A little more on this ponics stuff

I guess by now your probably getting tired of this stuff but its all I've done lately.

I started this just to see how these systems worked. My goal is setting something up out in Terlingua when we move out there and the one thing I know is that heat will be a killer on the fish and the plants because of water temp so the only way a Aquaponic system would work out there is you need to have one big ass water tank to keep the water at a reasonable temp or I have been thinking that burying the system with the fish in it under ground with just the top above ground and covered and shaded so the ground can keep your temperature down and the grow beds above ground should work. I really don't know I need to get out there and do a little experimenting with different setups. Evaporation shouldn't be a problem, there are different grow pots that the top seals the whole pot except the stem of the plant so I could make a sealed system out of the grow bed with a piece of Plexiglas with the holes cut out for the pots to set in covering the whole grow bed so I wouldn't have a lot of evaporation.

I built another 18 gallon tote for my strawberry's and other plants. They were not growing in with the tomato's. The tomato's had them covered up and no sun was reaching them. This system is the cheapest to do. All you need is this 18 gallon tote from Walmart for $5.00, 11 Net Pots at around .50 cents apiece, and a air pump for around $10.00 with a air stone and your in business.
 You don't need to have 11 pots, you can put 2 big pots or how ever many you want it doesn't matter.

                                I just built this Hydroponic system and have it up and running.

It's a 18 gallon tote with a pump in it to pump water up to the 5 gallon buckets and then drain back down into the tote.

I did get my 330 gallon IBC's that I'm going to make a Aquaponic system with.  I still need one more but the guy could only haul two at a time. They look brand new and have had a mixture of 80% water and 20% salt in them. They were one time used IBC's. I have no idea what that mixture was used for.

 

I have them set up to catch rain water so I will have the water to get the Aquaponic system up and running. I will have one fish tank feeding 3 grow beds when its all over with.
 We received a inch and a half of rain last night. I caught 330 gallons off the first storm that came through and noticed that the rain water was almost muddy looking so I dumped that 330 gallons and caught about 300 gallons on the next rain system that came through and its a lot cleaner looking water than that first batch.
One thing I did find nice about hydroponics is when you are forecast to get large hail you and another person can carry your garden inside out of the hail and carry it back out after its over, instead of having it beat all to hell.

It won't be long now before I have my first batch of tomato's. I have blooms coming on every plant now. The tomato's in that dang 18 gallon tote has just went crazy.

                                                           6 days ago

 

 Yesterday

 I hear thunder outside so maybe I will get that IBC filled up now.