This is what I need. My tanks got down to 64 last night in the garage and we still have another week or two of these cold temps. Thanks for the idea teacher.
Thanks for the tip. I found a heater exactly like yours. In an insulated 500 Gallon System. (2 - 330gallon totes cut off), it has raised the water temp to exactly 80 degrees. We have some cold weather moving in though, so it will be put to the test. I'm always amazed at how the Males can change color so quickly. Was trying to catch a Male to put in with some females, but he would change color and blend in with the rest. I made me "lose" him several times. LOL Wishing you well from Missouri. :)
your video just helped me greatly. now to go do some maths to see how much money it will cost me to run this a month. i need water not cooler than 70 degrees F in all of my breeding tubs. (not tilapia). ty !!! I subbed you.
I've been studying aquaponics now for a while. We are moving to MO in July and plan on setting up a complete garden system to be ready for next years gardening. One of the things I've noticed on all the videos I've been learning from is the greenhouse has clear or milky clear plastic. This works just like sun through your window. If you can, try changing out your car port top with painters drop plastic, a roll of 6 mil is 10' or 12' wide by 100' long. However as I say thing, I'm seeing in my mind that the biggest hurdle with that idea is how to make 2 sheets as one. I have the same car port and over the top, just the roof is more than 10'. So, to keep it from flapping in the wind, the two halves would have to be seamed together..... If I find the answer, I'll let you know. Long story short, the more son you can get in there the warmer it will be. Thanks for the info on the water heater. I will be using that as well in the winter months.
To Ashby Aquaponics, This winter has been brutal, I had about 1500 fish left at the end of last fall. 1000 are sold, but the buyer has yet to finish his system. I don't actively breed my fish during the winter because the fry are so fragile and will die with just slight temperature swings. By keeping the temps in the mid to low 70's, I can keep my fish from breeding for the most part. The fish I have left in the fall I grow out to eat or grow to make young breeder colonies for the spring.. It's just to cold to spend a lot of time in the fish house outside doing what it takes to keep fry alive, healthy and growing. Hope this helps.
It does not have a thermostat on it, It heats if it is plugged in and I had to put a timer on it!! They are available normally used to heat small sections of a pond.
this may sound stupid, but what do you think about wrapping your tanks with the emergency mylar tarp? For me i'm using it to reflex the sun since it's just sunny here. But I think it also helps at night to keep radiated heat inside the tank.
I heat my greenhouse with waste oil... Keeping the temp above 50f. But still a struggle to keep the water warm enough for my talipa.... I have about 1200 gallons in my Aquaponics system... Any thoughts??
If your water drains from the growbeds into a sump, you could just add a 1000W bucket heater in the sump and that would do it. If your growbeds drain directly into the tanks, you would have to put a tank heater in each tank. I don't know how difficult adding a sump to your system, but that's all I can think of.
I just naught one of those heaters but the instructions said that the water had to reach freezing before it comes on, how did you get yours to come on just by plugging it in?
I did kind of the same thing but used a hot water heater element and purchased a 110 volt temp switch from ebay and kept my water at 85 degrees this is for breeding but no luck yet
A 1000+ watt solar panel with batteries and controllers would cost more in this area than I pay currently for heat. My added annual electric costs run about 250.00 per year. I know that at some point I would recover those costs but it would take a while.
Remember, when you pay for your heated tanks your using more expensive electricity versus cheaper natural gas. I wouldn't suggest batteries. It is a lot cheaper if you use up your energy as you produce it, rather than wasting money on storage. Secondly, If you need as much as 1000 watts all day on your coldest of nights, then I would suggest only supplementing as much as 5, 300 watts hours with solar through the winter day Furthermore, If your summers are late and less than tropical, then 300 watts over 6 hours 1,800 watt-hours may make keep your water closer to tropical temperatures more of the year, and help maximize your tilapia's growth. To maximize your return on investment with solar energy, the key is not design to solar energy system for 100% daily energy usage. Neither should one tie up money through designing for capacity at their peek power usage, Instead design for close to ones minimum usage so that they can supplement with it for most of the year. Consider: $33 12V 300W water heating element. $30 Tektrum 30Amp 12V/24V Solar Panel Charge Controller 30 Power Boost with MPPT $235 300W solar panel subtract 30% tax credit No wasting 100 on a power inverter either. That is unless you don't need to warm the water during the summer. Then you consider using a grid tie micro inverter with MPPT and skip the charge controller and water heating element feeding power directly into your home's grid power. So for about $200 you could average around 1.5 to 1.8kwh a day. If you are using that year round, that would be about 547kwh, which at $.15 a kwh is $minimally $82/year, and roughly 100% return on investment in 2 to 3 years. The system I described above might also work well for some peoples hot water needs if they are already using an electric hot water heater. Just replace the lower hot water heater element with a 300w 12v water heating element, and feed it power from a solar powered charge controller with MPPT.
