Ive been watching Rob's videos about 5 yrs now. I have small system setup indoors for fresh greens during winter months. I purchased the guide & fit the outdoor system I'm designing to stay building Jan. (If this heat continues might b sooner than that, 100° in Oct!!) Everything is laid out, simple & understandable. Anyone can easily design & build a system using the guide. Plus you'll have Rob's years of experience on what works best for him
@@chengdutwo I looked at the U siphon but thought the bell b better. Pipes more protected from weather. Been dealing w crazy extremes down here. I'm wondering how bad the mosquitos will get
A cool trick I did, I ran the drain straight down into the fish tank below almost to the bottom. Bell floats, drill some holes in the vertical drain above the water line. It is very quiet, and the holes actually Suck air air in when it drains and bubbles air into the FT. The drain is the key to stopping the siphon, most of my Beds as Rob explains here.
OMG, perfect timing. A friend and I are each making a chop and flip and we just tested the bell siphon yesterday and ran into some problems initiating the siphon. This helps heaps, TY!
Thanks Rob.. I really enjoyed this video.. very well thought out and presented.. Looking forward to seeing more of these in the future.. Cheers buddy til the next one..
Good evening and THANK YOU for the all the knowledge you have shared over the years and the advices you have given over UA-cam and Facebook! You are awesome 😎 🤩
Your systems have worked for me fo many, many years now. Started with the barrel ponics and used allyour previous videos to make my (now in a new location) fourteenth IBC based AQ system. Thank you for this bell syphon video thatis another that I add to my collection of educational videos that you have given so generously for so long now. Couldn't do what I do in my backyard without your wonderful youtube collection.
No problem Dave. I'm hoping it will be a lot more helpful than jumping from one video to another to find answers to questions. Hope all's going well on the fam mate. 👍
Had little issues with my siphons like we all do. Everything has been resolved from videos like this. Rob has done so much to get information out there to help!
I'm making a grey water system in my house, (no permit needed in my city), depending on type of water in, anyway, I'm sure I could use one of these, thanks so much! I'm very interested in how to clean them, and just what happens in my house after enough washing machine water goes through one. thanks! You're the best!
They may get some deposits in the stand & drainpipes w.d.g but I wouldn't think it would be a lot. I would be interested in seeing how the build turns out as well. 👍👍
Hey Rob, great video. Another way to make a silent bell is to run the outlet under water and adding a simple Venturi tube above the water line. This allows it to break properly while keeping things quiet. Handy for indoor systems.
I studied your work on your system since more than 10 years ago. I planned on starting my own aquaponics system when I got to Arkansas but funds didn't go my way. Now I'm going to try again after I build a few beds. Already have a 700 gallon tank for fish. The bed trays will be concrete 3x3 to keep it lighter but I needed refresher on bell siphon. Saw you had to take your system down, hope you get it back when you are ready. On a closing comment, your a cool dude and I've learned a lot from you. Better days ahead.
Hey Richars. The new system should be up & running by this weekend hopefully. 🤞 Will have the last bed set up today & the fish should be moved over tomorrow if the water parameters are OK. I hope your build went smoothly.
Hi Rob, your videos are the most comprehensive and thus useful descriptions of aquaponics! Thank you! Here in Northern Sweden we are building 8 small aquaponics with our pupils in grade 7. Perfect school-project covering the majority of the curriculum - from biology to physics and chemistry. Greetings from Nordmaling! /Jakob
Hey Rob - one tip for testing your bell siphon break... You can craft a small standpipe (say 2-3" tall) and matching bell so that you don't have to wait for the full bed to fill each time. Then once you know the syphon will break, replace it with the correct size stand pipe. Hope this trick saves you hours of waiting time like it has saved me!!
hey mate, great video. im currently using a variant of a loop siphon but looking at having another crack at the bells in future. thanks again! looking forward to next weeks vid!
You certainly can as long as you have the flow to match. 👍 If you're having issues with the siphon starting due to a slow flow rate you can use a reducer into the bulkhead to restrict the flow some.
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, ► bit.ly/AquaponicsBeginnersGuide 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 & have a top one. 🐟 🌱🍅 Rob
I did this stuff a long time ago, and getting back into it now. I had a one inch standpipe and drain the last time around and it drained the bed a whole lot faster than my 3/4 drain and stand pipe now. I’m gonna add a 1 x 3/4 reducer at the top, 🔝 couldn’t imagine how much that would help. A one inch drain pipe, drained the bed much faster as I remember back in the day.
