Floating Bamboo Planter for Aquaculture System

By Cylburn Acuaponics Farm

The aim of this project is to create a raft that will support plants and float within an aquaculture tank. Most aquaculture projects use styrofoam as their floating support, a material that requires a lot of energy to produce and is often treated with potentially hazardous chemicals. Our aim is to create a float-ing raft out of accessible, recycled materials that are food safe. The structural frame of the raft is bamboo, a sustainable build-ing material that grows very quickly and is very strong. The surface that supports the plants is made of a recycled plastic mesh called polyflo. This material is ideal for aquaculture be-cause its mesh structure provides ample 3-dimensional surface area for bacteria to grow in. With flat surfaces such as Styro-foam or plastic, bacteria can only grow on one plane.

Our Aim:

2 Pieces of Bamboo 2’ Long Each2 Pieces of Bamboo 4’ Long Each2 Pieces of Bamboo 2’ Long Split into Quarters1 Piece Polyflo fabric 2’ by 4’20 Plastic Zip Ties12-36 Net pots 2”L.E.C.A (Lightweight Expanded Clay Aggregate)-these look like little clay balls12-36 Plant Starts8 Collected Plastic Bottles 16oz

1 Hand Saw2 Clamps1 Chisel1 Pair of Heavy duty scissors1 Pair of Pliers1 Measuring Tool1Power Drill with Large Bit

To Build One Planter You will Requre:

NOTE: For this project each raft was built 2ft by 4ft in order to fit adequately in the size of our tank. The raft size can be altered according to the dimensions of your tank.

Tools:

Materials:

Cut pieces of bamboo into 4ft by 2 ft pieces. Whenever pos-sible cut pieces so that the node (area that separates straight growth) is on each end. This creates a “cap” so that the lap joints are less likely to split the bamboo in an inconvenient way.

Step One: Cut Stock to Length

Measure the diameter of a 2 ft piece of bamboo. This diameter will determine the width of the lap joints cut into the 4ft piece. Mark the width at the end of a 4ft piece, one inch away from the end. Do the same with the 4 ft piece, measuring its diam-eter and marking the width onto the 2 ft piece, one inch away from the end.

Step Two: Measure Diameter

On the marked lines, cut two parralell lines in the bamboo about halfway through. On the opposite side of the piece, do the same thing. You are severing the grain lengthwise so that the center piece can be removed easily.

Step Three: Cut Lap Joints

Align a chisel parallel to the grain of the bamboo in between the two cuts. The chisel should be placed at the bottom edge of the cut. Hit chisel with mallet until the bamboo breaks be-tween the two cuts. Repeat on opposite side. Once both sides are chiseled, the half circle piece of the bamboo will pop out. Repeat on other side of bamboo Note: It is especially important in the cutting and chiseling of the bamboo that the bottom of the cuts all end at the same level. This will ensure that when you chisel the pieces out, the flat space on either end are on the same plane. This is essen-tial for the bamboo fitting tightly together.

Insert 2 drill holes into every closed section of bamboo. This provides a drainage point for water so that the bamboo does not become waterlogged. While planning these holes be sure that you are aware of which side will be submerged in the water. Coordinate the ends with lap joints so that it makes sense to you. It may help to roughly assemble the frame before drilling so you can envision it completed.

Step Four: Drill Drainage Holes

Repeat steps 2-4 on three other pieces of bamboo. You should have two pairs of bamboo with matching lengths.

Step Five: Repeat Steps

Once your four pieces of bamboo have the lap joints cut out, it is time to attach them. Overlap the bamboo so that the notches nest in each other. There should be as little wiggle room as possible.

Step Six: Nest the Lap Joints

Take the plastic tie and wrap it diagonally around the corners of the connected bamboo. Join strip tie and tighten with pli-ers.

Step Seven: Secure the Corners

Take the 2ft by 4ft sheet of polyflo fabric and lay it on top of frame. Thread plastic tie through the polyfill one inch from the edge and around bamboo frame. Each Frame requires two plastic ties on each side.

Step eight: Attach THe Polyflo

Remove all stickers and labels from plastic bottles. With two zip ties per bottle, attach bottles parallel to pieces of split bamboo. Bottles will butt up against one another in the cent-er, leaving two inches clear on either side of bamboo. These will serve as the flotation and support for the raft. Slide these pieces of bamboo between the frame and the polyfill, with the bottles on the underside of the polyfill.

Step Nine: Attach The Bottles

Decide which size net pots to use for your planting purposes. Plants with larger stalks and root systems will require a larger net pot while plants with narrow roots and stalks can be placed in 2 inch net pots. To cut the holes for the net pot use heavy duty shears? Cut three lines in the polyflow that inter-sect in the middle, that are the diameter of your net pot. This will create six points that should be pushed inward to create a hole. Take the net pot and push narrow end through the hole. The top ridge of the net pot should sit flush with the top of the polyflow. . Leave 3 inches in between each net pot to allow room for plants to grow. In our model we alternated between rows of three and rows of four net pots in order to save space by place rows closer together. You will not be able to place net pots where the supports beams are, so plan accordingly to fit the net pots most efficiently.

Step Ten: Insert Net Pots

Pull your plant start out of the soil and shake off as much soil from its roots as possible. Place plant starts into net pots. Add the L.E.C.A. around the plant starts, keeping the stem as centered and erect as possible. The L.E.C.A. should come up to just below the plants true leaves. Fill all the net pots.

Step Eleven: Plant Seed Starts

Take your completed raft and place in your aquaculture system! Make sure plant roots are touching the water.

Step Twelve: Test Completed Raft

The Cylburn Aquaponics Farm was designed and built by David Love

with the Johns Hopkins Center for Livable Future

for more information about our project:https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cylburn-Aquaponics-Farm/123357424383201

for more information about The Center for a Livable Future: http://www.jhsph.edu/clf/

This Manual was Created by:

Dana BechertZoe AxelrodAviva Paley

Made in:Baltimore, Maryland

2012

For More Inormation about the Creaters of this Manual:http://www.danabechert.comhttp://cargocollective.com/zoeaxelrod/http://avivapaley.carbonmade.com/