Noob Q - where do I learn about 'ponics in colder climates

[mitch77]

I am a bit north of St Louis Mo and want to set up a large system.

I want to know what best solar exposure is.

What I need to keep things going in winter months.

Is there a reason to use the square caged 275 gal water tank as opposed
to 535 gal tubular tanks?

thanks

[JCO]

I'm out of town now so can't get deep into you first question...will later. However, square tanks fit together end to end and take up less space when you put them together. Round tanks waste space. I'm sure some have other views, but with me, it's all about space.

[mitch77]

If you can answer my 1st question perhaps we could talk via phone or skype
so my wife can take note and she, my brother, and I can ask questions?

I watched a vid of a guy setting up a system with the square tanks in cages.
Cut some in half for plants and the tops of another for fish.

Also wondering how you calculate the are needed per person.

OK doh! I'll be quiet. This is stuff I can ask when you are available.
Thanks very much!

[JCO]

Go here and start reading and when you are through with Oliver's 101, maybe I will be back in town by then.

Aquaponics 101-Part One: The Process

[jackalope]

Noob Q - where do I learn about 'ponics in colder climates

I try to encourage everyone to use the DIY search function ...... we have lots of info for you here (we have a lot more info than you'd think). St. Louis shouldn't be as cold as Canada, New York, the Dakotas or Montana, and there are members here from lots of cold climates that have posted over the years!
Welcome to the forum

[mitch77]

Hi,

We are an inventor, and bio-chemist, and a mechanical engineer.
I am the only one of the three to have any time to research this.

We appreciate and understand your advice, however;
We do not dispute the fact that there is a wealth of info on essentials for cold climates "ponics".
However it is buried under TONS of reading that is NOT on point.
Also imagine all the different word searches I'd need to do to find a tenth of it.
Imagine the huge amount the at wouldn't appear under any of the common phrases because
there is no real reference to the climate or temp etc.

If we had forever to get this up and running and nothing else to do with my time I would probably
love to immerse myself here...but I just don't.

So we're looking for a mentor who has done it. One that we can get right to the point with and pick their brains.

BTW if anyone has some URLs of detailed discussions on any forum about this I love to see them.

[keith_r]

i've been doing ap in northeast ohio (about 30 miles east of cleveland) for almost 3 years.. i started it outside in '10, that fall moved it to my basement.. using regular flourescent lights i've produced a wide variety of tasty greens.. i have almost 200 fish in my big tank - about 130 yellow perch, a couple of bluegill, 7 or 8 blue tilapia and 40 or so nile tilapia.. i' also raising marmokreb crayfish, minnows, daphnia, gammarus and worms as supplemental feeds for the fish.. i just added 30 or so crayfish to the big tank this past weekend and cleaned out 3 of my 4 growbeds.. each growbed is 1/2 of an IBC
my basement isn't heated (it's an old house we rent) and my tank got into the 40's over the winter, lost 4 or 5 tilapia before i put a small heater in that corner of the basement..i've got some better ideas on heating, but i'm considering getting trout this fall, but i'm starting to lean towards keeping tilapia and perch together, since the perch keep the tilapia reproduction in check and enough have fry escaped predation to provide me with a brood stock (and another supplemental food)
i have some stuff to build a bigger tank (i'm using an 8' kiddie pool, and various glass tanks)

[jackalope]

We do not dispute the fact that there is a wealth of info on essentials for cold climates "ponics".
However it is buried under TONS of reading that is NOT on point.
Also imagine all the different word searches I'd need to do to find a tenth of it.
Imagine the huge amount the at wouldn't appear under any of the common phrases because
there is no real reference to the climate or temp etc.

If we had forever to get this up and running and nothing else to do with my time I would probably love to immerse myself here...but I just don't.

So we're looking for a mentor who has done it. One that we can get right to the point with and pick their brains.

If you can find someone to do your research for you, I wish you well ....... however, a lot of us here are occupied with work, families, etc. (as I'm sure you three are also), so many of us wouldn't be able to do that for you. Maybe if you ask some specific questions on the forum, it would help you and others that may be asking themselves the same questions .... but the subject of doing AP in cold climates could, as you have indicated, be a huge subject to cover.