Great video as usual. This would have come in handy a few years back when I was putting together my system. I went through every bell syphon problem imaginable before finding a video and building it almost identically. I finally got everything working. My latest misfires have been discovering the beds over flowing. One incident involved a pineapple’s roots clogging the drain. Had thought a tropical plant had a low survival chance, but it’s doing good. Need to make sure the syphon is clear of roots though. Another issue with wetness at one corner of the frame. I think it had to do with capillary effects. My system is a wood framed with a pond liner. (I initially had trouble finding a source for IBC’s although it seems every other pickup in this area is carrying one. Goggled suppliers never had any in stock and got impatient) Anyway, the inner was tightly folded at the damp corner and because of roots, the permeability of the bed is reduced causing high water level at the inflow end. I’ve unfolded the liner in the corner and think of putting in a small diameter tubing from the corner to near the syphon. I need to pull out the kale tree, the damming source & for which I did get a start rooting. I did collect some seed pods off it too. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe buy some IBC’s and replace my beds, but the greenhouse is full of green right now. Tomatoes, strawberries, onions & chives, assorted herbs and blueberry bushes. Some in dirt, grow bags on flood trays, clay media beds, and a deep water culture trough. And my fish are near harvestable size. I should set up another fish tank for small fry. That sounds better than chopping down a kale. Cheers 🍻!
It might be a better job for the cooler months when things start to slow down a bit Joe. 👍 Could you transplant the Kale into some soil in a pot for growing outside?
@@RobsAquaponics Right, I’m waiting for February when the greenhouse is least green. The beds need some cleaning out, but I suspect they are well populated with red wigglers, thinking organic complex systems work better. But they could use some maintenance. Transplanting the kale is a good idea, outside? We get several winter nights which get down to the-20C range. I could move it inside the garage for those times. A big pot with wheels would be good. My strawberries are sprouting runners with new plants. I try to trim them off, but promised a new friend some plants. I have a bunch to spare. I’d like to promote the idea of sharing plants. That and thyme. I need to start a bunch of transplants and get them used to dirt. Time for a trip to the bigger city for pots and dirt. Cheers 🍻!
@@RobsAquaponics The thing that always gets me about aquaponics is are all the things that are necessary for plant growth really kept in an infinite loop around the life cycle of the fish? There is all the fungi, and bacteria and all the trace elements that are in fertilizers and the soil, but all that is going over the plants' roots is fish pee and poop, and I guess whatever is in the fish food. I'm not sure it's true but I read somewhere that our vegetables are less nutritious then they used to be 100 years ago because the soil is being leached of all its nutrients and biology. I don't think I've heard any of the aquaponics people actually close the loop and account for everything that needs to be present. Maybe that is not true, or maybe it is, but someone should prove out aquaponics. Seems healthy enough for you that's for sure.
Confession, I still haven't made one after years of raising tilapia. Thought of ordering the pre-fab kit but I keep ending up with strange containers with strange depths so I should probably go custom. Thanks for the video
I don't think they're the only way to regulate water levels in the beds but they have always worked well for me Thomas. As long as the plants & fish are growing well you're on the right path. 👍
@@RobsAquaponics I injured my right arm and lost my job and perfect credit with it. I was just getting around to a chop and flip and now a trip to the hardware store would be too expensive, when normally I didn't blink. I had to install a custom python-style (I use a 50ft flexzilla hose attached to a $5 python venturi attachment replacement part) in a utility sink for water changes now. On the plant end, I largely grow organic in soil. I am set up for hydroponics but I have a problem --- my family lives dirty, so bugs are rampant, I can't mix up bug sprays fast enough around here, so I am sticking to things like peppers and tomatoes. Then comes low temperatures causing growth issues with a lot of plants. Evidently, tomatoes hate it. Normally I'd buy some seedling mats. So, I guess I am toying with what I can do on a shoestring budget - I shouldn't have waited on the parts for a bell siphon, but my local hardware stores were terrible for finding the parts via list. Even have all the media and such... One thing they messed up on that can be useful: they gave me 5 utility sinks instead of one on accident, so I have 4 20 gallon tubs that could easily be converted for aquaponic use, made of PP plastic.
I have a 55 gallon aquarium tank I want to use to get started into aquaponics. I’ve read a lot and the videos take me further but I have three questions that I can’t seem to figure out. 1. Your bell siphon is sized fairly large. Do you have to scale the siphon down for a smaller tank and grow bed? 2. This might be obvious but is the pump that gets water to the grow bed constant? One video you made had a constant overflow no siphon and it looks that way from your diagrams. Side question, you mentioned the constant overflow worked well for fast vegetables- do you have a video that goes j to more detail about this constant flow style? 3. Do the pumps come with a flow regulator like the one in the video near the end? Your help is appreciated!
