Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Photo 9: This is an example of installing bead board inside the fish tank to help maintain
heat between
78 and 80 degrees year round
. The wires go to the heaters.
Photo 10: In cooler/colder climates (areas that night/day temperatures drop under 40 de-
grees to maintain a constant temperature), you can also add Styrofoam 'packing peanuts'
between the insulation on the walls of the insulated boxes and the fish tank.
In addition to the insulated box, you will need to the install into the Fish Tank one or
two aquarium heaters into the water in the Fish Tank. We have very successfully used two
150watt aquarium heaters and they are incredibly effective at keeping the water temperat-
ure constant at 78 to 80°F, even for 400 gallons of water.
PLEASE NOTE - these heaters need to be replaced about every 6 to 12 months because
they grow crud from the fish waste and break.
In hot-to-severely-hot climates, arrangements must be made to cool the Grow Table to pro-
tect the plants. The water circulation can be used effectively to moderate the temperature
of the water, gravel and air.
Coverings: To keep the fish confined to the Fish Tank, you will need to cover the Fish Tank
with something. You can make the covering as simple as a screen or netting (in warm cli-
mates) over the entire surface or as elaborate as a complete insulted cover (in cooler cli-
mates). Tilapia are very fast and entertaining (clown-like really) and they
will
jump out of
the tank if you're not careful, especially during feeding so keep the tank covered to protect
your fish.
