How to Build a Snorkel Bell Siphon for Aquaponics

[@Kilted_Kansan]

I do have to say I do like your videos you have put together they are informative & I Thank You!

[@Janderra]

Great video Rob Blessings Gerowyn

[@RobsAquaponics]

Thanks Gerowyn. 😁👍

[@ofcv1238]

10:27 an old hot water kettle is perfect for a quick dip of pipe ends for extra tight fittings

[@eltallerdeelberg....1273]

I put a simpler one in one of my bed made of a plastic bottlle with an airline from the top of the cap hot glued down the side. Works great. honestly,I'm surprised how well!

[@RobsAquaponics]

Nice one mate. 👍 Hope the systems growing well for you.

[@ipohboy]

great video and practical ideas. thank you, Rob. Keep well.

[@konradh629]

Hi Rob. Konrad here from South Africa. Im running a 3 kilo litre system. My sump is small 200l and about 1.2 meters deep with a 600mm diameter. As the flood and drain bed fills the sump empties. This in turn decreases the flow rate as the head becomes significantly higher. Im constantly fiddling with the standard bell siphon. This will help Im sure. Thanks for all the info. Enjoy!

[@RobsAquaponics]

How did the new bell go for you Konrad?

[@konradh629]

@@RobsAquaponics Hey Rob. It all turned out ok! My first attempt was ok for the first couple of cycles then the container failed. The vacuum was too much for the walls to handle. I upgraded the container from a cheap water bottle to a more rigid coke bottle. All ok for now. I was using a 50mm pvc pipe, the current container is around 80mm. I think this also helps with the flow. I have an issue that i cannot solve, perhaps you have some advice? My ph has remained at 7.5 constantly for around 3 months now, by adding nitric acid I get it to 7.3 for a day or so. If i dont add constantly it pops back to 7.5. My resevour is at 6.5. The trout love it but the plants are not performing as they should. Maybe you should pop over for a gander lol. Be well and enjoy. Konrad

[@RobsAquaponics]

@@konradh629 🤣 If we're ever allowed to travel again I'd like that. 👍 Have made a few friends in SA with this channel. What grow medium are you using? If it's rock you may have some carbonate based rock in there that is causing the pH to rise.

[@konradh629]

@@RobsAquaponics hi Rob. Im using expanded clay balls 12mm in the flood/drain bed. The rest of the system is constant flow with polystyrene rafts.

[@RobsAquaponics]

@@konradh629 Not quite sure what could be the cause then sorry mate. I know our water comes out of the tap with a pH of about 7 then jumps up to 8.5 after it sits for a while. Are you on town treated water?

[@gafrers]

Interesting as always

[@ipohboy]

thank you, super info.

[@andyzwieg]

I use a snorkel bell siphon. Flow rates change with pump life, or if debris get in there. The snorkel ensures, or makes it more likely that it breaks, especially if you won't be around for a while. Otherwise you get all sorts of fungal things that happen if plants stay in water for too long

[@RobsAquaponics]

Nice one Andrew. 👍 I like the idea of using it as a safeguard when going away for a while. Cheers mate.

[@RobsAquaponics]

*Learn about Aquaponics 🐟🍓🍅 with my "Backyard Aquaponics for Beginners" Guide for only US$19.95. You can see the guide in action on my website, ► www.bitsouttheback.com/aquaponics-guide Or, buy directly here, ► robbobaquaponics.retrieve.com/g/XL0J6T2P#/content/90525 Don't forget to click the subscribe button if you enjoyed the video, bit.ly/Subscribe2Rob & share the clip around if you think it may help others too.👍 Cheers all & happy growing.🐟🌱🍅 Rob

[@mfanto1]

If you going to make it out of pvc why not use electrical pipe

[@RobsAquaponics]

@@mfanto1 It's not food grade where the pressure PVC pipe is here in Australia. 👍

[@mfanto1]

@@RobsAquaponics and what would make it food grade?

[@RobsAquaponics]

@@mfanto1 It's the plasticizers (mainly toxic phthalates) that make the electrical conduit flexible as I understand it. They aren't present in the pressure PVC pipe here in OZ.

[@ramoneoliveira5851]

Bom dia Rob, like.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Cheers Ramone. 😁👍

[@ofcv1238]

4:47 Forstner bit safer & by far more effective with PVC versus spade bits…you will never use a spade bit again!

[@LordLarryWho]

Striking out reaching you on MeWe. I'm adding a couple new additions to the greenhouse so I can have 4 methods on the AP side. How do I pay you for a little bit of time for Q&A? Reply on MeWe when you get time.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hey Larry. Have been keeping low in general (literally) Will pop over now.

