Using guttering pipes for my beds

[Cash-matters]

Hi, 1st real post here so here goes.

Just a couple of things...

Thinking of housing my AP system in a polytunnnel - should help keep things warmer here in the UK. Was thinking of housing my beds in guttering pipes. Was also thinking of getting black ones so the sun can heat the water a little -again helping to sort the cooler UK weather. Just wondering if you thought this was ok. Also, if I did it this way would the gravel within constantly be filled with flowing water. I ask this because I was either going to lay the guttering horizontal or on a slight angle - obviously at an angle then the water would only flow through so would not remain flooded.

One other thing... if you use gravel as your bed material, I take it you plant directly into the gravel ? If this is the case does the gravel not get clogged up with roots and thereby making the waterflow much slower / impossible ie does it not all get 'gunged' up (technical British term that !!)

Many thanks

[Cash-matters]

oh, and another thing, sorry !

Can someone give the some ratios in respect to the size. i.e. if I have an x sized water tank I will need a y sized bed. Also how many fish per gallon roughly ?

Thanks

[badflash]

Check Oliver's articles:
viewforum.php?f=112

Welcome. I don't recommend gutters. Too shallow and the water has to flow from one end to the other. That can cause issues as you suspected.

[Cash-matters]

Thanks Badflash - you are clearly someone on here with a load of advice. The guttering that I have happens to to 12 inches deep so I presumed that it might be ok. I was going to cut holes in the top of it, fill the whole thing with gravel and then place my plants in the holes - burrowing out each hole to put the plants in. I was going to put the plants in pots - themselves filled with gravel so that once they've grown they can be lifted out and replaced with the same. My presumption is that this would solve the problems of having a load of roots in the gravel. What do you think ?

[badflash]

That sounds a lot better. Start a new thread in the proper forum, and post some pictures and sketches. We'll all put in out 2 cents.