New MOBILE Rubbermaid stock tank system getting put together.

Good Morning everyone.

Almost done with the wood work. I should be able to grow out 45 fish and lots of herbs/veggies in a 4' x 7' space!

The structure is on wheels so I can take it with me when I move. It will double as a greenhouse as well.

I can move it to where the sun is best depending on the time of year!


This water pump cost me $22 a year to operate at Virginia prices. Not sure what it will cost down here in Alabama.

Aquaponics vast water volumes go great with greenhouses.

Main thread...
http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=28843

Will run on 25W pump/$22 a year in power for the pump.

Got the gravel in yesterday. The system will need to settle for a few days before adding a couple fish for cycling.

One bed has about 1/3 scoria/lava rock(depending where you are from) and the rest is hydroton that I saved from my old systems so it is already fertilized and inoculated.

The other bed is 2/3 lava rock and 1/3 river rock up top to reflect light/keep the system cooler down here and to bed easier on the hands when digging. Heavy gravel is also better for those taller plants that won't stand up in hydroton. Like corn, peppers, fruit trees, and tomatoes.

The hydroton bed is about 1" above the water line and the pebble bed is about 2". This serves to keep algae away, conserve water(uses about 10% compared to normal gardens), and keep the water temps more stable.

Lava rock has a surface area that makes bio char look weak.

Pic update. 1st pic taken on the 5th of Aug... the other one taken on the 14th of Sept....

I am starting a YouTube video series on the design, build, and maintenance of this system here... Feel free to subscribe for notifications of new vids.

Update:

I am almost done making the 4th video in my series now.

The system is doing GREAT! Fall Crop is starting to come in now.

Marty

Time For and Update:


Turns out that Aquaponics is definitely super good for making clones!!!


So far I have had a 100% Success rate for Cloning Summer Cuttings. Where you basically just cut off this year's new growth after it has had a chance to get stiff/tough... but the skin is still thin or even green still. Just leave about 2 leaf's on there and make the twig long enough to get a node or two below the water level in case it is a type of plant that can only root from a node.


Anyways, so far I have tried Fig, Mulberry, Goji Berry, and Meyer Lemon. 100% Success on every twig ever stuck into the gravel!!!


If I were to save JUST ONE bed for making clones... and I spaced the clones 2" apart in rows 4" apart... I could clone around 144 trees and shrubs in there every few months! How much money does that save per year in a tiny system like mine?


I ended up moving back to Virginia this Summer. So my system will soon be turned into a greenhouse. Sold the old fish for $100 which paid for the fish, fish food, and power for the year easily.


This time I got more expensive gold fish. Paid $3 for each of the fish from craigslist. The kids seem to be loving their new pets. These Comet Goldfish can on occasion get up to 18"... which I bet is more likely in an aquaponics system since they are being fed a ton more than usual... about 4 times a day! The red and white ones are Sarassa Comets. The Calico ones are Shibunkin Comets.

Here are some pics of the growth I currently have going on in the system right now. Mostly Swiss Chard and Kale.

Lots of other little things like Meyer Lemon tree cuttings, Parsley, and Strawberries here and there as well.

I just finished converting my open system over to a greenhouse. I still have to seal her up but she is chugging along well as she is... this time of year anyways.

I put in 4 Lemon Cuttings... and 4 survived. I will likely just pick the best positioned one and leave it in there permanently... and pot up/sell the other 3 for $5 - $10 each by the end of next Summer.

My yearly power usage is around $21 to $27 dollars. I figure that will pay for most/all of it. lol

Lookin' great8
I am glad you have shared this here as well as BYAP. This is a very nice system setup And it is portable!
Brian

Brian Rodgers wrote:Lookin' great8
I am glad you have shared this here as well as BYAP. This is a very nice system setup And it is portable!
Brian

Thanks Brian! I am enjoying it a lot.

In the end... I am SOOOOOOO glad I made it portable! Since I had to move across country about 11mos after building it and all. lol

I learned that lesson on my first system. It was a major pain to tear down and move... mostly falling apart during the move. This one is tough.

There are literally only two things I would change

1. Is making it about 4" wider so I could keep the beds strait when turning it into a greenhouse. However, if I had done that... it would not have fit through the fence gate to get it into the back yard where it currently sits. No big gates for this yard.

2. Is using solid cast metal wheels. I am keeping it on bricks(with wood wedges to level it). However, the solid concrete deck I had it on originally was pretty darn level. The rubber membrane on the wheels settled out into flat spots after some time. Making it hard to move around. On another side note... the wheels I used work just fine. I just only use them during transport now.