Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I hope this is appropriate to post here since it will be local S. Calif pickup only. I have a 115 gal reservoir and grow tray. The grow tray is only about 8" deep. The reservoir is 13" deep and would be a perfect GB. It was just two big for the space I had.
I will sell these a lot cheaper then this craigslist add.
Check this link http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/grd/3139090888.html

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My IPC build.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5s5WZHNRnc

How much?

$100.00 for both the tray and reservoir. North Tustin pick up.

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My IPC build.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5s5WZHNRnc

New member here - I'm in the process of setting up several simple systems using an established 6000 gallon koi pond as my aquaponics source. The first will be 80 feet of pipe mounted on a block wall behind the pond growing various salad ingredients, the other will be 4 10' vertical pipes for strawberries.

I'm really interested in the IBC idea though, and next year will be setting up one of those so I can grow fish for the plate as well.

For those interested in locating food grade IBC's in the San Diego area - I've been getting my plastic barrels at a very reasonable price from this source, and they have IBC's as well:

https://sites.google.com/site/drumsandtotes/totes

Welcome Bajatraveler! That is where I got mine.

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What answers I can question for you?
My Patio System

Hi all, can someone help with a few questions. Is water temperature an issue for out door systems in orange county? Does the water get low enough to kill tilapia? If it does what does everyone do? Start fresh after every winter?

Not trying to be an expert but I have been reading up on tilapia and saw that the different strains have better tolerances to cold. I have Mozanbique which I think will be OK but I wish I got the Hawaiian Golden since they do better with colder weather.

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My IPC build.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5s5WZHNRnc

yeah I'm acutally thinking about the golden myself; probably from these guys. So do you think they will do ok during the winter? It can gets in the mid 30s where I am.

http://goldentilapia.com/shippingreturns.html

30s? Ugh. You might have to heat maybe a pond heater.
The Golden are good down to 50. Where do you live?

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My IPC build.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5s5WZHNRnc

Orange County and that’s air temp; we get frost on some nights. I'm not sure what the water will be but it’s above ground so I dont think its going to be too much warmer. We used to have an inground pond and I know that in the winter its bone numbing cold. If heating is needed I’m probably going to hold off until next season. Heating the system in the winter would probably run $200+ a month using an electric heater.

It sounds like tilapia might not be the best option for you, at least not year round. Perhaps trout in the winter?

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What answers I can question for you?
My Patio System

I've thought about trout as well but will they grow fast enough before the water gets to warm? What I’m leaning toward is to keep what I catch at the local lakes in the system during the colder months and raise talipia during warmer months.

A little insulation around your tank will go along way to keeping the water temp warmer than the surrounding air.
You could build a IBC frame out of pressure treated 2x4's and use glass house insulation in it. Finish off with an outer skin of paneling to make it attractive - hell I'll bet it will be confused for a hot tub by the neighbors!
Same deal will keep the water cool during those santa ana weeks we've got coming...

I would use spray foam to insolate the side and cap it off with a Styrofoam lid. To make it look nice I would sand it down even and paint it with plastidip or sometype of laytex paint. But with the grow bed still exposed do you think it would keep water temperature 15degrees above ambiant? Guess I’ll have to give it a shot this year and find out…

There are some fish that can handle the temp variations you deal with. The only question is if they are legal to grow here. I know there are restrictions on channel catfish, but I think there are other fish that might work. I would check out TClynx's threads. I think she deals with similar temp variations, and is not growing tilapia for that reason. She grows bluegill, along with channel cats.

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What answers I can question for you?
My Patio System