Update first Shipping Container Delivered

 More yard Shipping container office

 

 

 

We used  16 ft cattle panels and a treated pinewood frame for  our Aquaponic Greenhouse.  The sand is from our ground.

I used feed mixing trays for my smaller beds and cut a IBC tote in half  using the top for the fish tank and the bottom for my large bed.  We used 3/4 pvc pipe couplings and various pvc parts  to create the bell syphons for each bed, they work wonderfully creating a vaccuum on the bed and draining the beds then they refill.

I have 20 Koi & Gold Fish, as you can see the system is up and working fabulous!

I check the waters PH daily and adjust with natural up and natural down that is easier on the fishes gills than the up and down used in hydroponics.  I found an incredible aquaponic store by the Bush International Airport that has everything you need including clay pebbles. Texas Growers Supply.

I used washed river pebbles also and lava rock (only in the big bed for cost efficiency)

I have string and boards tied on each side of the big bed to keep the sides from laying down from the weight of the rock & water.  The 4 small trays all have water running into them with bell syphons in each to empty the trays back into the fish tank.  The large bed has its own syphon and drains straight back into the tank.

I use the large bed to add 5 gallons of water at a time back into my tank when it gets low from evaporation.  I put fish conditioner as specified by manufacturer stir it in and pour over warm rocks which helps keep the fish from temperature shock.

Also the tank is barried a foot into the sand which also keeps it cooler or warmer depending on the time of year.  All plants and fish survived a 29 degree night

The pump is solar powered with a battery back up and I have installed 2 solar lights so I can check on the fish after dark, each on their own solar panels.  my pump is a 500 GPH marine sump pump that cost $30 make sure if you buy from west Marine you pay the extra 4 bucks for free replacement pump no questions asked!!

Tomatos Beans

 

 

 koi

 

 

Its been 4 months since my last post. A lot has happened, weve moved onto the land and have been very busy with our first shipping container installation for office and storage, our aquaponic system and expansion off our yard.

We moved onto our land Dec 24 which was the best Christmas gift to each other, we had been working 9 long months getting the road cut and cleared and established the water brought to the property and electricity brought across the road and meter & pole dropped onto the property. Thats a whole story in itself.
On January 7th we had the first container delivered.
Things I learned.
1.Make sure your culvert can withstand the weight of a semi truck & trailer. The truck driver can care less how many weekends you spent packing the dirt and rock he will wallow around in it to get in if it does not have rock and gravel packed on top.
2. Make sure you have at least 2 people plus the truck driver there at delivery for spotting, the truck drive doesnt care about your neighbors 500’pound custom stone mailbox and will take it out with the trailer turning into your drive if someone isn’t there to scream stop at him.
3. a reciprocating saw with a metal cutting blade works as well as a spark throwing cutoff wheel, (using a circular saw with metal cutting wheel to make the first cut.)
The cut out window and door piece are very heavy and dangerously sharp. Have protecting clothes and gloves when handling them.
4.Use rustoleum primer for rough metal first before painting final color, You’ll use less paint and have a better looking paint job.
5. Go pick out your container. I asked for one in good condition and as you can see it wasn’t. What you consider “good” will not be what the sales person thinks is good.