Need help with clear siphon u-tubes

[jarrodaden]

Has anyone ever modified these to add a tiny barb fitting for a hose to attach to so that the air can be removed without fishing a tube up inside? Even better, I would like to put a tiny valve there so that I can keep air from leaking back inside.

Any help (step by step) instructions including where to buy parts would be appreciated.

[fshfrk]

I have done it by cutting the tube in 1/2. Then from HD buy a ft of the 1 1/4" thick wall clear vinyl tubing. cut a inch or so and boil it for a few minutes. Then stretch it over the ends of both tubes. You may want to use silicone grease to help slide it over and you may need to stretch the tubing a little. It will make the tube a little bigger which in my case helped. then drill a small hole in the vinyl tubing on top. the hole needs to be smaller than the air line tubing. Then force a 5"-6" pc of the air line tubing into the hole. Do not put it in to far only 1/2" or less. Then put a air line valve onto the end. You could drill the tube but they crack easy and they leak.

[imagirlgeek]

I've drilled a small hole in the top of the U-tube using a Dremel (maybe that's why it didn't crack), then put the two-way plastic valve directly into the hole I drilled. Then I smeared some silicone around where the valve was inserted into the tube in order to seal off any air leaks. But I like fshfrk's method.

You could go a step further and attach the tubing coming off the valve to a powerhead. Then you never have to manually suck out the air.

[jarrodaden]

With the dremmel, I was able to "drill" the holes and my tubing is all connected now.

I would like to find a way to automate the air release without running risk of pumping the siphon tubes empty. I am also worried about siphoning them dry during a power outage via the air tube.

I would like to find a tiny low flow pump that would constantly remove the air, but would not allow air or water to pass through the pump when the power kicks off. Any suggestions on how to do this?

imagirlgeek's powerhead idea might work but I don't know what would happen during a power failure. Any powerhead would be vertically lower than the utube and the risk of siphoning the clear utubes dry is likely based on the limited information I have.

[fshfrk]

I use the aqua lifter pumps. They are in stock at City Pets.

http://www.marinedepot.com/Tom_Aquatics_Aqua_Lifter_Dosing_Pump_Accessories_for_Aquarium_Overflow_Boxes-Tom%60s_Aquatics-OE1137-FIOFOA-vi.html

[jarrodaden]

I got this all hooked up finally and it works perfectly. Thank you John and Traci!

[jarrodaden]

Problem solved. Thanks again to Traci and John.

Attached is a DIY video link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8IRHv_lOQs