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  1. #11
    Members Apollo's Avatar
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    Re: Stupid siphon....Need Help....again.

    The vertical pipe (stand pipe) stays vertical, use two 45 elbows to make the horizontally turn. All you have done is add part of your drain pipe inside your GB. If the threaded area on the cap is to small drill it out to the size needed and use AMAZING GOOP. I hate silicone.

    You asked "What did you coat the concrete block with"? You need to check out "Fire pit ... AP" by Apollo. All of the blocks were Liquid Nail together, joints were then L.N. again with a Bondo spreader. Cement floor and blocks where than coated with several coat of Henry's best roof coating for ponding water area's. As a safety precaution I added the pond liner just incase my tree ruts cracked my block work.

    My supply pump is from Harbor Freight, made by PACIFICHYDROSTAR 1/4 HP, submersible, 2800 GPH, 1.5 IN NPT, with 22 ft of head pressure. The 120 volt / 60 Hz, 6.4 Amps, max pressure 9.5 with a 10 cord. It was bigger then what I wanted but their price and warranty was awesome...so I bought 2, 1 with and 1 without the extended warranty.

    ATTENTION ! ! ! I just found out that the pump mention in the paragraph above has the main core made out of metal not, plastic / PVC. I pull the pump to clean my filter netting from debris when I notice what looks like pot metal corroded with acid. Even though the pump was just over its 90 day warranty I took it back. I told them it must have been corroding for sometime...so it became defeated while still under warranty. Got my money returned on both pumps and the extended warranty.

  2. #12
    Members foodchain's Avatar
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    Re: Stupid siphon....Need Help....again.

    Ok. So if I follow your advice and I use 3/4 pvc we run the risk of the barrels not draining fast enough. If I put 1/4 valves on the incoming water lines though to each barrel I can micro manage the flow. And to keep from dead heading the pump then with the restricted flow I can put a Y in coming off the pump and use the excess pressure/volume to run a fountain or additional water fall.
    Dead heading is the fastest way I know to destroy a pump.

    Now we start draining the pond to start redigging it. Time to make it deeper, possibly a split level pond to increase DO and the larger the volume the more constant the parameters. Bigger is better.

    Once excavation is complete, I will build a short wall around perimeter from railroad ties. They are cheap, and the liner will keep water from contacting. This raises water level, increases volume....but running the pump intake off a skimmer in middle of pond ultimately reduces head pressure on the pump.

    Water will go from main pool of pond w/skimmer. To IBC tote. Coming in at the bottom, and as the water level rises, near the top will be the pipe going to the GB. No pump needed there as will use the gravity. Water to GB. Then out the siphon to the highest pool of the pond and will discharge in the form of a water fall, flow through the split level pools and back to the pond skimmer....and repeat.

    This will allow me to move roughly 6500-6800 gallons with one pump. The uppermost pool can be used as a grow bed as well. It's a preformed pond liner that I have previously installed at an angle and once full overflows one side as a waterfall to main pool. So no siphon there as it's a flow through currently full of lilies, etc. I might take this out and rework it though.

    I need to push this design around some more. I feel like I am forgetting something.
    At first I left this blank...but now I believe: "It's better to keep your mouth closed, and have the world think your a fool, than open it and confirm it."

  3. #13
    Members Apollo's Avatar
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    Re: Stupid siphon....Need Help....again.

    I have two 300 gallon GB's with a 850 gallon fish tank . My Pipe Siphons are made from 1 ½ " PVC Pipe, Tee’s & 90’s . After media GB's hold probably 150 of water, it takes 8 mins. to fill and 4 mins. to drain. If your new GB's are 55 gal drums cut in 1/2, you're only draining about 12 gals of water. You can build the Pipe Siphon any size you want...I was thinking that 3/4" PVC might be even to large for your set up.

    A lot of newer builds are installing a swirl filter between your FT and your GB's. It cuts down on the s___ build up in your GB's. I'm thinking about building a pressurized one for my set up, I will run PVC over to my old style garden...install it over there. I can then use the fertilized water for those plants and to lower my nitrates in my AP if they get to high. I'll do my water exchanges...adding rain water from my rain barrels to my FT...releasing water from my swirl filter into my garden.

