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greenhouse aquatic gardening



I really like the idea of using the sun in a green house. I can foresee
a problem I don't think has been mentioned yet and that would be
condensation from the warm aquarium water onto anything in contact with
colder air in the green house. Double walls and heating would be one way
to solve it. Dehumidification is another. Keeping the tanks closed might
be a third approach; perhaps the cheapest. If there are no tropical
fish, you might be able to keep the plants in the 50-60 F range although
they won't grow quite as rapidly. Some plants even like it as you know
from the Elodea! 

You could insulate the walls and just have the ceiling with double or
triple glaze glass; perhaps two layers. You have to be able to open the
tops in summer and keep a fan going or you'd have temps in the 100s.
Some green houses have thermostat controlled louvres and fans.

Another wild idea would be to use a hot bed approach which is a small
enclosure just large enough to cover the tanks. The sides can then be
insulated with straw or blankets or some such.

The light may also be too strong during summer months so you'd need to
guestimate the intensity. Using the F-stop approach with a camera
described in the Krib would work! I think we estimated 10% of tropical
sunlight would be plenty but you'll have to adjust from there.

Steve