Wonderful. I am absolutely in love with your system.

TJD yes I still use the air blower but not on the sps vat. my vats are built by a local baot builder and the dimensions are 7'x3'x16". the green house is free standing and is wood framed[IMG][IMG]http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/ghgrown/day1.jpg[/IMG][/IMG]

some pics of the roof[IMG][IMG]http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/ghgrown/chillerwest.jpg[/IMG][/IMG]

roof[IMG][IMG]http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/ghgrown/chillertop.jpg[/IMG][/IMG]

you can see the continous pipe for the air blower[IMG][IMG]http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/ghgrown/chillergh.jpg[/IMG][/IMG]

outside looking in[IMG][IMG]http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/ghgrown/outsidein.jpg[/IMG][/IMG]

topside looking north[IMG][IMG]http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/ghgrown/chillernrth.jpg[/IMG][/IMG]

topside looking south[IMG][IMG]http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/ghgrown/chillersouth.jpg[/IMG][/IMG]

Redox,

Can you give a better explanation of how you are cooling the GH. I was looking at a geo loop but as you have mentioned it did not work. What is the best method in your experience?

Hi Ballabooyeah,

You didn't ask me, but I will give you my .02. I cool my GH with the open sides like you mentioned that the other GH uses. The sides roll up with a temp sensor. I have a double layer of plastic on the ends and roof. The growers here in south Florida, say that it helps for hot or cold. I have louvers that open on the ends with a thermostat, that lets heat out passivlly. I use 2 hp heat pumps on all my systems to keep the water temp where I want it. I also use fans on the sumps themselves to save some electric costs during the summer. The fans can only do so much with the humidity like it is here.

I tried the geothermal. It did not work for me. My grd temps during the summer were about 80, so that does nothing. From what I found you either have to have at least 10 degrees difference in ground temps or have so much under ground compared to what you have in tanks, it is not worth it. If I have to have 2-1 or 3-1 in the ground, I don't need it.

I just bit the bullet and pay the electric compnay :)

Matt

Hi Matt,

Thanks for the feedback.

I am looking to write a full business plan and want to take experience from the people in the USA that are running these systems to learn from.
I am heading away from the idea of heating the whole room and just heating / cooling the water.
Also I have follow your threads for a while. What is you view on a first fitout - Go large or start small. If building a PT then I feel the larger the better.

Also are you using any suplimental lighting? Are you using makeup saltwater or natural saltwater - i am planning natural.

Thanks

Andrew

I tried the geo cooling as well , it didnt work all that well for me either. I finnaly gave in to a chiller. A 3ton chiller keeps my water at 79 even in the hottest part of the day. I also have exaust fans that come on when the inside temps go over 79. I think a chiller is really the only way to qarantee cool water. Like Raaden says evap chillers only work when outside humidity is less than 80% and in the summer its never less than that;)

looks great man. Keep up the good work. Do you have frags for sale? Looking for nice sps, blastos or ricordia's.

Later man.

Dean you know how I hate to part with anything:D . I do have some frags but they havent totally encrusted the base quite yet. lots of blues and purples.

when can I come by? any blastos? what are the blues and purples? are theu encrusted at all?

no lps for sale. the acros are all pretty much stags and I am not really selling them because I finnaly found some acros that are fast growers . I am trying to grow whole colonies then I will sell fresh cut frags of those only. I was thinking about trying some ricordias though

so nothing available for sale then I guess.

never do a late night water change. I went out to the gh this morning to the terrible sound of pumps sucking air:eek: . I forgot to change out a fiter sock and it caused a backflow of water.right onto the floor. 2" of water in a 220 gallon sump:eek: . that is why I always take the time to make 130 gallons of makeup water right after a water change. the sump is still a little low now as I must wait till around noon to put some more water in. nothing like a 260gal water change to brighten everyones day. And Dean nothing is for sale;)

acros are doing great[IMG][IMG]http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/ghgrown/ghgrowunknown.jpg[/IMG][/IMG]

unfortunatly it takes about 15 wild colonies to end up with 3 or 4 that survive and trive. Why is that? I have better survivability with wild colonies that have live rock attached? this colony is a maricultured piece that has done well[IMG][IMG]http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/ghgrown/ghgrow1.jpg[/IMG][/IMG]

just where is OBX if you dont mind me asking?

OBX = Outer Banks (North Carolina Coast);)

oh, ok, thanks!

Hey Treeman and Redox.

Well I have a new option for starting my PT as a pliot run.
Where I am setup at the moment for my wholesale business there is a spare shed that has a corrigated iorn roof. As it is not being used I was thinking of taking the roof off and placing clear pannels to setup a greenhouse.

First thoughts of thinking is should I trace down clear pannels to put on the roof or just go with plastic and strech it over the beams?

Redox - Are you happy with the roofing that you have or do you think it is stunting growth.

I will get some pics and ask for some feedback of what you will suggest for the roofing.

Andrew

now that I maintain a constant temp growth has gone crazy. I like the security of the poly-carb panels . Every one says they dont have the proper spectrum? All lps and leathers are doing just fine under natural sun only (no suplimental light at all).The sps are under supplimental lighting in the form of one 400w 15k on a light mover.on at 9am off at 12pm on again at5pm off at 8pm so the sps do have supplimental lighting and this might be the offset of the poly panels. I have not tryed it without the suplimental light so I dont know for sure if the panels are not letting the right light in or not. (for acros ) I already know that zoos,star polyps,lps , rock culture, do well under the panels with no suplimental light