Hi SG. 1. I have made a smaller siphon for the chop & flip barrel build if that helps at all, ua-cam.com/video/Z2tgrUvSnbM/v-deo.html 2.The water flows 24/7. 👍 2.B I don't have a video on the constant flow as such as I prefer to aerate the roots using flood & drain where I can. If you are going to run constant flood I would recommend making sure that the water coming into the bed is well aerated. I'd also recommend that you don't leave plants growing in there too long or you may get anoxic zones occurring within the roots. 3. Not all pumps come with flow regulators but I do like to use them where I can. I hope that helps some.
It would be hard to have too much in a backyard system I think Sootkettle. I like to have some air going into every component, except for the solids settlers of course. 😉 It also doesn't have to be "mechanically added either, falling water does a great job at getting the O2 into the water.
Thank you for all your videos, they are very helpful! I'm starting my first aquaponic system, and first problem I found is the expanded clay I have floats, even after more than a week of soaking, so it's unusable for a media bed. Also, I washed it thoroughly before putting it in the bed, but it seems like it's slowly falling apart and filling the water with clay dust. Have you found this issue with expanded clay? I suppose it depends on the brand (?)
Hi Louis. I've seen some say that their media floated for up to a month but haven't heard of any breaking up. My guess is that you may have got a dud batch that wasn't fired to temperature. I generally use the Canna brand here in Australia. I'm not sure if it's available world wide though.
Hey Cory. Just responded to your email. 😉 Maxi crop is a liquid fish & I have it listed on my Amazon page if you want to suss it out. www.amazon.com/shop/bnbob01/list/JK0CLK814GTA
Bell siphons are a nightmare 😅 I’ve built so many but always have one issue as soon as I fix another, I ended up just throwing an air stone in my bed, and letting it be a dwc
🤣 I've met a few folks like yourself PB. When it all comes down to it, as long as the fish & plants are growing well you're laughing I think. Happy growing mate.
Learning so much from this video! Have you ever used a barrel cut in half lengthwise as a grow bed? If so do you think it is a good option and did you have any issues with leaks at the drain pipe due to the curve at the bottom?
Our first system was a barrel system with beds like that. Didn't have any issues using the bulkheads/tank fittings. Uniseals are also an option & I've found they work better on curved walls if that helps any.
Hi, I really love all your videos! I’m looking to start my first system. I’m going to use a 10 gallon tank with guppies. I was wondering if you could tell me what size I would need to make a Bell siphon for my system? I’ve seen some 3D printed ones, but really want to make my own with pipes.
That would depend on the depth of the grow beds you're going to use Jessica. The top of the standpipe should end under the top of the grow media. In larger beds I allow 2"/50mm but for a small indoors system using gravel you could get away with 1"/25mm I think. Then add another 1"/25mm onto that height & that should be around how tall you want the bell. I hope that helps some.
What is the largest siphon and output pipe possible to run? In our case we have low volume of water from ram pumps to a water tank on a hill. The tank collects water over time and then releases to run mini-wobbler sprinklers. The more water that releases the more sprinklers we can run. Thanks.
hi my bell siphone pipe is at end 1,5 cm diameter so water flow is lower if I would use widerpipe.. thing is this siphone is ready made and I could use it. but worrying that the flow will be to bad... i also have drilled to canister red cap and made bell siphon out of it and maybe do like yours with wider pipe.. but I see your red cap twisting top of obc canister has some white transparent cap inside I need to know what cap is it to buy it
Hello Rob, I have made an aquaponics growth bed with wooden planks and pond liner, but the depth of the plank is 2 centimeters and we have difficulty to find the right bulkhead fitting to make the bell siphon. Do you have any recommendations what to use that fits? Thanks!
The water into the beds can be set up a few different ways, some use pumps &others use gravity flow water from the fish tank. This video runs through a few of the basic system plumbing designs, ua-cam.com/video/0QQA5BpWKec/v-deo.html
So your water being drained to lower tank is being pump up to upper tank? By a 12 volt or 120 15 Amp pump???or is this bell pump sucking water from lower tank to upper tank!
5:12 sharpener could safety warning - biggest miss is tendency to force hyper speed rotation of PVC against circular saw or miter saw blade - easily sucks in hand or body clothing…now human can pull hand away faster than PVC spins on table saw if blade catches slightly…someone will try on table way…but equally dangerous with miter saw
Why do the media beds need to be drained by the syphon and filled up again? What is the reason for the filling and emptying of the beds? Newbie, thanks
Hey Josh & sorry I missed this mate. I like the beds to flood & drain so the bacteria & plant roots get all the O2 they need. 👍 One of my next vid's will be looking in more detail at bed irrigation. Sorry again for taking so long to respond. Cheers.
