Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi guys,

This is my first post on the forum, thanks for the load of resources.
So I've build my first system following the instructions from Japan Aquaponics (http://www.japan-aquaponics.com/micro-aquaponics-plans.html). Everything is same except for the siphon, I've built a basic one from plastic bottles.




Here's a picture of the whole setup :


Now, everything works great, the siphon triggers as expected, the water is being pumped as it should.

The only problem that I have is that my system's WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor) is pretty low due to the noise. I choosed to place my setup in the bedroom, being the only room with direct sunlight (I'd rather use sunlight than articial light), but my wife is not too happy about the noise that it makes

Here's what I've done so far to reduce the noise :

Use a pipe with holes to bring the water back to the fish tank

Put a bottle on top of the pipe that brings back the water to the fish tank

Here is what it looks like




I was thinking about using a sponge that I would put around the exit pipe to stop all splashing noise from the water coming back to the fish tank. As I understand that the more water splash the more oxygen fishes get, I'm searching for a solution that I could use only during the night and that I would remove during the day, for my fishes to be happy.
I plan to use goldfishes in my system, would they be able to handle 8 hours a day without optimal water oxygenation ?

I've also realized that my siphon is pretty loud when it triggers and when it stops, do you guys have any advice on how to reduce that sound as well ?

Thanks for the help,
Thibaud

Small pump in fish tank with a venturi aeration nozzle to aerate at night. Do away with the siphons (I know they are cool but they'll always be noisy ) and either run Constant Flood only until bed time or run timed flood and drain till bedtime. After this main pump shuts off and fish tank is aerated by the venturi on the little pump. You could also use a small air pump instead of the water pump with the venturi (I think they are noisier but venturis make noise as well). If you use an air pump, you could hang it up in a mesh bag to reduce the vibrations of it resting on a surface.

That's my 2 cents worth.

Cheers

Yeah I think Scotty is on the money there, siphons always make some noise gurgling at some stage. If you have a stand pipe running straight down into your fish tank below the water surface, it naturally sucks air down like a venturi and provides lots of oxygenation while being almost completely silent.