Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Think he may have borrowed the idea off a bloke called "Bell" Gemmel .... roflmao

oh yeh, you got it bad, no hope for you now..............

I don't think its les's brainchild, but in MY opinion his resources of pipe sizes and flow rate are a HUGE contribution to the membership. It allows some one like yourself to make them from scratch and have them work first time, every time.

Love the mobile siphon! They're great, aren't they? i often show people my system, let them assume there is a complex drain mechanism and then pull apart the syphon (one tube to see the guts). I love the perplexed look!!!!

That scrolling marquee is a first.... know a bit of html I see.

The bell siphon was bits and pieces of ideas from forum members (johnnie7au started it off)...I was the mug that took a hit for the team, we didn't know it was called a bell siphon until DD pointed it out - the damn thing just grew, glad you were able to understand and install one in so short a time

Make....the marquee.....stop.
Feeling dizzy.
Gonna hurl.





(Awesome job on the bell siphon!)

Tim, the marquee button is in the preview section, i found it a few days ago looking for an "indent" button.

I thought it was the indent button too. Got rid of crappy scrolling.
[marq=right]
How anoying is the scrolling marquee if there is information that you actually want there eh?
[/marq]

Photo Time:

The hoses - not hooked up properly yet. The tarp will go when I get some more plastic.


Half barrel sitting tank and black sump bin.



This is going to go, I have a new plan. I'm going to join two black plastic bins by a pipe about 1/4 the way up. Water from the system goes into one, the pump is in the other. Then heavy solids will fall to the bottom of the first bin and not go near the pump.

My first autosiphon!

All 4. They all work.


I'm going to replace the gaff tape with a 40mm clip (like on the greenhouse). I don't like the idea of the tape glue leaching stuff into the water.

My greenhouse in the fading light. So much for the "low impact on the garden" though.

EllKayBee = LKB and so for all I know his last name IS "Bell"

Anyway, is it actually named after someone or is it due to the shape or something?

It's the shape, Gemmel. don't give Les the chance you're leaving for him there...

Jest pokin a stick at ya for a giggle Gemmel......

Nice work mate, you're almost there.

Nah - the "B" is not for Bell (or Bunnings in this case )

Good idea to get rid of the duct tape, water might de-stickify it also

Dude - regarding the siliconing - I don't have mine siliconed. I have a PVC valve socket (male) on the inside of the bed and a faucet socket (female) on outside of bed. I then have rubber gaskets on both inside and outside of bed that are depressed when the fuacet and valve sockets are screwed into each other.

Look here if you don't know what those fittings are http://www.wetearth.com.au/Product/Prod ... lngCatID=6

Well done with the siphon. I am assuming your flow into each bed is relativelly low. The key to a siphon working is the flow rate matching the siphon. If the flow is too high for the siphon - the siphon won't break.

I took your advice and tried this. Because my beds already had rocks in it, and the odd shape of the bottom of the barrel, I found that two worked, and two didn't. So I had to silicon two anyway. However, they do make taking the autosiphon out very easy.

So ... progress ..
MY GOD I'M ALMOST FINISHED WOOOOO. 3 beds (have ditched the 4th for the moment as it's very troublesome) with working autosiphons and sump.

I am using normal garden hoses and the siphon effect to fill my beds. Below shows the beds filled just before the autosiphon kicks in. I've since added more rocks so you can't see the water.


This is my sump setup. The two bins are plumbed together using the patented VB system of PVC valve sockets. Unfortunately it didn't work so good because of the corrugated surface of the bins and I've had to ladle on the silicon there too. They leak like a sieve. They will have lids when I'm done.


This is my draining "solution". Notice the odd shape of the grow beds drain - that's what made screwing those damn sockets together so hard. Couldn't get my socket wrench into the little gap (on the inside).


The sump when 1 autosiphon is going.


The sump when 2 autosiphons are going.


Bugger!


I did some more fiddling around after these photos, mostly attempting to get rid of the myriad of leaks I have. But I got it going so that it flooded the bed, drained to the sump, and then the pump turned on and pumped the water onto the garden (still very dirty).

Anyway, I am now OH SO close. Unfortunately I'm buying a house on Tuesday, so this project may not get as much time as it needs.

I read someone saying that I shouldn't bother trying to silicon every single little leak because once the bacteria gets a hold it'll plug up those holes with it's slime... opinions please?

Very small leaks will sometimes plug themselves. If it drips maybe ever 5 seconds, you have a chance of it plugging itself. Any faster, and I'd say you better plug it yourself.

Nice pics!!!