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Tank Build! What I've been up to - Greenhouse build

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by bestimusmucho, Oct 5, 2015.

  1. bestimusmucho

    bestimusmucho Inactive User

    122
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    Ok I've been meaning to start this thread for a while now, but I've been waiting till things got a little more stabilized and concrete before posting anything. Basically what I've done is take the garage behind my wifes building, knocked out the south facing wall and roof and turned it into a greenhouse. Inside of which I have spent most of the summer growing coral and figuring out how to keep it alive outside.


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    I spent a lot of time trying to decide on what type of tanks to use. The goal was to stay as inexpensive as possible while having a water volume large enough to keep the temperature a little more stable. I was unable to sell my 300 gallon tank (too deep) so I used that as one tank. I was able to find a couple of free IBC totes as well and I cut the tops off, drilled holes for uniseals and set up a cascading tank system.


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  2. bestimusmucho

    bestimusmucho Inactive User

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    I learned right away that I would need shade cloth to help with both too much light and heat. I ended up going with blue 60% shade cloth for the ceiling and then adding some black 40% on the south wall this fall when the sun started getting lower.


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    I don't know if anything I've written has made sense at all so far so I'll open it up for any questions you have for now and try to get some shots of the coral tonight when I get home.
     
  3. Bud Loves Bacon Website Team Board of Directors Leadership Team GIRS Member Vendor

    West Des Moines, IA
    Ratings:
    +1,814 / 14 / -0
    How are you going to keep that thing warm in the winter? I would think that on a shady windy day, you're going to drop temp like a rock! I know that @xroads@xroads has a greenhouse maybe he can advise
     
  4. bestimusmucho

    bestimusmucho Inactive User

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    Well I'm going to try to use a wood burner for most heat when it gets really cold. I'm trying to decided between electric or a small propane heater for supplemental and for when I'm not around (at work, etc). Right now I'm able to keep the water around 76 degrees at night using just an small space heater when its in the low 40s outside. Its only like 200 square feet so it shouldn't take a whole lot to keep it warm in there. I've got it sealed up pretty well so it holds heat pretty well. Right now in the day time I'm still having the vent and exhaust fan kick in to keep it cool. I know that can't last much longer though so I'm open to suggestions.
     
  5. DangerJ Well-Known ReefKeeper

    894
    Des Moines, IA
    Ratings:
    +322 / 4 / -0
    Holy moly. Can't wait to read/see more! Awesome project!
     
  6. bestimusmucho

    bestimusmucho Inactive User

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    Thanks! I've loved every minute of it. It takes a lot of my time, I've gotten rid of my display tank because I didn't have time to maintain both but it was worth it. Only real difference for me is now I have some fish in my greenhouse.
     
  7. jeremy Acro Addict

    Davenport, IA
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    +836 / 4 / -0
    It's gonna take more than you think to keep temp stable in there this winter. My mom has a green house that she runs year around that is sealed really good and she says it takes A LOT of propane to keep heating in the winter. But you using more than 1 type of heat so should help. I would think it's hard to keep temp stable with sunlight, clouds, and other weather conditions. You have your work cut out for you. Looks like a good setup to grow a lot of corals.
     
  8. xroads Veteran Reefkeeper Vendor

    La Porte City, IA
    Ratings:
    +1,014 / 6 / -0
    That is pretty cool!

    What are you going to try and grow?

    Temp is the hardest thing in a greenhouse obviously.

    If you can double layer your plastic, it will help tremendously with heat retention.

    Let me know if I can help at all.
     
  9. bestimusmucho

    bestimusmucho Inactive User

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    Yeah I'm a little concerned with the heating. The whole north side/roof and most of the east and west sides are insulated with at least R-19 insulation so that should help. I've also got an insulated pool cover that I'm planning on putting over the tanks at night to help keep the tanks warm at night. I think I'm going to try possibly wrapping the tanks with some sort of insulation around the sides of the tank as well.

    At the moment I'm trying to grow a little of everything. I've had the most luck with LPS and softies so far. SPS has been a little less successful. Some things like montipora caps, pavona, pocilliopora, red planet, and birdsnest do pretty well, while most other acros and such have a little more trouble. I suspect its the 3-4 degree temp swing I've had so far to have something to do with that. A few SPS corals I've actually had bleached out from the sun. Leathers grow extremely well. Mushrooms and ricordeas do well. Zoanthids are starting to do better with less light this fall. I've surprisingly had the most luck with LPS especially acans and blastos. Never would have guessed that.
     
