Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

EB, had it running for most of the past 2 days with no hiccups, ran a few tests like actually taking the siphon pipe off and letting it overflow naturally down the drain pipe then putting it back on again and it just kicked in, amazed me so I did it several times to convince myself.

Gonna just let it run now for a few days without touching it and work on setting up the 2nd grow bed.

The inflow from the pump is approximately 400lph and each cycle (flood and drain complete) takes 13minutes 30 secs and varies by about +/- 10seconds.

Hey Ell, cool things. I like the pictures!
In this siphon, the bends (trap) under the siphon is working to build up the back pressure, so the rest of the drain pipe wouldn't have to be submerged a certain amount or rely on the water level in the fish tub being a specific level.
http://www.siphons.com/operation.html

Fantastic work Ell.

It works so well how one aspect of Aquaponics can consume a specific forumer - the results speak for themselves with the new ideas and system designs I've seen cropping up in my mere 3 months as a forumer.

I'm still to do my greenhouse roof, then I'll try get a u bend in a standpipe design functioning with figures for flow.

On aeration with a submerged pipe. I'm sure you could sneak a venturi in on your downpipe.

Great stuff Les,

I saw them at B but saw that they didnt screw up all the way so cutting them is the answer.

I am going to try the ubend like in the bell syphon under the grew bed. The cost of all these fitting sure add up.

Eureka - we've done it

had a couple of 40mm elbows so shoved them together in a U-bend type arrangement and watched the show.

This is not only a siphon it is now a fountain/aerator/siphon, admittedly in this configuration the water level in the grow bed rose a further 20mm before starting to siphon but it was pretty to watch - had to put my hand over the output to stop water splashing everywhere.

Modifications are required but it has got rid of the necessity for a reservoir tank, the top of the elbow could be cut off to reduce the pressure required and lower the water level in the grow bed or it could be placed straight under the grow bed out of sight, but let's do a double WIPM and reflect on what has been achieved.

vb - you are back in business to run through a U-bend trap and straight into the fish tank

Some more pics to show the components used and situation of the air pipe:

Pic 1 is the components for the siphon:
the 150mm protective pipe is upside down, easier to see the crenellations cut out;

the 3mm pipe is in the background, it is below the bottom level of the crenellations cut out of the 40mm drain pipe;

the 40mm drain pipe has a slight modification, Silastic has been added to the pillars, this is to make sure the siphon pipe does not move against the drain pipe and restrict water flow – I did not see this happen but not sure that it won’t (preventative modifications); and

the 65mm siphon pipe has an end cap just pushed onto it and slips over the drain pipe.

Pic 2 is the other end of the 3mm air tube, the water on the pipe and bin lip is due to rain – not leaks, the piece of foam wedge is to give the pipe some support and is not really required (more preventative modification).

A more detailed explanation will be provided in the hardware section, but feel free to discuss the siphon here:

apologies to Dave for stealing his idea on the u-bend, when I read the references here to it I simply had to try it - and then I saw Dave's piccies.

Team work has got the auto-siphon just about perfected

Hi Ell:
Not my idea at all, I have been obsessed with copying the bell and siphon thing linked here:
http://www.siphons.com/operation.html
I think the "Carlson" siphon could probably also be improved by using the U bend instead of having the end of the drain pipe underwater:
http://www.masla.com/reef/csm.html
There seems to be two common devices - one little signal to break the siphon at the bottom of travel (the air hose), and also some way of providing backpressure to help the siphon start.
The air pressure buildup that is part of the bell and siphon has me intrigued because I would like to use a siphon in the grow bed, but these have very wide areas and so starting the siphon will be tricky. The burping thing could help the thing get started in such a shallow situation.
I wish I had some wide pipe - would set it up like yours Ell!

Ell, I would like to award you the unofficial title of neatest system. You are a craftsman. Like the challenge too re the fountain. You are gonna need to feed your fishies sea sickness tablets

EB, the system as is has been running all night and day without a hiccup but I need to pull it down and add Dave’s u-bend, but firstly I must congratulate Dave, not on mentioning the U-bend, but on his timing of mentioning the U-bend. If he had been a couple of days earlier I would have immediately incorporated into my design and would not have thought of using and testing the reservoir tank idea, now I am required to dismantle part of my system and incorporate the u-bend concept – there is one word that affectionately sums the up the whole situation……bugger!

Here tis - the broken "U"


grabbed a few pieces and shoved them together, 3 elbows and a "T", one end of the horizontal pipe goes to the fish tank, the other connects to another grow bed.

the bottom of the elbow next to the "T" needs to be above the top of the next elbow so water is trapped in the pipe, on the next grow bed just swivel the elbows until they align with the pipe running to the fish tank and keep a water lock in place.

One 40mm pipe to the fish tank is now required for as many grow beds added, just need to adjust the timing so the grow beds don't kick in at the same time.

Will re-assemble my system with this and also test what happens if 2 grow beds are siphoning at the same time.

Good one Ell. When I saw Dave's e-mail this morning I couldn't help but visit the hardware on the way to work today and look at DWC connections necessary to make u bend, but also 40mm sink bend packs.

Come home now and see that you've done it already. This is a good thing because you will have tested and perfected it before I even open my wallet.

have been a little confused byt your ideas but that picture sums it up beautifully and it is a very neat and tidy look will definately try that in the next system, good ideas

I think it is great Ell - the only thing that is a shame is the necessary size of the outer pipe. 150mm means that a bit more grow space is taken up than I would ideally like. Question is whether I need such a strong drain action, scaling it all down may be the go. Will have to think about it.

Though on second thoughts, in the size grow beds I am using it is not as big an issue as it would be in a half barrel type setup.

Yeh - my 1st thoughts were that 150mm was gonna be big but seeing it in the tank kinda puts it in perspective - price $32 for a metre a "B" and I was trying to be economical.

Smaller sized piping can be used for the drain and siphon pipe, just need to rework the figures, I just wanted to run something that would drain the grow bed when coupled to Monya's fire hydrant.

I had a quick look under the sink at the elbow but I think it is too deep - more depth equals more pressure required to start siphon equals higher the water level rises above the end cap to produce the pressure.

Now that I have got over the euphoria of the U-bend, I am going to do some tests today - straight up and around to see how much higher the water level rises above the end cap, then twist the elbows to decrease the pressure needed to start the siphon.....