Reef-Farm operations

raaden · #1 03/07/2007, 10:39 PM

This thread, like the previous one (Reef-Farm Business Plan ) will hopefully be a great resource for how to setup and operate a reef-farm. I have finally put to rest the planning phase, and have started to receive equipment for setup so it seemed like the right place to get this going. If there is one thing I will say about writing a business plan it is that the plan itself is only half the journey. The other half of it is the incredible amount things that you never could have planned for. Things like: what permits and zoning issues should I look out for; where am I going to get all of the equipment, chasing down all of the forms you need to fill out and making sure they get to the right places; and lining up all of the suppliers and making sure things don't get lost or delayed in the shuffle. After the last few months I think I liked writing the business plan more

As things move forward I will try to get most of what I am doing into this thread, or on a web site I setup to try and document what I am doing and how it is being done. Just like the last thread I am hoping for lots of input and ideas from you along the way. By default I am going to try to stick to the plan as much as possible but, one of the things I am looking forward to is to see how things evolve when they are actually being done. If things change from plan to real life, I hope that it will help anyone else who is working on something like this.

To give you an idea where I am starting from, I spent about 2.5 years planning and putting the pieces together for a business plan to operate a reef-farm. Most of the last year can be found in the thread listed above. It was not the best part (I hope) of the whole thing but it was well worth it. I have a solid plan for what I want to do, how I want to do it, and what I expect to get as returns. I basically finished the plan late fall and spent most of the winter trying to get contacts, suppliers, equipment, and all of the legal issues taken care of. It went even better than I thought it would. I have just about everything on its way, the business is setup, and I was able to get all of the rigamarole with the state taken care of (agricultural status... done).

I have the GH site (except for the base rock) prepped, but I still need to get utilities out there. I started getting in the some equipment and supplies

, and have most of the rest of what I need to actually operate ready when I need it. I am definitely looking forward to actually getting things setup, though not so much all of the work involved in doing it all. It will definitely beat all of the running around and paper filing I have done the last few months.

BallaBooyeaH · #2 03/08/2007, 06:13 AM

Raaden,

Great to see that this is now becoming a reality. you have planned so well I am sure this will be a success. i will be following closley as I plan by the end of the year to have a similiar setup in Ireland.

All the best and keep the posts comming. Any idea which Vat's you are going with? Are they similiar to Steve's?

Andrew

raaden · #3 03/08/2007, 09:05 AM

Andrew,

Thanx for the kind words, I am also looking forward to seeing how your setup works out. It is great to see this sort of operation spreading to other parts of the world. This is a pretty exciting time to be starting a project like this.

As far as the vats go they will be more like the ones that Redox has , than Stevens. They will be custom made fiberglass tanks, reinforced on the bottom, and raised up a bit on wooden stands. I looked at the tanks from Aquatic Ecosystems, but when you look at the vat cost and shipping, they were pretty expensive and didn't seem to be as strong in the long run as what I decided to get. Plus I could have them sized to exactly what I want, and they guy making them is just over 2 hours away so I can go and pick them up myself. If they turn out like Redox's then I will be more than happy with them.

BallaBooyeaH · #4 03/08/2007, 09:25 AM

For the Vat's, I tried to do a cheap option for my Live rock holding tanks and got burnt. I purchased a steel Vat which was 10X5X3 foot and drilled holes in it for the pumps.
I lined it with Pond liner as it had chemicals in the tank B4 hand and where the tank connectors were needed I cut the liner and siliconed them all up.
Here is a picture of the finished product.

I went back yesterday which was 5 days later to find the water had made it's way into the liner and filled the tub. Better finding out now than later.
Anyway, It has put me back a week or two but I have now found these plastic vats that I am ordering for the job.
http://www.altaqua.co.uk/tanks.htm I will get the large round one. Expensive but what can i do. I was thinking of getting the steel vat lined with a powder coating plastic but at the end of the day it would cost just as much as the plastic vat.
I will be looking at the same place for the vats for the coral farm as well as they look like the business.
Unfortunately all the stuff I need has to be shipped from the UK so it just drives up the costs for me. What can I do ???

Well I'll let you know how it gets on - I bet you can't wait to start drilling holes in the ground to get the PT up?

Andrew

raaden · #5 03/08/2007, 10:01 AM

Andrew,

Definitely better to find out now. Losing tons of LR would have been disasterous. Those tanks definitely seem like a pretty good deal.

Is your PT setup already... if so that was really fast.

You got that right about getting itchy to start. I already reserved the Post Hole Digger for the weekend of the 17th and hope to not have to cancel it.

apex003 · #6 03/08/2007, 10:09 AM

Raaden,
Awesome project you've got going. Haven't made it through the whole first thread, but it's great to read about someone going through with their business aspirations. I'm in Chapel Hill and would love to come out and see your operation some time. Good luck and I'll be following the thread to see how the local coral farm is evolving...