We're well here thanks Rahila.👍 Still a bit cool here as we're having a "proper" Winter this year. We even had some ice form on the deck roof & car windows last week. I hope you & yours are doing well.
Hi Rob! I have 2 gravel media beds next to each other, each one with a siphon, but Im having an issue, after a couple of cycles they sincronize their siphoning, but due to my sump size I need each bed siphoning at different times (in order to avoid spillage). Basically, after some cycles it gets to a point when the "down the line" bed siphons, the first bed start to siphon as well eventhough its half way filling and no near to the top of the pipe. Any idea what's happening? suggestions?
Not 100% sure sorry mate. Are they both feeding into the same sealed drain line Ruben? If they are I's say that the emptying full bed is sucking the air & water out of the other beds line creating a siphon prematurely.
@@RobsAquaponics that's exactly what was happening. I put a breeder pipe between the 2 beds drain and it solved the siphonning issue but also found out my 1 inch drain was not big enough to have the 2 siphons running at the same time (when this happened one of the beds always overflowed). I ended up running another drain line (one per bed), and all issues disapeared. Again, you're awsome and thanks again for sharing your knowledge
It's helped many folks out but in the end it's up to you. Use what you can & disregard the rest like every one else. Hope the build goes well if you give it a crack.
Ive been watching Rob's videos about 5 yrs now. I have small system setup indoors for fresh greens during winter months. I purchased the guide & fit the outdoor system I'm designing to stay building Jan. (If this heat continues might b sooner than that, 100° in Oct!!) Everything is laid out, simple & understandable. Anyone can easily design & build a system using the guide. Plus you'll have Rob's years of experience on what works best for him
It's great to hear that the guide has been so helpful d. 👍
Cheers & happy growing. 🐟🌱🥬
I use U syphoned & on my 2 aquaponic systems there has never a problem or failure to drain my grow beds in over 7 years.
@@chengdutwo I looked at the U siphon but thought the bell b better. Pipes more protected from weather. Been dealing w crazy extremes down here.
I'm wondering how bad the mosquitos will get
Congratulations on 10 years! I don't remember when I started watching , but thank you!
Thanks Janice. I'm looking forward to at least 10 years of posting helpful content. 😉
Cheers & all the best.
Hi Rob, i'm so glad you got rid of those snorkels on the bell, their more troubble and unnecessary.
The larger ones work really well in high flow beds I found. Not sure I want the flow that fast though. 😉
Cheers Shane.
A cool trick I did, I ran the drain straight down into the fish tank below almost to the bottom. Bell floats, drill some holes in the vertical drain above the water line. It is very quiet, and the holes actually Suck air air in when it drains and bubbles air into the FT. The drain is the key to stopping the siphon, most of my Beds as Rob explains here.
Nice one Gavin. Might have to play around with that idea myself mate.
Cheers. 👍👍
It’s like you read my mind 👍 I’m currently at this point in my first single ibc chop and flip
Nice one Adam. Hope the video helps in some way mate.
Have fun with the build. 👍
Very thorough! Great video Rob! Have a great day 🙂
Thanks Jennifer.
Hope you have a fantastic one as well. 👍👍
OMG, perfect timing. A friend and I are each making a chop and flip and we just tested the bell siphon yesterday and ran into some problems initiating the siphon. This helps heaps, TY!
That's great to hear MadDavo. 👍
I hope the systems are coming along well mate.
Lot's of great information! Thanks! I liked the soda bottle bells and how you solved issues with them floating.
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks Rob..
I really enjoyed this video.. very well thought out and presented..
Looking forward to seeing more of these in the future..
Cheers buddy til the next one..
Glad you enjoyed it Bryan.
Hope all's going well for you folks out west.
@@RobsAquaponics yeah doing well my friend..
Hope the same with you, B and the kids (young adults)
Great comprehensive video Rob
Thanks Germaine. 👍
Have a top one.
Good evening and THANK YOU for the all the knowledge you have shared over the years and the advices you have given over UA-cam and Facebook! You are awesome 😎 🤩
You are very welcome camel0147. 👍
i hope to be publishing more for a few more years yet. 😉
Cheers & all the best.
Your systems have worked for me fo many, many years now.
Started with the barrel ponics and used allyour previous videos to make my (now in a new location) fourteenth IBC based AQ system.
Thank you for this bell syphon video thatis another that I add to my collection of educational videos that you have given so generously for so long now.
