Pond Hydro/Aqua Ponics
Power Options
I was going to break down the math for you, but you can just read the pages written by others and decide if you want the plug or solar yourself.
Solar options are wide, but you need to ask yourself some questions first.
Do you just want a single solarpanel to power the whole thing or a small panel for each pump and whatever else you wnat to add?
Do you want lighting?
Where is the sun-light in reference to your desired location?
What type of fish do you want to use? Goldfish/Koi don't need heaters, just a hole for gasses to escape, but Blue Tilapia (the most common aqua/hydroponics fish used) cannot handle cold.
If you have cold winters, how do you want to heat the water?
For example:
For my pond I could heat it during winter using a [few] aquarium/tank heaters. The most powerful I found was $88.88 (at time of typing this). It's only for 250gallons. I'd need at least FIVE of these!
Solar heating may not work at night (not at all really), but if you raise the water temp enough, it could stay warm enough throughout the night. It does make it a LOT cheaper as the videos posted in "Videos" shows. Will test this out this winter (2014/2015). Will let everyone know how it does.
Update on Solar Heating:
So far the black tubes with solar pumps are working. The water is still too cold for the tilapia to survive a winter (they are inside till Spring). I've also, even added a black bubblewrap piece (approx 1'x2.5') to add extra heating. Even with 13°F this morning the pond has very little ice compared to the rest of the water sources on my property.
I don't want to scare you out of solar, but DO YOUR RESEARCH on prices before you decide on what type of solar system you want to use!
The larger systems are going to cost more (some a VERY pretty penny), but in the long run [if everything runs smoothly] will benifit you. You can choose my route and go with one large for the power hog and small panels for the smaller one if you want. It's all up to you.
That's the beauty of it. Unless it miserably fails, there is no wrong. LOL
You can always change and upgrade or downgrade as needed.
To help you get started, some of the items I have chosen are listed under the "Project Parts" Menu. Future possibles are listed in "Future Plans".