Converting inground pool for aquaponics * Ideas?

Hi everyone. Zone 7b newbie here. I've got some ideas I love but I'm afraid they're crazy...

Below pic is what my 20'x40' gunnite pool looks like. It's an algae/frog/snake/turtle farm and serves as a small animal trap, too.

I need your advice/opinions, please, and it's ok to tell me I'm nuts:

I'd like to roof the pool with greenhouse panels and set up hydroponics. What do y'all think about using the deep end (approx 18'x18'x3' deep) for fish with a partial platform over it for the plant system? I'm concerned about lighting for the fish though I could certainly affix timed solar lights to the underside of the platform.

I could raise a good crop of catfish if the conditions are right.

And what would be a good use for the rest of the pool area (which slopes to the drop-off at the deep end) - a "regular" greenhouse and...? Cuz I don't need all that square footage for growing things - or do I?

One alternative to putting the fish in the deep end is to put the hydroponic system with tanks in the shallow end and build a root cellar in the deep end...? (The bottom is approximately 8 ft below grade). Don't need a storm shelter as we have a basement.

Y'all, I'm open to any and all ideas. I found a decent video on utube about building the conversion. But I'll take any advice you have on that, too!

TIA for your help.

This is an amazing idea!

In this post someone is growing duckweed and azolla:

https://permies.com/t/12790/swimming-pool#352659



Here is a similar thread with this video:

https://permies.com/t/31317/Swiming-Pools



This idea is from the same thread:

Great! Thank you, Anne. I love watching cat videos but I'd rather spend my TV time learning.

Maggie Ross wrote: I love watching cat videos but I'd rather spend my TV time learning.

What do you mean by cat videos?

Just videos people post on FB & utube of domestic cats & kittens being silly. I have 3 (indoor) rescued kitties & would have more if husband would let me... Crazy cat lady, check. 😁

Another idea I've seen, is to keep the water level high and put floating gardens in. Generally, they use things like milk crates to hold soil, and the pool acts like a giant wicking bed. The floating plant pads shade the bottom of the pool to keep it cool enough for fish.

How essential is a greenhouse in your climate? 7b seems pretty warm enough for most plants. Do you require season extension? If your only concern is small animals falling in, I would make them a few floating docks to climb out.

I would research what the natural temperature is in the soil at the bottom of the pool before considering the cold cellar option. If you can make the 'roof' over the pool strong enough to pile serious dirt on top, that would help a lot. Growing plants in that dirt will help to keep it cooler by adding shade and evapotranspiration.

Yes, there are tons of better videos that will give you cool ideas of real things you can build and do - cat videos are just for the occasional humour break!

Floating garden.  Here are the tomato floats I do on the reservior.

All that algae water would be great used to water existing garden.

C. Letellier wrote:Floating garden.  Here are the tomato floats I do on the reservior.

Thank you for the pics. I love the way you made them. My husband plans to do that on our lake - I'll share this with him.
The pool is in our backyard and all that space seems wasted since we can't swim in it anymore. We don't want to use it water-filled because even using dunks it's a huge breeding ground for mosquitoes.  To the point that we can't comfortably use the yard.
The lake, however, is another matter.  We're putting in catalpa trees this fall along with their companions (as best we can figure out!) and cattails in the shallow end. Swim dock & walkway will go in the deep end next summer but we should be able to get several floating beds made over the winter, ready for spring. We're also restocking grass carp and putting in a fish cleaning station which will share its solar with a smalish fountain for aeration - mostly for beauty, though, as the fish are doing just fine. Crappie or bluegill, anyone?? 😁😁

Jay Angler wrote:Another idea I've seen, is to keep the water level high and put floating gardens in. Generally, they use things like milk crates to hold soil, and the pool acts like a giant wicking bed. The floating plant pads shade the bottom of the pool to keep it cool enough for fish.

How essential is a greenhouse in your climate? 7b seems pretty warm enough for most plants. Do you require season extension? If your only concern is small animals falling in, I would make them a few floating docks to climb out.

I would research what the natural temperature is in the soil at the bottom of the pool before considering the cold cellar option. If you can make the 'roof' over the pool strong enough to pile serious dirt on top, that would help a lot. Growing plants in that dirt will help to keep it cooler by adding shade and evapotranspiration.

Yes, there are tons of better videos that will give you cool ideas of real things you can build and do - cat videos are just for the occasional humour break!

Jay, thanks for your suggestions! In my previous reply above, I talk about why we don't want to use the pool water-filled (in summation: mosquitoes!).

We would need shelter for the hydroponics due to severe ice storms. They're increasing in frequency - 3 last year, 2 in the winter of '22-'23.  Plus we hover around freezing most of the winter. We would move the seed starting setup out of the parlor into a greenhouse, too. I'd also love to have the winter shelter for some dwarf citrus trees, and a place to grow a couple of tropicals like coffee & cocoa...hmmmm...

I just realized that even if the soil temperature at the bottom of the deep end is good for root cellaring, I would indeed have to insulate the rest of the structure, especially if it shares the warm space under the greenhouse roof. I could separate it from the greenhouse area but soil on top...hmm...got some thinking to do. Thanks for pointing that out!

Anne Miller wrote:All that algae water would be great used to water existing garden.

Anne - (slaps self in forehead) - I didn't think of that. I'm not sure how to go about it, though, since we're planning to drain it all in one go. Must see if I can come up with a way to save it somewhere.  That's a LOT of water to "waste"...
Thanks!

Maggie Ross wrote: I'm not sure how to go about it, though, since we're planning to drain it all in one go. Must see if I can come up with a way to save it somewhere.  That's a LOT of water to "waste"...
Thanks!

Maybe have a lot of soaker hoses going to various trees and garden beds.  This might be a slower approach than what you had in mind though it seems a shame to waste all that water.

Maybe have a lot of soaker hoses going to various trees and garden beds.  This might be a slower approach than what you had in mind though it seems a shame to waste all that water.



I like the idea. I'm not sure there will be enough pressure to reach the beds without using the pump on a continuous basis. The plantings are several hundred feet away but I'm sure it can be done. Thank you, Anne!