Carl is beginning to act on the dream

[Carl]

Hi everyone,
I have been researching and contemplating an aquaponics greenhouse for about a year now and I have been scrounging parts to work with. Now I'm getting started this spring. I am building a greenhouse first and "low or no cost" is the key. I found what I believe to be an ideal greenhouse design fromthe folks at Owenlea Farm http://userpages.bright.net/~fwo/gre...reenhouse.html.
I will be using old weathered used 2x4's that my father in law had collected when he did some construction site cleanup work. I have purchased 10, 55 gallon white plastic vinegar drums for $20.00 each from

"Original Juan Specialty Foods"
111 Southwest Blvd
Kansas City, Kansas 66103
1-800-568-8468

email at juans@originaljuan.com.
They seem to always have 30 or 40 available.
I work in the Battery industry and have had the opportunity to salvage some backup power 2 tier stationary battery racks that I hope to use in establishing barrel grow beds on the top tier and will be draining the water down to the lower tier for barley grass grow beds.
I plan on using 325 gallon stock tanks for the Tilapia. I will add pictures as I make progress.
Carl

[wolfracer]

Sounds pretty good! Good luck on your system. I bet those battery racks are stout, should do a awesome job holding the growbeds. I have to ask, but why Barley grass?

[JeffW]

Welcome Carl...we will be looking forward to the pics.

[mpugh5@aol.com]

welcome and beautiful plans for the greenhouse,the gambrel roof structure is exactly what i have on the barn and the upstairs to the butcher shop. i really slept on that one. my next building will definitely have this incorporated into it.

[badflash]

Looks good to me. Be sure to treat the lumber as this is a high moisture environment. Tilapia need heat year around and stop growing when water is <70, they die <50, so heat is the key.

[Carl]

Sounds pretty good! Good luck on your system. I bet those battery racks are stout, should do a awesome job holding the growbeds. I have to ask, but why Barley grass?

We currently raise grass fed cows and I wanted to try hydropnic barley grass for forage like they have developed in Australia.
http://tiny.cc/PUlew

[Carl]

Looks good to me. Be sure to treat the lumber as this is a high moisture environment. Tilapia need heat year around and stop growing when water is <70, they die <50, so heat is the key.

I'm not sure yet on how treat the lumber. I was planning on an exterior primer and white latex. The old lumber is very hard (usually bends nails). I realize that I may have to replace some of the wood in a couple years but since it is free to start with I can't complain.
Does anyone have suggestions for how to best protect the old wood for the best service life?

[Carl]

Tilapia need heat year around and stop growing when water is <70, they die <50, so heat is the key.

I'm planning on insulating the tanks and trying to incorporate a wood stove, solar water heat as well as electric to keep the water heated.

[JCO]

When it comes to treating the wood, any part of it that is in the ground should be in concrete that covers the bottom of it and comes up at least a couple inches above ground level.

As for all wood above ground level, make sure it is completely dry and apply Thompson's water seal liberally a couple times....it's better than paint and won't peal and can be reapplied over itself again when needed.

[wpbullock]

Carl - your greenhouse design is great. I wish I would have thought of going the wood-rib route. I am impressed with how inexpensively you did the things you did.

I would suggest that if you can find black locust planks that that would be about the ideal choice for building a greenhouse since it is not too expensive and will not rot. There is quite a bit of black locust around here but I don't know what the availability is around where you live. For the very low price you paid, I'm assuming you bought seconds or short boards? THat is a great idea since you have need for only small boards in your design. I think if I was to do what you did I would use the locust wood even for the gussets on the ribs. I have heard of other "treatments" that can be applied to wood. I used Thompsons before on decks and didn't think it held up that great. You have to plan of re-applying every few years.

Great job and very interesting description of how you did things.

Wes