+S&K Aquatics Well, it's hard to say because I don't just run the bucket heater. I have individual heaters in each breeder tank and each fry tank, plus a commercial air pump, a submersible water pump and overhead lighting. Combined it is between 150.00 to 200.00 per month.
I have a generator that simply plugs into the system and keeps things running. It is not automatic, but I will be installing an automatic switch this winter, similar to a whole house generator.
When I had the portable garage, there was no other head source. Now I have build a well insulated hatchery building in it's place so no more water heating is necessary. The ambient temperature in the new building is 80 degrees all the time so no more tanks heaters at all. I just have a room heater in the building to keep the temp at 80.
This is what I need. My tanks got down to 64 last night in the garage and we still have another week or two of these cold temps. Thanks for the idea teacher.
Thanks for the tip. I found a heater exactly like yours. In an insulated 500 Gallon System. (2 - 330gallon totes cut off), it has raised the water temp to exactly 80 degrees. We have some cold weather moving in though, so it will be put to the test. I'm always amazed at how the Males can change color so quickly. Was trying to catch a Male to put in with some females, but he would change color and blend in with the rest. I made me "lose" him several times. LOL Wishing you well from Missouri. :)
James Drews That's great James, depending on where the totes are, you will lose a few degrees, but nothing that will hurt the fish. Good luck.....Greg
your video just helped me greatly. now to go do some maths to see how much money it will cost me to run this a month. i need water not cooler than 70 degrees F in all of my breeding tubs. (not tilapia). ty !!! I subbed you.
Always helpful and informative. Thanks!
I've been studying aquaponics now for a while. We are moving to MO in July and plan on setting up a complete garden system to be ready for next years gardening. One of the things I've noticed on all the videos I've been learning from is the greenhouse has clear or milky clear plastic. This works just like sun through your window. If you can, try changing out your car port top with painters drop plastic, a roll of 6 mil is 10' or 12' wide by 100' long. However as I say thing, I'm seeing in my mind that the biggest hurdle with that idea is how to make 2 sheets as one. I have the same car port and over the top, just the roof is more than 10'. So, to keep it from flapping in the wind, the two halves would have to be seamed together..... If I find the answer, I'll let you know. Long story short, the more son you can get in there the warmer it will be. Thanks for the info on the water heater. I will be using that as well in the winter months.
Love the video's sir. Good info. Keep'em coming !
To Ashby Aquaponics, This winter has been brutal, I had about 1500 fish left at the end of last fall. 1000 are sold, but the buyer has yet to finish his system. I don't actively breed my fish during the winter because the fry are so fragile and will die with just slight temperature swings. By keeping the temps in the mid to low 70's, I can keep my fish from breeding for the most part. The fish I have left in the fall I grow out to eat or grow to make young breeder colonies for the spring.. It's just to cold to spend a lot of time in the fish house outside doing what it takes to keep fry alive, healthy and growing. Hope this helps.
Stock tank/ bucket heaters typically turn off at 35 degrees F. Either you found a special one or your heat is coming from a different source.
It does not have a thermostat on it, It heats if it is plugged in and I had to put a timer on it!! They are available normally used to heat small sections of a pond.
this may sound stupid, but what do you think about wrapping your tanks with the emergency mylar tarp? For me i'm using it to reflex the sun since it's just sunny here. But I think it also helps at night to keep radiated heat inside the tank.
