Ready for installation in the grow bed | Fail-safe and reliable
The Bell Siphon is probably the trickiest and most sophisticated component of an aquaponics system. It is used for automatic emptying of plant beds after the flooding process. A functioning Bell Siphon, also called an auto siphon or bell siphon, has many advantages and works without electricity, purely through the law of gravity.
Why use a Bell Siphon?
A Bell Siphon is used in so-called ebb and flow plant beds with a height of between 20-30cm . By regularly flooding and then emptying your plant beds through the Bell Siphon, the water in the fish tank is continuously enriched with oxygen . This naturally has a positive effect on fish, plants and the water quality in general. Depending on the type of fish and system design, you can often even do without extra air pumps . This is because when the Bell Siphon empties the tank, it is continually enriched with oxygen. The regular flooding processes also provide your plants with the moisture and nutrients they need.
How does the Bell Siphon work?
The planting bed is continuously supplied with water via a water inlet. The standpipe included in the siphon kit defines the height of the water level and should be about 5 cm below the substrate surface (e.g. planting clay) or the edge of the basin.
Standard height of stand pipes
| Bell Siphon for 20cm high plant beds | Standpipe 15cm |
| Bell Siphon for 25cm high plant beds | Standpipe 20cm |
| Bell Siphon for 30cm high plant beds | Standpipe 25cm |
If necessary, you can also adjust the standpipe and shorten it by a few centimeters.
As soon as the water level is reached, the water runs through the stand pipe, the pool outlet and the siphon bend screwed onto it. Within a few seconds, a vacuum is created by the siphon bell placed over the stand pipe, the pipes fill completely with water and the bell siphon begins to empty the water from the entire pool.
There are openings at the bottom of the siphon bell through which air flows in again as soon as the water level reaches the bottom. This then interrupts the emptying process. The basin then begins to fill up again.
How do I install the Bell Siphon Kit?
- Your planting container is simply drilled out at the desired location (drill diameter 32 to max. 35mm) and screwed in place using the seals included in delivery.
- Then insert the standpipe into the tank opening. Standpipe height = tank or substrate height - 5cm.
- Now the so-called Media Guard (large perforated cylinder) is put over it so that you can then fill in the substrate (e.g. planting clay).
- After filling it with the substrate, you can put the siphon bell over the standpipe.
- Screw the included siphon arch onto the bottom of the tank, which should be above your fish or sump tank. Make sure that the arch is not tilted upwards and that the opening does not protrude directly into the water!
