Garland, Texas - First System

[LFCummins]

First let me let everyone know. Total Newbee here. I know "ZERO" about this except what I have been reading, watching from the web.
I've seen/heard this ratio 1/2/4 (lbs of fish / gallons of water / gallons of medium) I understand its nothing more than a average and not a rule. I have based my thoughts using it as a general guide. All my questions are for my 50 gallon tank system, and Thank you ahead of time.

GOAL: Grow enough for a family of 4-6 with fresh fruits, vegetables and fish
LOCATION: Yard is behind a South Facing sub home thus im limited to North Facing
TEMPS: in F
Summer - weeks or months over 100+ /avg day 95 avg night 80
Winter - 3 or 4 weeks below freezing with snow or ice /avg day 55 avg night 40

What I have so far
FISH TANK = 55 gallon (Dark blue poly drum with the removable lid and clamp ring) cost $22.50
? What is the max number of fish to my 50 gallons ?
BEDS = 6 beds (half of 3-55 gallon drums) cost $17.50 each
? What is the max number of beds for the 50 gallons ?
MEDIUM = Hydroton (50L/13.2 gallons) cost $48.70 each
? How many 50L bags of medium per bed (1/2 of 55 gallon drum) ?
? Can I use pea gravel from Lowes or Home Depo ?

What I'm looking for
FISH - Channel Catfish
? Is it okay to use feeder gold fish as starters, replacing with food fish later ?
? Also being in Texas whats it going to take to raise Trout or Talapai ?
AIR = Adjustable flow single supply
PUMP = got no earthly idea
? What size do I need ?
? Does it matter as to the type of pump (In-Line or submerged) ?
INSULATION = household water heater thermal wrap

Other questions
? What type of system should I use, Continous flow / Flood and Drain or what ?

? Does filling a bed with plants that need the same nutrients matter, or is it better to mix each bed ?

NOTE: nothing has been assembled - in the process of purchase / Design. Will add pics once wife takes them or a video.
Thanks again

[GaryD]

Hi LFC,

Welcome to APHQ.

So-called 'guidelines' like the 1/2/4 one are usually pretty much useless without careful qualification.

Read through some of the threads here and start to ask questions. You'll learn quickly enough.

We have several US members on the forum. I'll defer to them when it comes to consideration of your particular situation.

GaryD

[nwestwood]

I don't think you are going to feed a family of 4-6 on a 55 gallon system. I have a 275 gallon fish tank, with 4 x 8' Raft tank, and 2 soon to be 3 4x4 gravel beds. It produces all the cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, celery that we can eat. And I could probably keep beans, and such to go with it. But, I plan to add another system just like this one and then we would have a wider variety and maybe grow a few onions, carrots, zuccuni, Beans to go with the salad stuff. We are a family of 6 right now(us and 4 younger kids at home), we have others but they are off to college and other places.

[Ravnis]

I highly recommend that you read a lot of the threads and look at member system threads before building your own. It seems everytime I come across a problem it has been answered in one thread or another and can save you from wasting a lot of money on "reinventing the wheel."

You are probably going to want a lot larger system, but starting small will let you learn the in's and out's and the mistakes that tend to be made will be cheaper in a small system. Your experience and management ability is going to be the main deciding factor in what fish/gallon ratio and plant/water ratio you can use. 1 fish to 10 gallons of water is a good starting point as you can always add more as you learn.

One of the things that is easy to be trapped in, is thinking that everything has to be in the system. You can dramaticaly cut your input cost by adding container gardening and watering with AP water. This also has a benefit of being able to adjust nutrient levels if desired or needed.


Oh, and Garys book and DVD have a lot of good information and pictures, I still refer to it from time to time.

I did see some 275 gallon totes on craigslist for 75$. Might be worth it to you in the long run. 2 of them would be a good start. One could be the tank and then cut 1 in half for 2 4x4ft grow beds. (just a thought)

I started with a 10 gallon aquarium with minnows and a plastic container for a growbed with gravel from home depot. Lava rock is better though as the gravel is limestone based and you fight PH. So you can start with just about anything you like provided it :

a: holds water and does not leach anything into the water
B. has a way to put water in and out.
C. has some kind of media that that is not so fine that it clogs up your pumps,( would not recommend perlite, vermiculite, or sand to a beginner.)

[LFCummins]

Thanks All

Just so you understand I have spent a ton of time on the forms, reading as much as I can, viewed 60 some videos about it (16 hours a day for a week). The problem is too much information now. Confusion of bleed over from one type vs another type, view too many problems and their many fixes. Since you dont know me, as an ex engineer I will spend 2 or 3 times as long in planning as a I would in constuction.
You are right about the 55 gallon feeding a family, as winter is coming the purpose of it is training and supply a smaller place for the wife to use for Herbs and things close to the kitchen. Come spring I will build a 300-320 gallon system. I should have learned enough by then to allow for a nice system, as well as a greenhouse
So im sorry If I've given the wrong impression that I havent read. reseached or viewed things on the subject.

[LFCummins]

Thinking of standing my 55 gallon drum up right, the dig a hole 2' deep and set it in, use the ground to help as a insulater for temps?

Any thoughts ?

[Ravnis]

The first 2 feet of ground is conductive to outside temperature, so it is not very insulative. It will however block wind and other radiant heat transfers.
A member here Fishfood did that. Main thing will be to make sure your tank is protected from the sun and covered so it does not get direct sunlight as this will be a major effect on heat gain in the summer.

The growbeds act as heat exchangers anyway so your water temp will greatly be affected by their temperature. Larger volumes of water will have more stability.


Goldfish and perch handle temperatures about 95F despite what the literature says. They do not handle the system cycle well though.

[fishfood]

Yes go for larger volumes there are to many other factors that will change temp even pumps have been known to generate heat air going to the system can have a changing effect grow beds are a great heat sink
i recommend going for species that suit your temps
Trying to heat or cool costs dollars

[LFCummins]

Thanks, guess ill swap out the 55 for a 275 gallons then.

[LFCummins]

Its Offical

My wife and I went out to Kaufman, Texas to see Ranvis system. Was very enlightning to me. He has a nice system with plants as tall as the greenhouse. Wife noted that he had some of everything we want to grow. She's licking her chops over the Talapia he had, some were definatly eating size, He has a nice bredder system going had tons of Fry threw out the system.

Now that I've seen one in action, understand a whole lot better what I need to do. As some have posted "Size" matters for what we want. As well as the proper system to go with it.

Traded in the 55 gallon drum - bought a 330 gallon IBC tank for 110$ just set it in the driveway from delivery. Will use it as our FT. The tank had Hawiian Punch syrup base it it, so I feel good about its use - per others post I read that was important to know. SO heres where I stand now:

330 IBC FT tank
458 gph submerged water pump
220 g PB
Air pump /w stone
Bacteria
Goldfish

Got some planning to do. Thanks for the help, glad to have a place to bounce things off people so I can keep my mistakes down.