[@docholiday2328]

I love how your aussie use the slsng jobby lol

[@RobsAquaponics]

The Scot's & some brit's Use it slightly differently. 😉 Cheers DH. 👍

[@musicmanhalart4547]

i would like to see how it works anyway thank you very much

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hope it works well for you if you have a crack at one mate. 👍

[@Jojojamjar]

I'm sure you know this already but you could soften the hose in boiling water so it will go onto the black bits easier

[@RobsAquaponics]

Yep. 👍 Sometimes it's just easier to use some elbow grease. Cheers & have a top one.

[@stevehoover16]

👍

[@RobsAquaponics]

👍😁

[@ChadKovac]

I've tried all different kinds of buckets and tubes and containers and then drains and siphons and ultimately I end up with just a hole in the bottom that I have a piece of PVC with slots cut in sitting over the top of so that my clay balls don't go in oh and speaking of clay balls I wish I'd never met them. I grow mostly directly in the water now using a 12v solar panel and a small DC pump.

So, this one works on higher flow rates too?

[@RobsAquaponics]

It's about the only time I would use one Gürkan. The other instance may be if the drain from the bed to the sump is too long or maybe running slightly uphill preventing air to travel back up to break the siphon in the bell.👍 Hope all's well with you mate.

@@RobsAquaponics I run my grow beds constant flood at the moment but I am thinking of reverting back to syphons. One grow bed is slightly lower than the return pipe and it wasn't suitable for syphon but I will fiz that soon and use syphons again.

[@RobsAquaponics]

@ The larger snorkel will help a lot there. Would like to know how you get on mate. 👍

[@dejkho695]

Black tube how is work?

What is the diameter of the snorkel pipe? 15mm?

[@RobsAquaponics]

It's the 13mm blue stripe pressure pipe. The standard 13mm irrigation line is the same & is a lot cheaper. I just used bits from the veggepods as I don't like their irrigation system. 😉

@@RobsAquaponics Cool. So 16mm hole, 16mm top hat grommet and 13mm pipe to be exact :-)

[@RobsAquaponics]

@ 16mm hole for the 13mm top hat grommet is what I used 👍 Double check it with the folks at the store in case theirs are different to mine.

[@lopsumtathro]

the volume of water in the bell should not exceed the volume of water in the syphon pipe and the syphoned water should exceed the inflow rate. You could try larger distance between bed and drainage tank with longer syphon and greater syphon pressure,also make sure the syphon pipe is slightly larger than inflow pipe . The problem may be your bell is too tall and the syphon pipe too narrow(or bell too wide).They should make a good break if set up properly. You can always have more if your pipes are not matched to your inflow.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Not sure who you're responding to sorry mate. If it's me, my plain bells work fine & have done so for a decade. This is a video for those curious as to how I made them after seeing them in this video, kzbin.info/www/bejne/qHyolouErLirjbc Cheers & have a top one.

[@lopsumtathro]

@@RobsAquaponics ok m8, i was talking to anyone with bell syphon issues, I invented the bell syphon in 91/92 for school hydro greenhouse project school were doing.

[@drrahilakurdi5943]

💕🌷💕

[@RobsAquaponics]

😁👍🌺

[@chadmitchell4]

If you find the pipe is too stiff to put on. Make a cup of tea for yourself and a cup of boiling water to stick the pipe into, just the last inch will do.

[@chadmitchell4]

Also you can lube the grommet with water based lubricant, the cheapest being the lube you use having fun with the missus.

[@gtag174]

The basic bell siphon is more than enough others are just a waste of time.

[@RobsAquaponics]

If you say so.

[@whatmust8146]

You do thing a bit differently down under than in the state. Here in the US we use barb fitting. way simpler and cheaper. Just make thread hole then screw in the barb fitting done. I am going to modify my b.siphon to the snorkel type. I like the idea for a piece of mind plus it is an easy retrofit. I do aquaponic with main emphasis on raising snake head gourami for consumption. I see NO one doing this fish since it is NOT common in the West but prevalent in Asia where i came from. Fish tastes great and it has unique flavor unlike any other fishes!!!!! i also eat lot of veggies so AP is perfect combination. A bit of expense at the beginning but i am very resourceful so my cost is way lower than anyone else build up. The biggest cost is the media and I go with clay pebbles the same as you since that is one time purchase and those things last forever and will produce many may many veggies. Well worth its initial cost. I learn a lot from your videos and also a subscriber!!!!

[@RobsAquaponics]

The problem here is getting those threaded barbed elbows WM. I was looking for ages & they only had smaller diameter ones. Should probably shop around a bit more & see what I can come up with online. I've seen that the snake head are quite prevalent in some waterways over there now. I think I saw it on river monsters a while back. Hope they grow well for you mate.