BallaBooyeaH · #7 03/08/2007, 11:31 AM

Raaden,

PT is stage 2 of the business. Once I can guage the market in ireland as the only distributor I can see if the PT would be a good business model. I can also supply the UK and European markets - Thinking big now.
Once the Rock is running, I will be importing corals and distributing them. If all goes well then the Farm will be setup and that will eliminate the need for importing.

Andrew

wildcats · #8 03/12/2007, 06:15 PM

Have you tried a product similar to www.sanitred.com, its essentially a inert polymer that is water tight and inert. Hopefully, once you know what it is you could find it locally. You might try a place that seals leaks in concrete or such. Anyway, worth a look.

H20ENG · #9 03/12/2007, 07:14 PM

Raaden,
Congrats! I know you have worked your tail off getting this far. Much Kudos to you for sharing it with everyone along the way. Let me know if I can help in any way.
Back to lurking....
Chris

Philip Root · #10 03/12/2007, 08:17 PM

Good luck..... If there is anything I can help you with let me know.....

BallaBooyeaH · #11 03/13/2007, 03:46 AM

Raaden,

Well ditched the pond liner that had holes in it and replaced it with another one that is new. I am going to get Tunze pumps and submerse them for the flow. I got 4 X 6080's and looking at getting 2 X 6200. Expensive to do but not realy when you count the energy savings and the chance of loosing all that rock.
My big problem now is to find a submersible pump to feed the skimmer. I had a sequence for this job but guess i'll be looking at a big Ehiem or something similiar.

10 days till the rock arrives and I only have 1000l of NSW. Need to get more large IBC containers and get hauling.
I did tests on the NSW the other day. Got perfect readings for all Pramaters. Only thing was salinity was 1.032 - do will be adding the RO to dillute it down.

So has more stuff arrived for the PT? I was drive in the country side in Ireland heading home from work and saw 5 huge PT. They looks derilict. I was thinking of seeing if they were intrested in me taking one for a song - but then with the installing and the rest I am thinking of getting a new one. What footprint does your one have you are getting. I am thinking the longer the better, but then you have to heat it up so not sure if you would be better off with two. I am looking at leasing 1 acre of land - but hey - I can take 2, The land over here is cheap to lease. Farmers are giving up farming and it is not a lucrutive as it used to be. The shed I am in at the moment for the LR is owned by a farmer and he is letting me use it for nothing. He has 50 acres and I plan on using one or two for the PT. It will be close to the shed where the LR will be so it will handy to have stock of rock for placing frags on.

Andrew

raaden · #12 03/13/2007, 07:33 AM

Glad to see everyone jumping into the new boat. Apex, Not sure I will have alot of visitors in the very beginning, as the rule is if you show up I WILL put you to work, but once things are running I will look into having some people or groups over.

H20Eng, Just so you know I haven't forgotten about our talks on the controllers, I am sure I will be looking you up for some info once things get setup and I have a bit of time to spend working out how I want to automate things. And Philip, always love seeing all the progress you have going on at The Garden.

The only other things I have received so far are the motors for the shutters and evap. cooler covers. I am hoping to hear some status for the rest of the parts today and according to the schedule it should all be shipping this week. It doesn't look like I will get it this week though so I'm probably going to try to get started next week.

As far as best shapes for the structure itself, that depends on what your biggest concern is. If structural concerns were not an issue a square house would provide the best climate control. Usability concerns would probably be specific to the actual layout being used and I would think you could design a layout that could make just about any footprint work. For my setup my biggest concern was exposure to the elements, and my largest costs will be heating the GH in the winter so I tried to find the squarest house I could to minimize this cost. I am not sure how much of a difference it will make but I with this setup I did shave about 20% off the surface area compared to the other layouts I looked at so it should make some difference.

As far as used GH's go... I would definitely suggest checking them out. I wish I would have looked a bit harder, as I have heard recently that you really can pick up houses for a song if you walk into the right circumstance and can handle all of the logistics involved. The biggest issue will probably be taking it apart and putting it back together. From what I hear they are not really meant to do such a thing but if you are careful it is doable. The posts will more than likely be achored with concrete (a pain to get up) but you can also get new anchors for not a whole lot if you need to.

raaden · #13 03/14/2007, 09:36 PM

It looks like things are a go for this weekend. I got my shipping confirmation for the rest of the structure and equipment and am expecting it on Friday. I also called to make sure I was still reserved for the post-hole digger and that is all set.

Unfortunately I forgot to get the site marked by the electric company GRRrrr. I don't know if 2 days is enough notice but I am going to call them tomorrow morning to see if they can mark the site. I know there is a line that runs near the site, but I am not sure how close. I definitely need this to be done before I can start on the holes.

Also for all of those who offered help next weekend and the one after that would both be great times if you can make it and want to get in on the construction part of it, if so let me know so I can have enough Adult Liquid Refreshment on hand. I have a couple other people that will be there for both so there is no pressure, but you are welcome to come lend a hand. If you can't make those I will also need some help in another few weeks after that with the piping and running electrical so there will be plenty of opportunities.

