Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Put a breather hose from the top of the bell, to the desired water break level.

Looks like they have already tried the breather tube.

Jessy, it is black cinder. Not to hard to get in Hawaii.

Countryboy, this system is a copy cat on steriods of a guy here on Oahu. But I am going to check out that link as well.

Yea it has a breather. I was thinking about drilling holes in the legs of the bell and increasing the angle of the piping coming from the stand pipe.

Any suggestions on how to get it to break cleaner? Thats really not a big deal though. Its not hurting anything.

DF, your getting there keep tinkering!
how have you got your drains set up at the end of your GB's?
doesn't seem to be a stand pipe there!? or a guard!?
How much of your media gets wet each flood cycle?
Looks as though the the water will flow straight to the blottom of the GB and out the drain, not really flooding the GB which is important.
Can't help you with the siphon issues as I don't use one sorry.

The drains are running the entire length of the bed (1/2") with slits cut into them and then they have 1 1/2" pipes covering them (also with slits and also the entire length of the beds). Kinda over kill I think but I doubt they will ever clog.

I am working on the fill level now. Thats why I wanted my siphon to flow a little faster. Right now I am getting the beds to fill higher by partially closing valves on the drains.

To get the siphon to break more cleanly, I would suggest you might need to let the drain have an air gap. The way it's currently set up, the siphon action is following all the way to where the first opening to the grow bed happens, it is difficult for the gasp of air to actually break the siphon all that way.

Yep, go with that.

TC, you were correct. Put the break and now it is cycling perfectly! I will post a picture of how I did it later.


Started some seeds, tested the water, now I am not sure if its totally ready to go crazy but ph was high (still new) amonia was zero and nitrite was very low. I don't have a test for nitrate... Water is about a week and a half old and the system has been running for about a week and a half. Fish for about a week.