Additional Growbed for the Home Kit - Part II

Continue from : Part I


I seriously want to make the mini siphon usable on bigger growbed. To ensure it will operate without fail, I need to test it with water flow in at two extreme. Water tested at its smallest and biggest possible within its operating range.


What I tested was by using a pump that I normally use for 2 growbed that use the standard 25mm siphon I use this pump capacity for the test.

Above flow is when the pump is only use for this growbed giving maximum flow like 3 times the minimum inflow capacity of this siphon.

Photo Above shows, water is not flowing into the larger siphon growbed.

Next test, with water at minimum. Its 1/3 the earlier flow. Water diverted to bigger growbed to take up the excess flow.

Water divided into two, with 1/3 flow to the smaller growbed.

Siphon flushing, both the small and big do its job without fail. At both extreme the mini siphon works, this is important for a siphon to achieve ensuring reliable operation with varying water flow.


I need to further test this smaller siphon, mainly to ensure that its does not get blocked easily by plant roots and debris. I want to see what's the maintenance like on it, is it the same like its bigger brother. I have operate this siphon after the last modification for about 5 months. This time I'll test it further with plants and actual bigger scale Aquaponics.


This mini siphon is very important to me, if its proven to work on a bigger scale growbed then it will make Aquaponics much cheaper to do. This siphon is easier to build, cheaper and require smaller pump.

My goal is to try an make it operational on solar power. In order to do this successfully, this siphon need to be reliable, able to tolerate wide range of water inflow difference, low in maintenance and low water inflow to operates.