Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Doh! Still have a leak... off looking for bulkhead fittings

Tamo, here's a link to Simmo's system showing what he used ... here in OZ it's known as "blu-tac"... usually used to hang up posters on painted walls..... apparantly works well on black poly tubs....

http://backyardaquaponics.com/forum/vie ... =8355#8355

Cool, it's called Fun-Tak in the US apparantly. Thanks!

I think Simmo changed his mind about the blutak. He was having to re-work it every week or so to get it to hold on the plastic.

Oh... OK.... must have missed that post. Sorry Tamo.

Might be worth a try anyway.

I think it would work fine as a waterproof washer in a fitting that screwed into another on the other side. That's how I used the silicone in my last GB (the one that broke - but it broke in the middle, not the tubing!)

Tried the bluetak, tried the silicone; that damm black plastic resists all sticky stuff. Ended up buying bulkhead fittings, which worked first time and are still working. I've attached a picture of one type.

I tried a last-time siliconing (yes, it's a verb now). This time I was slightly less lazy and caulked up both sides, hopefully it will work. If not, off to bulkheads.

Silicone didn't seal :/. The main issue is that it seals in the position set, but any motion on the loop tubing pulls open a gap. So I'm switching to a bell siphon. I am using silicone again to bond the cap to the outer pipe, so we'll see how that goes. Should be too much motion there .

I had the same problem with the silicone. I ended up tapping a brass fitting into the PVC pipe, sealing that with silicone, and then slip-fitting the tubing onto the stable brass fitting. Then I can position and re-position the tubing to my heart's content.

Janet, I am so glad you posted that link to That Fish Place on the bulkheads. I have been looking for just that, thanks.

So I got the bell siphon all silicone'd up. And my pump went out :/.

I tried testing the siphon by filling the growbed with water from a bucket, and it does siphon. I'm somewhat concerned about the pump being able to out pace the regular draining of the siphon tube when it gets above the rim but below the bell top.

This is where the style of outpipe comes in tamo (ie upwardly inclined a bit or with a u on the end.

Not a full U on the end, more of a long L. It works pretty well right now.

I got a pond kit from Lowe's that is being discontinued. a 400 gph pump, 70 sq ft pond liner, and a plastic lily fountain for $29. A great deal just for the pump!

My biggest issue is the siphon shooting water so hard it's going out of the FT!

I wrapped a piece of shade cloth over the end to stop it splashing everywhere, acts like a muffler too (only here it sucking in air at the end of the drain now)