  10. bestimusmucho

    bestimusmucho Inactive User

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    I was wondering if i put up plastic like you would put over a window in the winter if it would help at all or would you think it would cut down the light?
     
  11. xroads Veteran Reefkeeper Vendor

    La Porte City, IA
    Ratings:
    +1,014 / 6 / -0
    It will some, Problem you have is that in the winter, Iowa gets very little sun strength. That is why you dont see many solar panels here.

    One thing that would kill 2 birds with 1 stone is to use metal halides in the winter. You can put them on a temperature switch so if water temp drops so low, halides kick on. You would be amazed at how much they will heat up a small area like that.

    With the heat problem in spring, summer, fall. Evaporative cooling will help. Lots of fans pointed across the water surface. Just have to watch salinity swings as it will evap a ton of water that way.

    most greenhouses cant grow SPS, so dont feel bad. Softies do great!
     
  12. bestimusmucho

    bestimusmucho Inactive User

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    I hadn't thought about using halides for heating. Thats not a bad idea. I'm actually surprised I didn't have much trouble with heat in the summer. I've got a vent on one and and a fan on the other, and 2 turbine vents on the roof. I got by with a cheap box fan blowing across the top of one of the tanks this year and never had the temp get much north of 82. I'm planning on getting a bigger fan this year to try to keep that number lower yet. In a couple weeks to a month I suppose I should try taking down some of the shade cloth maybe? That would probably help with the temp a bit. Total system volume is somewhere around 800-850 gallons so it doesn't swing too quickly at least. This is kind of a test greenhouse to learn some of the ins and outs of growing in the sun. I would really love to put up something much bigger someday but I'm starting small.
     
  13. bestimusmucho

    bestimusmucho Inactive User

    122
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    Here are a few under water tank shots of what I'm growing. At the moment I'm using cheap chinese LEDs for supplemental actinic lighting.


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  14. xroads Veteran Reefkeeper Vendor

    La Porte City, IA
    Ratings:
    +1,014 / 6 / -0
    Here is another small piece of advice from visiting dozens of farms.

    Algae will become a real issue inevitably.

    Start buying a ton of tangs. Most will buy them when they are really small (cheaper), and once they get bigger sell them off, make a little money, and rebuy smaller ones.
     
  15. cameron lake Well-Known ReefKeeper

    634
    Des Moines, IA
    Ratings:
    +129 / 3 / -0
    live aquaria and blue zoo aquatics have really good deals on tangs i think saltwaterfish.com also might have some good deals i personaly have never ordered from them. but have talked to people how have a good review there.
     
  16. bestimusmucho

    bestimusmucho Inactive User

    122
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    Awesome good call with the tangs. I have a couple now but not near enough. What species would you recommend?
     
  17. cameron lake Well-Known ReefKeeper

    634
    Des Moines, IA
    Ratings:
    +129 / 3 / -0
    salfin tang and yellow salfin tangs are i found work the best i have had sevral, yellow tangs work good also
    --- Auto-Merged, Oct 7, 2015 ---
    kole tangs work good for cyano.
     
  18. bestimusmucho

    bestimusmucho Inactive User

    122
    Ratings:
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    Ok sailfins, yellows and koles - the cheapest tangs perfect!
    is there a fish that will eat aptasia but leave my coral alone? I've heard ORA has a filefish that will only eat them but I'm skeptical.
     
  19. xroads Veteran Reefkeeper Vendor

    La Porte City, IA
    Ratings:
    +1,014 / 6 / -0
    I usually go with whatever is on sale, all tangs will graze non stop. Get a ton and let them go to work. I can get you a good price on a couple dozen when you are ready if you want to come to Waterloo to get them.
     
  20. xroads Veteran Reefkeeper Vendor

    La Porte City, IA
    Ratings:
    +1,014 / 6 / -0
    Also fish poop is good coral food. Another fish farms use a lot is bangai and wrasses. Bangaiis will breed alot in large systems, so you can scoop out babies and sell for side income.

    Wrasses will help with any parasites on corals. Stock very heavy for best results.
     

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