system just one year ago (pictures below).

Would it be possible to visit you in Khon Kaen?

Regards,
Ruedi

[jmgore]

Saw your post from a few years ago and was wondering how things worked out. Were you able to make a profit with aquaponics?

Hi all,

As written in my introduction I am an offshore worker and have background in family hydroponics from Holland and Germany.
This is Thailand and so it will be different. I had a backyard test farm of 120sqm that fed after 2 years a small village near Khon Kaen in Thailand but it got completely scrapped by our Buffalo 2 month ago.
Sure it was good for learning but also sure it was not big enough to gather all knowledge to go commerial.
So first of all i would love to Introduce here our plan and facilities in steps:

The family (Thai rural Farmers in Rice, Sugar and Rubber) is highly motivated build on the sucess with the test system. We have a reliable labour force of about 15 Family members in a spread from Farmer to Lawyer.

here the land provided by the Uncle:

https://www.google.co.th/maps/@12.65414 ... !1e3?hl=de

Any Comments positive and negative also hard critcis are highly appreciated as the are the ladder to sucess:
Phase 1 will be a test sytem of 1800 sqm greenhouse:
Why a Greenhhouse in Thailand somebody might ask now.

only one example we learned in our 25000 EUR, and 120 sqm test field. Just a little drop of temperature with a good solar powered cooling system and you stand of the crowd. Most in Thailand are still using traditional methods and fill the market with the same products.
Hence: A sweede Root of 1.5 Kg is in Germany 1.59 EUR a go, an Imported one of 250 grs in Thailand is 8 EUR a go. And so we tried heaps of plants.
Reason 2 is that the Thai consumer is open for news and his orientation goes more and more to bio.. willing to pay a baht more.

so far so good...

and some scratches made to heat up the discussions:

Hey hoo, here come the desasterous plumber!!!

who is good in plumbing and can bring some comments to it? I have my doubts that this will work or that this is the best way to go.

Attachment:

Untitled1.png [ 153.06 KiB | Viewed 43 times ]


will a main pipe bring the solution to fill all fish tanks equal so that all have the same flow rate?

Attachment:

Untitled2.png [ 187.03 KiB | Viewed 43 times ]



Attachment:

Untitled3.png [ 113.96 KiB | Viewed 43 times ]



To put all Filters on the on a tower is my first Idea.. but when it comes to 6 Racks with each 7 x 5040 ltr througs I am looking by a good flow rate at a huge tower and pump.
If anybody has a good solution bring it on please.

The fish tanks 1-8 the hatchery tanks h1 and h2 and the test tank t1 for trying different fish/crusty's will be connected to the system and 2 quarantaine tanks will be separated running.



The reason here to put all as much possible under the racks is, that cool greenhouse space is sacred and every square inch is a money maker. fish will only cover a small part of the expenses. Vertical is saving walkpathes so more plants can be grown.
But as I said I am a lousy plumber with a green thumb and a nose for making a $.. Plumbing, I need help! I guess.....

Just fire off your comments and are they small, every fault found before start aviods a desaster when it come to the erection of the system.
When we have reached the point of opening i hope to meet some people from this forum at the BBQ by beer and yabbies