Couldn't do what I do in my backyard without your wonderful youtube collection.
That's fantastic to hear Nicolai. 👍 Are all the systems yours or do you build them for other folks?
Cheers & happy growing.
Very nice reference video Rob. Thank you for putting this together.
No problem Dave. I'm hoping it will be a lot more helpful than jumping from one video to another to find answers to questions.
Hope all's going well on the fam mate. 👍
Thanks Rob!
I've used your design to make a bell siphon for chop and flip (also your design) Both working well after 2 years!
That's great to hear Jim.👍
Cheers mate.
Do you ever do any Nutrient Film Technique?
Not as yet due to space issues. I did years ago with hydroponics though. 👍
Had little issues with my siphons like we all do. Everything has been resolved from videos like this. Rob has done so much to get information out there to help!
That's great to hear Nathan. 👍
Cheers mate & happy growing. 🐟🥬🌱
I'm making a grey water system in my house, (no permit needed in my city), depending on type of water in, anyway, I'm sure I could use one of these, thanks so much! I'm very interested in how to clean them, and just what happens in my house after enough washing machine water goes through one. thanks! You're the best!
They may get some deposits in the stand & drainpipes w.d.g but I wouldn't think it would be a lot.
I would be interested in seeing how the build turns out as well. 👍👍
Hey Rob, great video. Another way to make a silent bell is to run the outlet under water and adding a simple Venturi tube above the water line. This allows it to break properly while keeping things quiet. Handy for indoor systems.
I had another suggest something simial Victor. 👍 They drilled a series of holes in the drain which allowed air in & out as needed.
Thanks mate.
Thank my brother 💖💖💖.
👍No problem mate.
I studied your work on your system since more than 10 years ago. I planned on starting my own aquaponics system when I got to Arkansas but funds didn't go my way. Now I'm going to try again after I build a few beds. Already have a 700 gallon tank for fish. The bed trays will be concrete 3x3 to keep it lighter but I needed refresher on bell siphon. Saw you had to take your system down, hope you get it back when you are ready. On a closing comment, your a cool dude and I've learned a lot from you. Better days ahead.
Hey Richars. The new system should be up & running by this weekend hopefully. 🤞 Will have the last bed set up today & the fish should be moved over tomorrow if the water parameters are OK.
I hope your build went smoothly.
Hi Rob,
your videos are the most comprehensive and thus useful descriptions of aquaponics! Thank you!
Here in Northern Sweden we are building 8 small aquaponics with our pupils in grade 7. Perfect school-project covering the majority of the curriculum - from biology to physics and chemistry.
Greetings from Nordmaling! /Jakob
Hey Rob - one tip for testing your bell siphon break... You can craft a small standpipe (say 2-3" tall) and matching bell so that you don't have to wait for the full bed to fill each time. Then once you know the syphon will break, replace it with the correct size stand pipe.
Hope this trick saves you hours of waiting time like it has saved me!!
hey mate, great video. im currently using a variant of a loop siphon but looking at having another crack at the bells in future. thanks again! looking forward to next weeks vid!
Nice one Bradley. 👍
Hey Rob was wondering if i can use a 32mm bulk head instead of the 25 mm one
You certainly can as long as you have the flow to match. 👍 If you're having issues with the siphon starting due to a slow flow rate you can use a reducer into the bulkhead to restrict the flow some.
"... and away you go. You're laughin'"
I never heard that expression before!
😁 Is fairly common around the Aussies I knock about with. 👍
@@RobsAquaponics
Haha ... like Bob's your uncle!?
@@justgivemethetruth 🤣& my grandfather too as it happens 😉😉
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,
► bit.ly/AquaponicsBeginnersGuide
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 & have a top one. 🐟 🌱🍅
Rob
I did this stuff a long time ago, and getting back into it now. I had a one inch standpipe and drain the last time around and it drained the bed a whole lot faster than my 3/4 drain and stand pipe now. I’m gonna add a 1 x 3/4 reducer at the top, 🔝 couldn’t imagine how much that would help. A one inch drain pipe, drained the bed much faster as I remember back in the day.
I personally done think timing matters in smaller backyard systems as long as it drains & fills without glitching.
Happy growing.
Very great content as always! Good to see the instructions so one is enabled to do it oneself in this dry times to be more independent from the state.
Glad you enjoyed it mate & hope it comes in handy at some point for you.
@@RobsAquaponics Yeah. I hope too bro! And for my fellas - I need to tell about it cause this kind of stuff nobody knows even more in Germany.