If I do get to start working on the site this weekend I am sure that I will have lots of updates next week on all that is happening. I am also going to try to layout the plan that I am working on as I get through each part. I spent the last week trying to put things in an order that I think will help get them done best. Too many things lately have slipped through the cracks and that is a sign that you need to lay out a plan. That will be the next thing I put up here

hamburglar · #14 03/15/2007, 11:36 AM

This is going to be a cool thread. I can already tell. How many of those vats were you estimating you would use at first?

I'll aready be in Raleigh for Hockey on the 24th. Also no plans yet for the following weekend. Hockey again in Raleigh the next weekend. Looks like I should be able to help out without many problems.

pleaselaunchme · #15 03/15/2007, 05:59 PM

I've got a stupid question, but it is one I cannot find an answer to for the life of me. What does PT stand for?

BTW, Raaden, I've enjoyed following your threads, and am looking forward to seeing this all come together for you.

Ben

BallaBooyeaH · #16 03/15/2007, 06:18 PM

I can answer that one - Polly Tunnel - It is the green house that is used to get the sunlight in to grow the corals rather than using electronic lights.

Raaden - Must be hanging out for that delivery...

Good Luck

raaden · #17 03/15/2007, 08:20 PM

PT = Polytunnel (it is what those across the pond call a Greenhouse)

Well it is definitely on the way. I should have it tomorrow according to the freight company. It sounds really strange, but I am looking forward to getting all of the work started and even anxious to put in the work as well. After spending so long planning it is nice to actually see some results.

Ham,

If you are going to be in the area I can definitely put you to work

. In fact the 24th would be awesome if you can make it. The other weekend I can really use help is when I put the covering up. I am not sure when that will be yet, I would like to get the vats in and setup (BTW I hope to start with 12) first and also want to get atleast the gas and electricity as well. I might be able to get all that done by the next game but I am not sure how fast the utility companies will be.

pleaselaunchme · #18 03/16/2007, 02:20 PM

Guys-
Figured it had something to do with the greenhouse structure, not sure how I didn't figure that one out.

Thanks,
Ben

jefathome · #19 03/16/2007, 02:48 PM

I've wondered about using natural light for coral gorwth.
Down here in SoCal, we have some BRIGHT sun.. and up in the high desert there is full sun almost every day.

The question I've always had was if it would cost more to run chillers to keep the temps down than you would save in the lighting costs.

Maybe if you ran a huge geo-thermal chiller, that would work.
Summer temps can get up to 105.

raaden · #20 03/16/2007, 03:11 PM

jefathome,

That is the 64k question... or in my case, does it cost more to heat the GH in the winter. In my case it looks like a slightly above break-even for the winter and then the profits will come in the other seasons.

A geothermal while quite expensive to install is definitely something I am considering to lower costs if I decide to expand the facility in the future.

raaden · #21 03/16/2007, 11:03 PM

I have one thing to say for today... Determination. In the middle of a nasty storm (atleast it wasn't heavy snow

) I got the delivery of the greenhouse structure.
And many thanks to the ABF Delivery guy, he was awesome. I didn't even want to be out in this stuff but he was out there with me hauling the 16' pipe spans off the truck and into the barn. Thank goodness it is going to be nicer tomorrow for boring all the holes and mounting the anchors.

I now have almost all of the deliveries except for some fans, the cooler, and all of the shudders. It is nice seeing it in the barn but it will be even nicer seeing it all setup outside.

My Buddy the ABF Guy

Boxes of brackets and whatnot

and can I tell you how many,

Many,

bundles of metal pipes

Making sure he gets up the hill alright.

It mostly cleared up by the time we were done but it was still slippery getting the truck up the hill.

The Weekend: Mark off and dig 26 Holes, and once that is done start laying the anchors.

Invisible Reef · #22 03/19/2007, 01:20 AM

Thanks for the business plan. It looks solid. If I add anything worthwhile I will send it back.

raaden · #23 03/20/2007, 11:41 AM

Invisible Reef, that would be great, even if you don't have anything to add I would love to hear what you think about it.

redox · #24 03/21/2007, 06:39 AM

any luck with my fiberglass guy? sorry to hear about your fuel pump , that must have been what was causing your troubles the other day

. well at least it went out at home

looks like you got a really good start here. good luck with the rest.

raaden · #25 03/21/2007, 07:17 AM

Redox,

I talked to him about a week and a half ago and he seemed like he wanted to do it but haven't heard from him since, He is on my list of people to call this afternoon.

I am pretty sure that was it when I was down... I was really hoping it was bad gas, and $700 later I could have paid for a whole lot of bad gas

. I am glad it happened here, and it is fixed and working so it hasn't put me too far behind. I should be back to where I want to be by the end of next week.