Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Dave have you considered plumbing in a Tpiece at the apex of your siphon, adding good gate valve, and then just sucking the air out every day? Less effort I would have thought. Use clear tube on the suction hose, watch for water to appear, then shut of the gate valve and allow water to drain into tank. no need for nasty water in your mouth.
Did that make sense?

Nope.

Seriously though thanks for the suggestion. I don't really have any long-term plans for the system, other than to see what it does over the Summer. I fished out the other two goldfish from the neglected fish sanctuary last night. The first one is bullying the other two, probably because he's gained so much strength in the last couple weeks!

Any chance of getting a pic of this, DRD?
(D'oh! Now I'm off on a Farscape daydream...)

Another wau might be for those brass barb fittings, to screw a teeny one into the top of the U. Janet used fittings like that with her siphons.

yeah, that'd be perfect... I didn't quite mean a full size tee, just tee off a small diameter, it'll be cheaper, smaller perspex hose, all over a better solution. Just need a small tap to suit the brass barb.

sure thing

when I first gave this a try I failed. I just drilled a hole in the pvc elbow and siliconed in a piece of air hose. The silicon does not like the pvc it failed the syphon failed.

Second attempt I glued in a short piece of the rigid tubing used for undergravel filter then placed the air line on it. Check it every few days to see if it needs air removed.

Thank you!