Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Yep, have the syphons drain into much larger pipe otherwise you get a water "traffic jam" I'm using some of that 3" or 4" thin wall pipe to carry water by gravity from multiple large beds.

3/4" loop syphons would probably be plenty large to drain half barrels nicely. Any larger and I fear you might have trouble getting a fast enough inflow rate to start the syphon nicely. 3/4" syphons empty half barrels fairly quickly.

Hi friends;
I have been working every spare moment on the new system. Still trying to adjust the syphon. The clear tube tip has been a great help. I can now see what the water is doing. If I have to small amount of water going into the bed, it won't start to syphon, it just half trickels out, if I have too much the syphon starts, but doesn't stop. Ok, I had to come to bed and it still is not right. Any new tips.
I am off to church and will be at it again this afternoon. I hope to get pictures today.

I've always had a bit of trouble getting half barrels (cut the long way) to siphon properly.

I have two that do just fine but they are part of a barrel ponics system with the Flush tank that feeds them a fast inrush and then stops the inflow so the siphons can give them a good drain before shutting off.

The other two half barrels I have cut long ways are in a cascade after a half barrel cut around the middle like OBO's systems so when that first barrel's siphon stops it will allow the other barrel to stop siphoning and the final barrel is just kinda a flow through always half full bed.

So, I know a half barrel cut around the middle can happily flood and drain from the feed of a little harbor freight garden pump running 1/2" irrigation pipe. I've never been able to get the longways cut barrels to siphon properly on their own off that same little pump.

So my methods of getting half barrels cut the long way to flood and drain usually involves a flush tank or some other barrels above them to flood and drain properly and act sort of as flush tanks in the cascade. Finally, you might be able to use a timer, if the beds flood and start siphoning within the 15 minutes of a timer on cycle, then you could turn the pump off for the next 15 minute cycle and let the bed drain that way.

No half barrels in the indoor aquarium system but I run that on a timer 15 minutes on 15 minutes off and there is a siphon on the buckets there, with that system the timer was more to allow the little pump a regular backflushing because it had been gunking up and I found it was fine if I turned it off and back on (the water rushing back down the plumbing to the pump usually seemed to dislodge any gunk and things were good to go again) that pump is in a clean water sump so it was only bio-slime really affecting things.

Good Luck, I've decided I generally like half barrels cut around the middle better than the long ways beds. Mainly because the two primary issues of 1-getting the siphons to work properly (the whole varying volume at different depths really makes getting a siphon to cut out a trick.) and 2 - more cost and effort involved in supporting barrels cut the long ways while ones cut around the middle can just sit on the ground or any surface/framework strong enough to hold them, no problems with bulging or deforming.

Hi TC; I just went out to see how everything did all night. All tanks were just continuing to flow with no stop. I was looking at the picture RupertofOZ on 1.26.09 page 11 of my site. He said he had no problems. Maybe because he has a shorter loop. I am trying that next.
Also, I am going by your area on the 26th of this month. If you will be home I would like to stop in and see your set up. I am not sure in I changed the e-mail address on this site and was not sure where to look. Send me a message if you can to jcangelfish@gmail.com

I think I am getting some where. I changed the top loop to be sharper and not so far apart, so far we have flood and drain!!!!!

Some Pictures of the new site.

The Grow Beds

Shortly after taking the last pictures, the wind came up and blew the back tarped area over . It is now tied to the fence. I will be changing the tarp out for Greenhouse film over the fish and 30% sun shade over all. I also will need to put screen all around as there are lots of squirrels in the neighborhood. Last year they ate my green peppers.

Nice to see back on the wagon Joyce...

All those black milk crates remind me of this:

http://www.conservationtechnology.com/r ... avern.html

Hi Dave
That is a very interesting site. Does kind of look like the black crates. Maybe I can use the idea in one of the systems. I do like the idea of water conservation though.

Welcome back

Good Morning friends in AP land. I have been very busy every moment I can setting up the new system. The following are some of the results.

Pictures of present set up.

Nice system, I really like the growbeds, whats your source?