Great video as usual. This would have come in handy a few years back when I was putting together my system. I went through every bell syphon problem imaginable before finding a video and building it almost identically. I finally got everything working. My latest misfires have been discovering the beds over flowing. One incident involved a pineapple’s roots clogging the drain. Had thought a tropical plant had a low survival chance, but it’s doing good. Need to make sure the syphon is clear of roots though.
Another issue with wetness at one corner of the frame. I think it had to do with capillary effects. My system is a wood framed with a pond liner. (I initially had trouble finding a source for IBC’s although it seems every other pickup in this area is carrying one. Goggled suppliers never had any in stock and got impatient) Anyway, the inner was tightly folded at the damp corner and because of roots, the permeability of the bed is reduced causing high water level at the inflow end. I’ve unfolded the liner in the corner and think of putting in a small diameter tubing from the corner to near the syphon. I need to pull out the kale tree, the damming source & for which I did get a start rooting. I did collect some seed pods off it too. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe buy some IBC’s and replace my beds, but the greenhouse is full of green right now. Tomatoes, strawberries, onions & chives, assorted herbs and blueberry bushes. Some in dirt, grow bags on flood trays, clay media beds, and a deep water culture trough. And my fish are near harvestable size. I should set up another fish tank for small fry. That sounds better than chopping down a kale.
Cheers 🍻!
It might be a better job for the cooler months when things start to slow down a bit Joe. 👍
Could you transplant the Kale into some soil in a pot for growing outside?
@@RobsAquaponics Right, I’m waiting for February when the greenhouse is least green. The beds need some cleaning out, but I suspect they are well populated with red wigglers, thinking organic complex systems work better. But they could use some maintenance.
Transplanting the kale is a good idea, outside? We get several winter nights which get down to the-20C range. I could move it inside the garage for those times. A big pot with wheels would be good.
My strawberries are sprouting runners with new plants. I try to trim them off, but promised a new friend some plants. I have a bunch to spare. I’d like to promote the idea of sharing plants. That and thyme. I need to start a bunch of transplants and get them used to dirt. Time for a trip to the bigger city for pots and dirt.
Cheers 🍻!
@@joecanales9631 -20C might be a bit cool 😬😬😬😬
Love your videos, even if I am a bit skeptical on aquaponics for me personally. The idea and your videos and implementations are fascinating. Thanks.
Cheers mate. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea. Hydroponics/bioponics would be way easier.
@@RobsAquaponics
The thing that always gets me about aquaponics is are all the things that are necessary for plant growth really kept in an infinite loop around the life cycle of the fish?
There is all the fungi, and bacteria and all the trace elements that are in fertilizers and the soil, but all that is going over the plants' roots is fish pee and poop, and I guess whatever is in the fish food.
I'm not sure it's true but I read somewhere that our vegetables are less nutritious then they used to be 100 years ago because the soil is being leached of all its nutrients and biology. I don't think I've heard any of the aquaponics people actually close the loop and account for everything that needs to be present. Maybe that is not true, or maybe it is, but someone should prove out aquaponics. Seems healthy enough for you that's for sure.
would there be any reason no to put plecostomus in a tank? to clean the sides etc?
If they're OK to keep in your climate go for it. 👍👍 I've seen many folks use them in their systems over the years.
Confession, I still haven't made one after years of raising tilapia. Thought of ordering the pre-fab kit but I keep ending up with strange containers with strange depths so I should probably go custom.
Thanks for the video
I don't think they're the only way to regulate water levels in the beds but they have always worked well for me Thomas.
As long as the plants & fish are growing well you're on the right path. 👍
@@RobsAquaponics I injured my right arm and lost my job and perfect credit with it.
I was just getting around to a chop and flip and now a trip to the hardware store would be too expensive, when normally I didn't blink.
I had to install a custom python-style (I use a 50ft flexzilla hose attached to a $5 python venturi attachment replacement part) in a utility sink for water changes now.
On the plant end, I largely grow organic in soil. I am set up for hydroponics but I have a problem --- my family lives dirty, so bugs are rampant, I can't mix up bug sprays fast enough around here, so I am sticking to things like peppers and tomatoes.
Then comes low temperatures causing growth issues with a lot of plants. Evidently, tomatoes hate it. Normally I'd buy some seedling mats.
So, I guess I am toying with what I can do on a shoestring budget - I shouldn't have waited on the parts for a bell siphon, but my local hardware stores were terrible for finding the parts via list. Even have all the media and such...
One thing they messed up on that can be useful: they gave me 5 utility sinks instead of one on accident, so I have 4 20 gallon tubs that could easily be converted for aquaponic use, made of PP plastic.