  4. #14
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    Re: Stupid siphon....Need Help....again.

    The preformed liner functions similar to a swirl filter. I am not a fan of the swirl filters personally. The GB will function similar to a filter, but they are by no means the only GB. These are just the ones I am working on adding.

    The water going from the pond to the 330 IBC filled with Bread Racks for the shrimp doubles as a settling tank. That's why the water comes in from the bottom.

    What you are talking about with the old style garden is what the hippies did with catfish ponds back in the 60-70's and I believe one of the major contributions to guiding AP to what it is today. IF you do that, which is fine, it works fine. But it's no longer a "closed" system, but a semi closed loop.

    Rain water is smart, it's how I top off my system as well. I buried a 330 gallon IBC in the ground to hide it, then ran gutters to it with wire mesh to prevent crap from getting in tank. Then use harbor freight shallow well pump with foot valve to pressurize garden hose. This allows rainwater to go through sprinklers or whatever I hook it up to.
    At first I left this blank...but now I believe: "It's better to keep your mouth closed, and have the world think your a fool, than open it and confirm it."

  5. #15
    Members Apollo's Avatar
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    Re: Stupid siphon....Need Help....again.

    I was going to send you some pictures of my quail and garden...this site is not allowing them to go though. I will try again, later.

  6. #16
    Moderator JCO's Avatar
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    Re: Stupid siphon....Need Help....again.

    You can always post them on the forum
    JCO
    Irish eyes are always smiling but
    • "In the eyes of the world, you are only as good as your last success"
    so never forget
    • "MAN IS ONLY LIMITED BY HIS IMAGINATION"

  7. #17
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    Re: Stupid siphon....Need Help....again.

    I never have gotten pics to upload. So I always end up emailing the people I end up talking with.

    If you like the quail, give some thought to Chukar partridge. They dress out better, and are quite the characters. Breed readily, and same requirements as the quail. You just get more for the same work.
    At first I left this blank...but now I believe: "It's better to keep your mouth closed, and have the world think your a fool, than open it and confirm it."

  8. #18
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    Re: Stupid siphon....Need Help....again.

    I had just completed a 30' X 40' traditional garden weeks before learning about AP. Sooo my next project begins...the AP's is a closed system and is separate from my T.G. But when & if I need to either flush out my future swirl / sentiment filter or a partial water exchange, that water will go into my T.G.
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  9. #19
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    Re: Stupid siphon....Need Help....again.

    On this siphon, I have it all drawn out before construction. Why are we using a T and two intakes for the siphon stand pipe?
    Theories on this: One pipe can become clogged with media or roots, and make starting/stopping less consistent and risking overflowing. So by have two, it functions as a back up, but being that they flow into the same single riser, it will not add more flow rate but will decrease intake pressure as split between two pipes. Therefore reducing probability of trouble later on.

    Why two 45's instead of one 90 on the inside? Two 45's will reduce resistence on flow rate, but a 90 is more compact. With each barrel 1/2 being 11 1/2 inches; once we account for the two 45's and having to be 1 1/2 inches below edge of barrel, the stand pipe is what....8 inches or so tall. This isn't going to be very big.

    Then once outside the barrel when connecting to 3 inch main drain line, is a 90 downward turn okay? Or another 45? A 90 at the end would cause more back pressure and resistance, but would direct the water more downward. If I take a hole saw and cut say 1 1/2 or 2 inch hole in 3" main in the top, the 3/4 90 could be fitted slightly to the inside of the hole to prevent back splash or overflowing on outside of the pipe. This doesn't need to be mated or anything, and the extra air gap would allow for more gas exchange but also prevent a pressurized line, burping, etc.

    Thoughts on this?
    At first I left this blank...but now I believe: "It's better to keep your mouth closed, and have the world think your a fool, than open it and confirm it."

  10. #20
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    Re: Stupid siphon....Need Help....again.

    On the garden situation. I would encourage you to research vertical gardening. It's done wonders for us. I am on about 1/4 acre lot. And we produce quite a bit.
    At first I left this blank...but now I believe: "It's better to keep your mouth closed, and have the world think your a fool, than open it and confirm it."

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