Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I'll finish of saying 2 things only:

1. FORD's

2. CF

Nuff said

I had a hard time getting my Bells balanced, too. While thinking things through, and with some help from this forum, I figured out the drain MUST empty as well so air can enter the system and stop the siphon cycle, not just from the bell end, but at the point where your GB drain ends. If your drain is too long, or not enough drop/slope in the line, the siphon might suck air at the bell end, but water still moving in the drain line creates a sucton that keeps creating vacuum which keeps the siphon cycle going. I eventually completely dropped the bell siphons and went with a simple basic loop siphon......and a much shorter drain line. Just a thought. Not saying loop is better, I just liked the simplicity. Once you get the physics of siphoning worked out, I'm sure either one works just fine. Look at your entire drain system, not just the Bell. Your issues could be at the other end.

This will help explain where I started and where I ended up. viewtopic.php?f=1&t=15425

It's what we do when we get bored... argue with Rupe!... ... he's always up for it!...



That should now be:

Holden....

Ford.....

Holden...

Ford...

Nissan...


Who knows, next year it may well be:

Holden....

Ford.....

Holden...

Ford...

Nissan...

Daewoo...

cherry?

this year is + Merc and Nissan

Next year comes along + Chrysler and Toyota

Hey.. each to their own.... I'm not arguing against siphons as such... but the illogic in the arguments that are often put forward against timers...

Have to agree - toyota all the way .

Another problem with timers is that you have to keep adjusting them for daylight saving, otherwise the fish get confused

I only dislike the timer method because:

You need a bigger sump (you can go timed indexing valve i suppose)
You need a bigger pump
Even though reduced, 2 more potential points of failure (timer/pump)

Well one more potential point of failure.. arguably...

The pump.. is a pump... regardless of siphon or timer...

I don't see why you would need a bigger sump? whether you are on timer or siphon, you have too allow that at any time there may be maximum or minimum water in your sump.. Loose the sump...

Having a bigger pump is an advantage, you can move solids better by pumping part time with a bigger pump, rather than a full time small pump that won't move solids. There's pluses and minuses to each way...

Sorry Joel, i was comparing to CF where you dont need much of one compared to the other 2 ways

And Rupert - pump failure due to on and off all the time. A little build up when its off, ive had pumps not start without a tap

.....

Well that's the rationale put forth... but the experience of BYAP, myself and others... tends to suggest... in an even longer time span... than that's necessarily the case...

Follow the logic.. (as posted previously)


Premise :

Turning a pump on and off 20+ times a day.. with a timer... leads to the pump sometimes not starting...

I (Yabbies).. use a siphon... and turn my pump off 1-2 times a day... and my pumps sometimes don't start...

Ergo, given that they're the same pump used by BYAP in a timed system... and by Yabbies in a siphoned system... and they seem to fail in a comparatively shorter time span...


You'd logically... (or just as illogically)... have to conclude...

That the siphon must be more likely to cause a pump failure ....