Sempre um ótimo conteúdo, obrigado Rob 🤘🤘🤘🤘
Muito obrigado Ramone. 😁😁🍻🍻
I have a 55 gallon aquarium tank I want to use to get started into aquaponics. I’ve read a lot and the videos take me further but I have three questions that I can’t seem to figure out.
1. Your bell siphon is sized fairly large. Do you have to scale the siphon down for a smaller tank and grow bed?
2. This might be obvious but is the pump that gets water to the grow bed constant? One video you made had a constant overflow no siphon and it looks that way from your diagrams. Side question, you mentioned the constant overflow worked well for fast vegetables- do you have a video that goes j to more detail about this constant flow style?
3. Do the pumps come with a flow regulator like the one in the video near the end?
Your help is appreciated!
Hi SG.
1. I have made a smaller siphon for the chop & flip barrel build if that helps at all,
ua-cam.com/video/Z2tgrUvSnbM/v-deo.html
2.The water flows 24/7. 👍
2.B I don't have a video on the constant flow as such as I prefer to aerate the roots using flood & drain where I can. If you are going to run constant flood I would recommend making sure that the water coming into the bed is well aerated. I'd also recommend that you don't leave plants growing in there too long or you may get anoxic zones occurring within the roots.
3. Not all pumps come with flow regulators but I do like to use them where I can.
I hope that helps some.
New watcher. G' day from Prairieville, Louisiana, USA
Hi David. Hope the videos give you a few helpful ideas mate. 👍
gday Rob just wondering i have always been told the more dissolved oxygen the better in the system whats your thoughts ? can you have to much ?
It would be hard to have too much in a backyard system I think Sootkettle. I like to have some air going into every component, except for the solids settlers of course. 😉
It also doesn't have to be "mechanically added either, falling water does a great job at getting the O2 into the water.
Thanks sir for sharing your idea
Thank you for all your videos, they are very helpful!
I'm starting my first aquaponic system, and first problem I found is the expanded clay I have floats, even after more than a week of soaking, so it's unusable for a media bed. Also, I washed it thoroughly before putting it in the bed, but it seems like it's slowly falling apart and filling the water with clay dust. Have you found this issue with expanded clay? I suppose it depends on the brand (?)
Hi Louis. I've seen some say that their media floated for up to a month but haven't heard of any breaking up. My guess is that you may have got a dud batch that wasn't fired to temperature. I generally use the Canna brand here in Australia. I'm not sure if it's available world wide though.
Amazing tutorial Rob, thanks a lots
I'm Glad it helped some 😁👍
How can I get my hands on some Charlie Carp in the States?
Hey Cory. Just responded to your email. 😉
Maxi crop is a liquid fish & I have it listed on my Amazon page if you want to suss it out.
www.amazon.com/shop/bnbob01/list/JK0CLK814GTA
Sangat bermanfaat ilmunya sukses sllu boskuh
Terima kasih sobat. 👍👍
(Google Translate.)
Thanks mate.
Bell siphons are a nightmare 😅 I’ve built so many but always have one issue as soon as I fix another, I ended up just throwing an air stone in my bed, and letting it be a dwc
🤣 I've met a few folks like yourself PB.
When it all comes down to it, as long as the fish & plants are growing well you're laughing I think.
Happy growing mate.
Love your content Rob. What size pump do you run for this set up? Cheers
Cool content, thanks!
Many thanks Trader Munky. 👍👍
I'm glad you're enjoying the videos mate.
Cheers & have a top one.
BTW, You're the first to use that function & I really do appreciate the generosity.
@@RobsAquaponics Neato, thanks!
Learning so much from this video! Have you ever used a barrel cut in half lengthwise as a grow bed? If so do you think it is a good option and did you have any issues with leaks at the drain pipe due to the curve at the bottom?
Our first system was a barrel system with beds like that. Didn't have any issues using the bulkheads/tank fittings. Uniseals are also an option & I've found they work better on curved walls if that helps any.
Thanks a lot for the reply, I'm planning a starter project and your videos have been a big help
Hi, I really love all your videos! I’m looking to start my first system. I’m going to use a 10 gallon tank with guppies. I was wondering if you could tell me what size I would need to make a Bell siphon for my system? I’ve seen some 3D printed ones, but really want to make my own with pipes.
That would depend on the depth of the grow beds you're going to use Jessica. The top of the standpipe should end under the top of the grow media. In larger beds I allow 2"/50mm but for a small indoors system using gravel you could get away with 1"/25mm I think. Then add another 1"/25mm onto that height & that should be around how tall you want the bell.
I hope that helps some.
