Bell Siphon

[Gene Carr]

When installing a bell siphon in your grow beds does the base of the grow beds need to be above the water level of the fish tank. Thanks Gene

[TCLynx]

Yes, for the average siphon to work properly, the outlet of the siphon generally needs to be above the water level it is draining into.

[Harold Sukhbir]

Some info on bell siphons; http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/BIO-10.pdf

[TCLynx]

Here is some more info on siphons in this blog too.

Affnan

[Kobus Jooste]

Technically, the base of the bed containing the siphon need to be higher than the water level of the water tank into which you are draining that bed.  I can conceive a scenario where you overflow a fish tank into a siphon bed and then from that siphon bed into a sump, from where you pump back up to the fish tank level, and there the siphon bed will actually be lower than the fish tank.  You need to have enough space there for your fittings going into the media bed.  If you use a Uniseal, the space may need to be less than when you have standard plumbing connections.