In this article, we will go over what a siphon effect is, how it works and various ways to apply it.

We will also go over problems that may occur and how to prevent it.

What is a siphon effect?

A siphon is a curved tube that is used to transfer liquid from high level to low level. Liquid normally flows from high level to low level, however, siphon effect can transfer liquids from high level to an even higher level then back down to a lower level. This effect is possible because there is pressure applied to the air on the surface of the liquid in the higher level, thus pushing the water. 

One of the most common siphons to see is the “aquarium siphon pump”.

Most tropical fish keepers have one or two of these lying around.

These products utilize the siphon effect to work.

The squeeze pump is used to initialize the siphon effect. Inside, there is a backflow barrier film that is designed to allow water to flow in one direction. 

After a couple pumps, once the water is flowing, it will continue to flow without having to pump.

In that state, the wide plastic in the front of the device is used to clean by sucking up debris in the tank. 

If you lift the front plastic out of the water and air gets into the hose, the siphon effect is broken and the water will stop flowing. Similarly, if there is a hole in the hose, once air gets into the hose, the siphon effect will stop.

Advantage of siphon effect

As stated above, once you understand the siphon effect, it is possible to use it in many different ways.

It would be possible to transfer water from a high placed tank to another, relatively lower placed tank without a pump or making a hole in the container.

It can be difficult to transfer water from a low level tank with just the siphon effect. In this case, you can use a water pump.

Using just the siphon effect to transfer water is relatively slower than using a water pump. So if you need to save time, I recommend using a water pump. 

Problems that can arise with the siphon effect

Problems can arise due to unintended siphon effect.

For example, when the air pump suddenly turns off due to electric blackout, water can backflow into the tank through the hose that is connected to the sponge filter or air stone and cause a flood. 

So experienced fish keepers put check valve to prevent this problem.

(You can also put the air pump at a higher level than the tank to prevent the problem)

There are different types of check valves so use it as a preventative measure.

For those interested in more information, please visit Wikipedia.