What is the largest siphon and output pipe possible to run? In our case we have low volume of water from ram pumps to a water tank on a hill. The tank collects water over time and then releases to run mini-wobbler sprinklers. The more water that releases the more sprinklers we can run. Thanks.
GRATITUDE 💥🐟💥
hi my bell siphone pipe is at end 1,5 cm diameter so water flow is lower if I would use widerpipe.. thing is this siphone is ready made and I could use it. but worrying that the flow will be to bad... i also have drilled to canister red cap and made bell siphon out of it and maybe do like yours with wider pipe.. but I see your red cap twisting top of obc canister has some white transparent cap inside I need to know what cap is it to buy it
Hello Rob, I have made an aquaponics growth bed with wooden planks and pond liner, but the depth of the plank is 2 centimeters and we have difficulty to find the right bulkhead fitting to make the bell siphon. Do you have any recommendations what to use that fits? Thanks!
Most bulkhead fittings we have are at lest 150mm long. Sorry I didn't get to this when you posted. Did you find something suitable?
Hey, how does water enter into the grow bed? Do you need a separate pump for that or is it sanctioned by the bell siphon?
The water into the beds can be set up a few different ways, some use pumps &others use gravity flow water from the fish tank. This video runs through a few of the basic system plumbing designs, ua-cam.com/video/0QQA5BpWKec/v-deo.html
Nice guide mate. Just quietly I'm glad I did away with the damn things haha.
🤣 I know....
Sand Rulz!!
😉🤣
@@RobsAquaponics Let’s not go too far 🤣🤣
@@owensfunhouse7582 🤣🤣
So your water being drained to lower tank is being pump up to upper tank? By a 12 volt or 120 15 Amp pump???or is this bell pump sucking water from lower tank to upper tank!
5:12 sharpener could safety warning - biggest miss is tendency to force hyper speed rotation of PVC against circular saw or miter saw blade - easily sucks in hand or body clothing…now human can pull hand away faster than PVC spins on table saw if blade catches slightly…someone will try on table way…but equally dangerous with miter saw
Legal barbudo bem criativo! thanks
Obrigado Diogo.
Why do the media beds need to be drained by the syphon and filled up again? What is the reason for the filling and emptying of the beds? Newbie, thanks
Hey Josh & sorry I missed this mate.
I like the beds to flood & drain so the bacteria & plant roots get all the O2 they need. 👍
One of my next vid's will be looking in more detail at bed irrigation.
Sorry again for taking so long to respond.
Cheers.
How ar you how is tha weather condition in you r area ?
We're well here thanks Rahila.👍
Still a bit cool here as we're having a "proper" Winter this year. We even had some ice form on the deck roof & car windows last week.
I hope you & yours are doing well.
@@RobsAquaponics yes we are... thanks 😊
Wow nice idol
👍👍
That will come in handy! 💜💜💜 AuntieEllen
I'm, glad it will be helpful AuntieEllen.
Cheers & have a great one.
Hi Rob! I have 2 gravel media beds next to each other, each one with a siphon, but Im having an issue, after a couple of cycles they sincronize their siphoning, but due to my sump size I need each bed siphoning at different times (in order to avoid spillage). Basically, after some cycles it gets to a point when the "down the line" bed siphons, the first bed start to siphon as well eventhough its half way filling and no near to the top of the pipe. Any idea what's happening? suggestions?
Not 100% sure sorry mate. Are they both feeding into the same sealed drain line Ruben? If they are I's say that the emptying full bed is sucking the air & water out of the other beds line creating a siphon prematurely.
@@RobsAquaponics that's exactly what was happening. I put a breeder pipe between the 2 beds drain and it solved the siphonning issue but also found out my 1 inch drain was not big enough to have the 2 siphons running at the same time (when this happened one of the beds always overflowed). I ended up running another drain line (one per bed), and all issues disapeared. Again, you're awsome and thanks again for sharing your knowledge
Bell siphon 101
👍👍
Can a bell siphon function normally without a snorkel?
Certainty can & that's how I run most of ours.
Snorkels can give you the option of running at higher flow rates though.
so, people started doing this without bell siphons, what purpose do they serve?
They allow air to go to the base of the bed for the benifit of roots and bacteria, just like other Siphon devices and timer run beds .
Rob bob … I want you to be my neighbor 💚🤗
But we're just getting settled at the farm!! 😉😂
Rezisztens szőlő🍇
I haven't tried grapes 🍇 sorry.
all this extra chit make me not wanna start
It's helped many folks out but in the end it's up to you.
Use what you can & disregard the rest like every one else.
Hope the build goes well if you give it a crack.
me: I have such bad ADHD, I can hardly sit through a video longer than five minutes!
Also me: