2nd Greenhouse prop system

[Narkon]

Looking really nice.

[mathwick]

Any Updates?

[mathwick]

cmon

[Treeman]

Not much to tell I am filling the system with stock and designing the next two systems. I will try and get some pics together.

[Nemo's Dada]

Awesome setup Matt!!

How and where do you get your initial stock? How quickly will the zoos grow to a point where they can be marketed?

The aquaculture business is really interesting. It's amazing that people are developing farms and creating a "...self sustaining hobby" as you so well put.

Bill

[coralfarm'n]

treeman

I was wondering if you had any problems with bugs and lizards and stuff getting in your system yet?

I had a small system outside last year that seem'd to attract everthing from stink bugs to water moccasin's...the moccasin scare'd the "@#%*" out of me when I almost stepped on it..it did not get in the water like the stink bugs but I quess it was attracted to the water splashing in the sump and trying to find a way in

I want to use motorized side curtains on my commercial greenhouse frame & automate them with theromstats but after the experiance with all the bugs and stuff being attracted to the water sound "I quess",I am planning to just go with a sealed ground to ground quonset style,also was worried that 6ft side walls would increase the heating bill alot as well.

I am starting the commercial greenhouse frame construction today
and its still not to late to use side walls in lue of the ground to ground method.I know that the cooling is alot easyier like this but
is it harder to keep yours heated with all the added air space inside?

[Treeman]

Here is a quick update. I have the next 3 sumps blocked up. Now I have to backfill, stucco, seal and pour a concrete floor.

[4Texans]

So what did you end up doing for heat exchange? How is it working?

[Treeman]

I have bought a small titanium exchanger that I put on the one system. It helps but is not enough because of the ground temp being so high (around 80). I will probably also install a swamp cooler on the freshwater loop of the exchanger along with the UG loop.

[ctenophore]

How much airflow do you have inside your greenhouse? You might get better heat loss via increased evaporation. Even though our air in FL has a high relative humidity most of the time, you should get decent heat loss if you increase the airflow to a point that the humidity and air temp approach outdoor ambient values. In other words, turn your tanks themselves into swamp coolers.

I've been working through the physics of this for my application, if you need a hand with the math, let me know. I've got all the equations worked out except it's all theoretical until we build the actual facility

Justin

[Treeman]

Originally posted by ctenophore
How much airflow do you have inside your greenhouse? You might get better heat loss via increased evaporation. Even though our air in FL has a high relative humidity most of the time, you should get decent heat loss if you increase the airflow to a point that the humidity and air temp approach outdoor ambient values. In other words, turn your tanks themselves into swamp coolers.

I've been working through the physics of this for my application, if you need a hand with the math, let me know. I've got all the equations worked out except it's all theoretical until we build the actual facility

Justin

The entire sides of my GH roll up (65' x 5' times two sides). As the wind blows thru the house it causes some evaporation. I have also put a box fan on the sump that blows across the water when the water temp gets abouve 81. That and the open GH and the geothermal has kept my temps at 83-84 degrees so far. But I am going to do a swamp cooler type of thing with the saltwater. I am going to try and run water thru bioballs with a fan forcing air up thru it. I have heard some people call this a water bong(not the type I remember )

[ctenophore]

The bioball tower sounds like a neat idea. Basically a big, tall wet-dry with a lot more airflow than usual? One thing to consider is that the pump used to drive it doesn't negate your heat loss or energy savings. You could probably gravity feed it, going from tank level to sump level.

We were originally planning on using a natural-ventilation style GH, but after talking to a few of the UF aquaculture engineers, they suggested that we seal it up and use large fans to push a consistent volume of air through the structure to ensure maximum heat loss via evap. cooling. This way we can control temperature by varying the fan speed rather than relying on the weather to produce a breeze.

83-84 is pretty safe, but I would be worried if a really hot, stagnant day or two caused the temp to bump up to the 86F range. I've found that I get some bleaching in sps at 86. Did you have anything like that happen during last hurricane season?

[Treeman]

I did not have any stock in this GH during the last years hurricanes. My other GH did not have a problem. I try and keep the temp around 80 so as far as I am concerned I am to high. That way you have some lee way.

I did not use the sealed up fan idea because I thought it would not be cost effective. But I know some that are using it with great success.

[acropora1981]

updates?

[Treeman]

Sorry about no updates lately. I have been swamped with trying to get the new sps system waterproofed and going.

But that was before Wilma. We got the eyewall for about 2 hours.








I have already been talking to BWI (who sold the GH to me) about rebuilding. The GH is an Atlas brand. It was rated at 110 mph sustained windload. I am not sure I got that. But we will see what they do.

[RicksReefs]

damn Matt, i hate seeing those kinds of pix. let me know if you
need a hand rebuilding or if you need some tank space to hold
some things. i came thru Ok and have about 50 square feet of
space available to hold things for you if needed.

you have my number.

[ALTI]

those pics are really depressing. sorry for your loss.

[Gerde]

WOW. What a horrible blow from nature. Thanks for the updates regarding your project, especially these incredible photos. Please don't take this the wrong way, but these images actually are an encouragement to those of us in the midwest that are interested in starting a project like this. Sure we may have to deal with heating these houses in the winter, but we will never have to deal with something as horrible as this (or earthquakes). Good luck on your rebuilding, we are pulling for you.

[FragGuy]

Matt,

Very sorry to see those images. Let me know if there is anything that you need from me.

I am up and running.

Rafael

[Treeman]

Rafael,

Thanks, I think I have it covered for now. Trying to get a new GH ordered and the old one torn down.

Give me a call when you get a chance. We were talking about having a meeting soon.

[SRVDVM]

Matt,
I just found this thread and about cried at the end.
So sorry......hope you have good insurance. Let us know how the rebuild goes

[jnarowe]

those pics just about make you want to puke. I hope you pull through this. Do you have any aid coming?--J

[RRodrigues]

Good luck with new GH project!

Ricardo

[Treeman]

Thanks everybody.

The insurance was here and said they would take care of it up to the limits. I don't know if it is enough to rebuild but I will at least get it going. I plan on ordering the new Gh by the end of the week. Waiting on prices now.

I will try and keep this thread more up to date than the last one. Last time I built most of it my self with some help. This time I am going to pay somebody so that I can work on more tanks while they do the GH.

[melev]

Matt, that is horrible. Amy told me someone's Green House was demolished, and I figured it was yours. Was all your livestock lost, and if yes is that because it is exposed to the elements or because power was/is out?