I have been looking into the many advantages of using a aquarium in my seed starting area and solar greenhouse for several reasons.
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1. a 20 gallon aquarium with heated water will give off good moisture to stop seelings from drying out!
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2. Its very easy to maintain heat in the aquarium with the 100 watt submerciable cheap heaters.
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3. By using a cheap aquarium water filter pump water can be pushed on a dark color surface and the water will help heat one of the 50 gallon drums during the heat of a sunny day!. The drum will syphon back into the acquaium only when the greenhouse is above 60 degrees on sunny days!
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4. When the greenhouse inside heat is above 60 a acquarium air bubbler or several will turn on to add heat to the water from the air through the bubbles and also add humidity to the greenhouse. Any other ideas?
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ReptileAddiction
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+++ReptileAddiction wrote:I have no idea what you mean. Do you want to grow the plants in the aquarium? Or just put the aquarium in the greenhouse! It didn't make much sense...
In my solar greenhouse there is no heat other than water storage. I do have a electric outlet for small devices that don't use alot of power. I am trying to take more heat out of the air and at the same time use a small amount of electric to heat a 20 galon aquarium!.
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I have a 3 by 12 area that I start seeds that is insulated from the rest of the greenhouse . this area can have its temprature raised byjust adding a samll amount of heat. The aquarium to me is the answer because it does all the things to improve the growing area!+ It raises humidity. The aquarium can be heated cheap by electric or greenhouse air. The water filter flow can distribute water over a metal or black surface heated by the warmth of the sun and warm barrels of water.lots of possibilities!
I hop this clears it up some!
Imagine this. A 20 gallon aquarium with a small electric submersible 100 watt heater that will maintain aquarium temp at 75 degrees. I also have a air pump that only kicks on when the inside temp of the sweat chamber is 60 mostly when the sun is out!
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The aquarium also has a flowing water filter system that pulls water from the acquarium and pushes the water over a metal or black surface so it runs into a 50 gallon drum.lets say 10 feet away! The drums top is even with the top of the aquarium. the water from the filter flows into the drum while the drum is located inside the sweat chamber & has a syphon hose connected to the bottom of the aquarium! All these systems are controlled by temperature. It sounds simple when you think about it but it will work!
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I will also have the aquariums 100 watt electric heater on a timer so it does not go on during the daylight hours from 11 am to 3 pm during the daylight higher greenhouse temperatures unless there is a long period of below 15 degree temp and cloudy!!
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My storage containers in the greenhouse will maintain a temp of near 40 even in the dead of winter. As long as I can sustain a sweat chamber temp of 55 all the time I can grow plants before the march time and get a big jump on spring I have a 6 foot nasturtium growing now with tons of flowers and the temp has gone down to the low 30's a few times!
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Last year my temp was down to 32 a few times but the moisture seemed to keep anything from freezing!! I kept everything I put in from fall flowers growing without any heat except for the water storage and double plastic !
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The aquarium also has a flowing water filter system that pulls water from the acquarium and pushes the water over a metal or black surface so it runs into a 50 gallon drum.lets say 10 feet away! The drums top is even with the top of the aquarium. the water from the filter flows into the drum while the drum is located inside the sweat chamber & has a syphon hose connected to the bottom of the aquarium! All these systems are controlled by temperature. It sounds simple when you think about it but it will work!
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I will also have the aquariums 100 watt electric heater on a timer so it does not go on during the daylight hours from 11 am to 3 pm during the daylight higher greenhouse temperatures unless there is a long period of below 15 degree temp and cloudy!!
+++
My storage containers in the greenhouse will maintain a temp of near 40 even in the dead of winter. As long as I can sustain a sweat chamber temp of 55 all the time I can grow plants before the march time and get a big jump on spring I have a 6 foot nasturtium growing now with tons of flowers and the temp has gone down to the low 30's a few times!
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Last year my temp was down to 32 a few times but the moisture seemed to keep anything from freezing!! I kept everything I put in from fall flowers growing without any heat except for the water storage and double plastic !
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ReptileAddiction
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I don't know if it will work or not but it is definitely worth a shot. What I like to do is buy the 50lb bags of playsand (about $3.00) and put them underneath the shelves. It holds in heat during the day and releases it at night.