The way I look at it is, if it works for you then you are doing it right....actually sounds like a great idea!
Is that heater on a thermostat?
Thank you so much
I heat my greenhouse with waste oil... Keeping the temp above 50f. But still a struggle to keep the water warm enough for my talipa.... I have about 1200 gallons in my Aquaponics system... Any thoughts??
If your water drains from the growbeds into a sump, you could just add a 1000W bucket heater in the sump and that would do it. If your growbeds drain directly into the tanks, you would have to put a tank heater in each tank. I don't know how difficult adding a sump to your system, but that's all I can think of.
I just naught one of those heaters but the instructions said that the water had to reach freezing before it comes on, how did you get yours to come on just by plugging it in?
You must have gotten the one that has a thermostat in it. The model I bought did not have a thermostat.
How crazy were your electric bills heating all that water? Mine went crazy with just a single 125 in my basement
I heat my ambient temp to 85 wich keeps the water in all tanks around 82, My building is very well insulated.
I did kind of the same thing but used a hot water heater element and purchased a 110 volt temp switch from ebay and kept my water at 85 degrees this is for breeding but no luck yet
would this work for a 400 gallon aquaponic system?
It has too much capacity for 400 gallons, my system was 1100 gallons total, but a smaller heater of some kind would absolutely work.
Thought about supplementing with solar water heating?
A 1000+ watt solar panel with batteries and controllers would cost more in this area than I pay currently for heat. My added annual electric costs run about 250.00 per year. I know that at some point I would recover those costs but it would take a while.
Remember, when you pay for your heated tanks your using more expensive electricity versus cheaper natural gas.
I wouldn't suggest batteries. It is a lot cheaper if you use up your energy as you produce it, rather than wasting money on storage.
Secondly, If you need as much as 1000 watts all day on your coldest of nights, then I would suggest only supplementing as much as 5, 300 watts hours with solar through the winter day
Furthermore, If your summers are late and less than tropical, then 300 watts over 6 hours 1,800 watt-hours may make keep your water closer to tropical temperatures more of the year, and help maximize your tilapia's growth.
To maximize your return on investment with solar energy, the key is not design to solar energy system for 100% daily energy usage. Neither should one tie up money through designing for capacity at their peek power usage, Instead design for close to ones minimum usage so that they can supplement with it for most of the year.
Consider:
$33 12V 300W water heating element.
$30 Tektrum 30Amp 12V/24V Solar Panel Charge Controller 30 Power Boost with MPPT
$235 300W solar panel
subtract 30% tax credit
No wasting 100 on a power inverter either. That is unless you don't need to warm the water during the summer. Then you consider using a grid tie micro inverter with MPPT and skip the charge controller and water heating element feeding power directly into your home's grid power.
So for about $200 you could average around 1.5 to 1.8kwh a day. If you are using that year round, that would be about 547kwh, which at $.15 a kwh is $minimally $82/year, and roughly 100% return on investment in 2 to 3 years.
The system I described above might also work well for some peoples hot water needs if they are already using an electric hot water heater. Just replace the lower hot water heater element with a 300w 12v water heating element, and feed it power from a solar powered charge controller with MPPT.
what has it cost to run the heater through the colder months? if i may ask thanks
+S&K Aquatics Well, it's hard to say because I don't just run the bucket heater. I have individual heaters in each breeder tank and each fry tank, plus a commercial air pump, a submersible water pump and overhead lighting. Combined it is between 150.00 to 200.00 per month.
What do you do in the event of a power outage as far as keeping the water heated?
I have a generator that simply plugs into the system and keeps things running. It is not automatic, but I will be installing an automatic switch this winter, similar to a whole house generator.
Sounds good! Would love to see a video of your switch and the generator you use!
Fish doesn’t get electrocuted??
no, this is a bucket heater and is meant to be in the water...
Do you have any other heat in you fish room
When I had the portable garage, there was no other head source. Now I have build a well insulated hatchery building in it's place so no more water heating is necessary. The ambient temperature in the new building is 80 degrees all the time so no more tanks heaters at all. I just have a room heater in the building to keep the temp at 80.