Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

If you run it with just the standpipe, is the water level higher, like it was on the first siphon break or is it where the later siphon breaks happened?

Ben,

Can you see water sitting in your drain pipe via that Tee? If so, maybe there is a big slug of water sitting there until the rising air pressure in your bell pushes it over the hump and with it starts a big suck that starts your siphon?

I'd still worry about your drain having a slight incline to it even with that Tee...

--
Sam

PS -- I know from reading some of the past discussions on this forum that some of those words will get a certain Aussie all excited, but I didn't know a better technical term to describe the start of a siphon from the pulling side of things...

Ok so today and last night i had time to go out and mess with it, and it was running slightly uphill so i went and got a threaded to 90 and now its running downhill as it should. And now i cant get it to repeat the water level issue even before i changed the pipe so im guessing it was a flow rate issue. Now it doesn't get up to the desired water level though...well actually what is the ideal top end of the water level in the grow bed? and if i recall right i adjust it with the stand pipe height?

Yep, just insert a slightly longer standpipe until you get the depth where you want it. You want the water level an inch or two below the surface of the media - the surface should not be damp or you'll get algae growing.

Ok so after getting the stand pipe height just right and testing it out for a few hours its all working as it should its 2in below the top of the rocks, how many cycles are good an hour? it takes 8 mins to make a full cycle. Here are some pics.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1Py2S ... sp=sharing

In that pic it was obvious that it wasnt level or even close so i got a threaded to 90 and now its all fixed.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1Py2S ... sp=sharing


https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1Py2S ... sp=sharing

Number of cycles isn't really that important as long as it cycles at least once per hour. Mine used to cycle every 6 minutes - People have had more or less time and it really doesn't matter. The beds are getting oxygen .