My Greenhouse FARM In the making!

[scubadude]

Originally posted by sand-bed
Out here in the arid west, greenhouses use evaporative cooling. I don't know if this will work when the humidity is already at 100%.

The simplest system I've seen was a rain gutter at the top, holes in it to dribble water out, and excelsior pads below. The pads were trapped between wire mesh. A collection gutter on the bottom and a small pump and reservoir to circulate water. This 'cooler' covers the north wall and fans on south wall pull air thru it and out of GH.

This is cheap and low tech. From the looks of you pics you already know how to pump water!

Yes you are correct again....evaporative cooling will NOT work when you have high humidity! I have seen the simplistic forms that you are talking about (gutters, and pads) but GH supply companys want an arm and a leg for that stuff! I might just build something that will serve the same principle. Very good points you are making sand-bed!

[sand-bed]

So how do commercial GH cool in your area?

The evap. wall I described in my last msg. is a DIY project. Plastic rain gutters from Home Depot. I don't know where you'd get excelsior. Since the packing industry has gone to styro. peanuts, it might be in short supply. Perhaps there is a modern (i.e., plastic) substitute.

Since your underground radiator will do the tank cooling, you only have to worry about the terrestrial life forms (TLF). My guess is you would like to go into the GH during daylight hours.

What's the temp of water when it enters and exits the 'radiator'. You could do another loop for the TLFs.

[Joaco]

Originally posted by reefhead
Joaco, you really have a thing for that Mother in lAw dont ya!

No way, what makes you think that??

Originally posted by scubadude
Can she use a shovel?

...yes, as a toothpick...

.....I dont know man from everything I have heard about your mother inlaw I think im better off taking my chances w/ the buzzards...

C'mon, where is your love for adventure? BTW, do you own a shotgun and have it loaded with Magnum rounds? that would be just for the kind of mosquitoes that she attracts!

Joaco

[scubadude]

I am now building my skimmers to see these being built go to

This Thread

[scubadude]

Well I laid down some weed mat to keep the grass from growing like mad in there...I have already had to mow/trim 3 times, then I laid down approx 2" of limestone rocks for porosity drainage purposes. In this picture you see is about 1 yard of the stuff which cost me $34 and 1 yard is about all you want to put in a 1/2ton pickup thats for sure!



And this pic you can see a 1.5" Pipe sticking up in the middle back which is a drain I installed for doing w/c's on the tanks or if I ever need to drain them down. Also notice the aisle between the two tanks underneath the rock I have a hose that T's off and feeds both tanks for autotopoff via gravity feed.



Here you can see one of the feeds for the autotopoff which comes out of the ground



Here is the 22g rubbermaid that feeds the two float valves via gravity feed



and here is the inside of the rubbermaid with the electrical float valve, and above it the feed which is controled by the electrical float valve and a 110volt solenoid. if you look close near the bottom is the output that feeds the 2 gravity float valves....this will prevent on/off cycling constantly which IMO does not make an RO/DI effecient. It will fill up 22g's then shutoff and wont come back on untill the 22g's has been depleted.



And here is one of the float valves in one of the tanks, Im gona redo the bracket and make it acrylic instead of wood though.

I will be going out of town for a while on business....so it may be a while till I get to post on this again.

[stang69]

Man Rocky and I thought I was a addict. I just caught up with the posts cheese and rice man that looks nuts (but fun) Hope all goes well I would volenteer to help but you would have to supply the airfare for me to get there


Jeff

[Skipper]

Really cool, Scubadude! Lemme see if I can get Anthony himself involved in this thread. Man, that is fine.

[scubadude]

LOL thanks Jeff!

And Skipper!

Anthony is familiar with this thread im sure....I have emailed it to him already.

[Elmo18]

My Coral Propagation book is signed by Mr. Calfo himself

I've seen him on RC but not yet here.

-Elmo

[scubadude]

Originally posted by Elmo18
My Coral Propagation book is signed by Mr. Calfo himself

I've seen him on RC but not yet here.

-Elmo

So is mine....I believe all of them are unless he has gone platinum...but even then he would probably try to sign all of them. Anthony is a just a great guy. He has a great sense of humor Loves to grow coral on just about anything! I am not opposed to suggestive selling when it comes to Anthony Calfo and his book...It is the BIBLE IMO.

[thezookeeper]

Looking great!!!

[louey]

Yo ! Scubadude. Your project looks great. I'm looking forward to seeing it when I come up to get the SD.

My last reply to your most recent email keeps coming back unsent. Are you having problems with your email?

[scubadude]

Originally posted by louey

My last reply to your most recent email keeps coming back unsent. Are you having problems with your email?

Yes I am ....I have my ISP tech. working on that right now...you can either email me at rocky@tents.net or sales@coralfragz.com and I should get it. Or you can PM me. Sorry about the problems

Thanx Joanne

[Reinhold]

Scubadude:

What would happen if you ever had a power outage? Do you have some sort of backup generator system?

Any troubles with heavy rains or hail on the greenhouse structure?

How are frag sales going?

[scubadude]

Originally posted by Reinhold
Scubadude:

What would happen if you ever had a power outage? Do you have some sort of backup generator system?

Any troubles with heavy rains or hail on the greenhouse structure?

How are frag sales going?

Hey Reinhold
Power outage...hmmm dont say that! Well I dont have to worry about flooding cause there techically isnt a sump. I do have a generator and now that you mention it I see putting that on a long list of things to do

No problems with rain...and it has rained heavy. I have yet to see any hail the 8 yrs that I have lived in this area (knock on wood) there have been the occassional spotting of a twister around here...and lots of lightning. but no real weather issue problems yet.

I Havent really sold any frags yet....I Havent really opened up yet or advertised much....my debute will be July 1st though


Thanx Joanne

I have gotten the LR for the tanks here is a thread with a bunch of pics of the rocks and the skimmer that I just got done building and it works Great! Thanx to the following people for helping me w/my skimmer:

George Weber aka GEO
Andy aka MyReef
Coralhound
Smokie
All of my local hardware stores..

LR pics thread

[jdvalero]

May the Lord bless and protect you PVC pipes!

[scubadude]

Originally posted by jdvalero
May the Lord bless and protect you PVC pipes!

LOL Thanx jd! Welcome to RL

[Unresistible Blue]

Did you use plans off the web to build your skimmer?

[dsb1829]

Alright Scuba, aka Rocky, you have just officially become my newest hero

Lots of money, lots of time, and soooo much fun. We rented a little bobcat tractor to move a few tons of dirt a couple years back. They are really a blast.

Nice to see the project shaping up nicely.

Only problem I see is that I now have to explain to my boss what I have been doing for the last 45 minutes

[scubadude]

Originally posted by Unresistible Blue
Did you use plans off the web to build your skimmer?

I based it off of Coralhound's design and Andy's MR2 or a similar PM design....just kinda took a few approachs of each different one and made up my own...but I did mess up and I have alot of time into this already. Im gonna make a much bigger collection cup for the next one...and vent better too...the one I made is definately working good and just has a few more "tweaks", I think I may even try a dual beckett one next time.

Originally posted by dsb1829
Only problem I see is that I now have to explain to my boss what I have been doing for the last 45 minutes

Sorry bout that! glad you liked it