Deck ponds

[taherrmann4]

Gary are you using the clear plastic for the tops or the white greenhouse plastic?

 

[minnowman]

It will be clear. I read somewhere that white spreads the light out more evenly, But I think clear will let more heat in. It got up into the mid 80s here today. It was 103 in the minnow business greenhouse this afternoon and some of the vents were still open.

 

[minnowman]

Between yesterday and today I put up the roof plastic. I clamped one edge between two strips of wood and rolled all the plastic on it. ThenI pulled the two corners across with ropes. All of the edges are clamped down with 1" thick wood and screws every 6". There are still lots of details to finish, but they are closed against the 40 degree weather coming this weekend.

 

[minnowman]

Anyone who has had a greenhouse knows that it gets very hot inside on a sunny day. Last Winter I was surprised how little of that heat gets into pond water inside. I checked out some solar water heating designs online, but they would have to be very large to heat 5,000 gal. of water. I decided to build a solar greenhouse heat exchanger instead [my own design].
It is an 8'x7.5' wooden frame with two layers of black plastic over a layer of window screen. The screen is intended to spread the water into a thin film so that it contacts all of the plastic film. A 1" PVC pipe at the top of the frame with .25" holes every 6" spreads the water across the top. Hot air will transfer its heat to the water through the plastic film. The cooled air will sink and set up a convection current which will bring more hot air into contact. The small submersible pump is on the bottom of the pond on the opposite end so that all of the water in the pond will be heated. A thermostat high in the greenhouse will turn the pump off and on when the air temp changes.
Thursday's low was 34* f.Today's high was 80 * f. the water in the ponds was 73* f. without the heat exchanger. I'll monitor it as the Winter progresses.

 

[j.w]

Genius is all I can say m-man. I do have a green house but no sunshine in the winter.......at least not enough to do the job your looking to do. At one time I had several metal 55 gal drums w/ lids on them full of water under the tables in the green house trying to collect the heat from the summer to heat during winter but don't really think it did much as the weather is so crappy here.

 

[CountryEscape]

Very neat project, Minnowman! I have had Gouramis (Sunset and Blue) in my house aquariums, and mollies, too. Funny that you are able to have them outside in your ponds. Now I have to ask, you mentioned a minnow pond. And, of course your "name" .... I probably would know if I had read more of your posts, but do you raise minnows in another outdoor pond? Do you sell them, or use them for your ponds and keeping mosquitos down? Did I see another greenhouse besides the 2 you just built? Sorry so many questions.

 

[minnowman]

I used to own a business raising "Fundulus Grandis' [Gulf Killifish] for brackish water bait shops. I had to sell it in order to get a regular job and health insurance. Couldn't buy health insurance for myself or my wife because of pre-existing conditions. I still help the current operator occasionally. The minnow greenhouse is 28'x48' and is in my back yard. The minnow business is renting it until they build a new one. When they leave[next year, hopefully] I'll use it as lily nursery. The minnow ponds are on a separate property. There are 15 one third acre ponds.
Check out 'greenhouse ponds' on garden pond talk on Sep. 04 2011 and Hello from South Louisiana on Introductions on Sep 03 2011

 

[minnowman]

Here are a couple of pics of the frame of the second heat exchanger. The first one is up and running with a thermostat to control the pump. The water temp is up to 79*F in the deck ponds now.

 

[sissy]

minnowman you ever had any problems with storms and heavy rain .I 'm guessing it would not work for my pond with the winds we get and sometimes hail and torrential down pours .I made frames out 2x4's and stapled window screening to them to protect the pond and fish .They are attached to the bridge on 1side and then the 2x4 on the other side

 

[minnowman]

Sissy, We get plenty of thunderstorms, but hardly ever any large hail. Tropical storm Lee gave us about 15" of rain in two days a couple of months ago, no damage. Hurricane Gustav hit about 3 years ago with 130 mph wind gusts. The old minnow greenhouse was torn up, but repairable. The new greenhouses wouldn't survive a hurricane. The bad ones get a direct hit on us about every 25 years[ Betsy, Andrew, Gustav]. Houses usually survive,but lots of tree damage. I hope I never see another hurricane.

 

[sissy]

Well I only ever saw one and thats the one that hit NJ and did a lot more damage in Metuchen NJ than Edison where I lived .

 

[minnowman]

The weather has varied from a low of 29* F. one day last week to a high near 80 a couple of days ago. Water temp in the greenhouses hit a low of 57 last week and are back up to 70 now. The greenhouses and solar heat exchangers seem to be helping. Most of the established lilies are doing well and blooming on warmer days. The night bloomers seem to have more trouble with the cold, but some of them are still blooming. Here are a few blooms today. They are: Caerulea, Director Moore, Blue Beauty, Evelyn Randig, and two unnamed night bloomers

 

[CountryEscape]

Thanks for sharing your beautiful pictures, Minnowman. Those of us in the winter doldrums sure appreciate seeing the blooming beauties you have. Thank you for that!

 

[j.w]

Magnificent m-man. Keep them coming cuz we are getting cooler and when the freeze really hits here it will be neat to see your blooms blooming away! Today was actually more like Spring here and sunny and warm but that won't last for long. The rains and gray skies will return.

 

[minnowman]

You're welcome,Country. One more week before the Winter equinox and the days will start getting longer. By May the days will be long enough to see the blooms still open after work.