3rd time's a charm....

[addy1]

The more gravel and plants the water has to go through the more it will be filtered on the way back into the pond. My bog is about 30% or more of the size of my pond, the only maintenance I do is net the bottom a few times a season. Well need to count grooming lilies, plants etc. But water wise, hardly do anything cept enjoy it. Oh I do clean the leaf basket when i see the waterfall slow down, which is my indication it has gotten full. Maybe do that once a month.

 

[JenH]

Addy1, do you have a skimmer? Also, do you get very much accumulation of sludge at the bottom that you are netting out, or is it just mostly debris that has fallen in and sunk to the bottom? I'm not looking forward to all the work to get this done, yet again. but I am really excited that I may finally get to enjoy my pond once it is done. Last summer it was never clear, not even once, and was always frustrating me trying to figure out how to get things to balance. Plus I like the idea of having most of my plants in a bog so that I can see the fish in my main pond better. I figure if I find that using this preform as a bog doesn't quite provide enough filtration, then I can always add a shelf bog around the perimeter of the pond like you mentioned in your bog topic. I'm planning to make a shelf all the way around when we start digging again so that this is an option if it needs to be.

 

[koiguy1969]

like i said, i totally agree with addy...fill it with stone and plant it with marginals (bare root, so they feed directly on the water passing thu). and i think that 3500 gph is too much for a bog or veggy filter of that size. how big is your filter falls your currently using? even if its small the mechanical filtration will limit the garbage being pumped into the bog.

 

[addy1]

I netted for the first time this year since october or so, 1/2 home depot bucket of leaves, and some greenish pond muck The muck alone maybe would have been 1/3 of a oil pan

I do have a skimmer, usually only on when the flower or leaves are falling. (remember I don't have koi)

I am impressed on how well the bog is doing on cleaning the pond, i had it totally mucked up the pond cleaning it, now it is crystal clear again. No green algae or string showing up. A little hair algae on the pea gravel in the bog.

I am using a 4200 gph pump, my bog is around 2700 gallons if it was pure water. Water pumped up through the gravel via 2 inch piping.

 

[JenH]

My filter falls aren't very big. I did it myself with a bucket and one of those black plastic tool storage things (to make a waterfall weir) It's comparable in size to those Tetra waterfall filters they usually sell at Lowe's (those claim they're good for 1000 gallons) My fingers are crossed that my friend has a skimmer when I go there tomorrow, who knows what else she may have, all I know is the pond is big and there are fish it, she may even have a smaller but decent sized pump too......

I can split the flow from my pump if necessary shouldn't be a big deal, especially if I need to add a check valve to shut off flow to the bog in the winter. Addy, does your bog freeze in the winter? My upper pond never froze over this winter, but I wonder if it will be different full of gravel with no water running through it.

Also, could you guys give me some details for melting the end of pvc using the oven or boiling it. I tried to tell my husband tonight about it and he thinks I'm crazy......

 

[koiguy1969]

show him the thread.on it...its easy! its plastic, when heated it gets soft. heat it slowly and flatten the end ! i wouldnt use the oven it will heat the whole piece, and if the other end gets distorted you may never get it in the fitting in the bog wall. Dr. Dave said boiling water works, i've never tried it. but the principles are the same. in boiling water i would: first get the water boiling (large pot)... cut a piece of pvc (longer than you need, so youve got a handle. submerge the end you'll be flattening.maybe 6 to 9 inches... when it starts getting soft flatten the end alittle....resubmerge, & repeat untill you get it where you want it! i did mine by heating it in front of my torpedo space heater. and a heat gun.

 

[JenH]

I'm using sump pump tubing to run from my pump to my waterfall right now. Will I need to change this out when I make my bog? Or can I still just run the tubing up to the bulkhead fitting and then use pvc on the inside of the bog only? Also, read somewhere to paint the end caps that stick up so they aren't as noticeable can I use that faux granite spray paint to do that with since they won't be submerged? That stuff does a great job of looking like stone.....I used it on a drywall-ed fireplace once and it was transformational!

One more (probably stupid) question....When attaching the pond liner to anything else, like a skimmer box or commercial waterfall weir/filter they always show you screwing through the liner to attach it. Why doesn't this cause leaking? Wouldn't they start to leak around where the nuts and bolts are? And speaking of that, how do I prevent leakage where my pump tubing exits the pond through the liner into the ground??

 

[Shdwdrgn]

Working the PVC in the oven is pretty simple, because things happen real slow. As koiguy mentioned, if you heat your pieces in the oven, the entire piece will be soft and you will easily lose the roundness. What I do is keep a cold piece of pipe handy. When I pull the fitting out of the oven, the end I want to remain round gets slid onto the cold pipe, then I can shape the warm end. Don't be surprised if you have to reheat the piece several times to get the desired shape, and to work the round parts back to round. Working the pieces in the oven isn't the best way to do it, but sometimes you have to use what you have available.

 

[addy1]

The end caps could be just at gravel level or lower, just mark where they are, or paint them. I am not sure what sump pump piping is, but if it is strong pipe you could use it for the bog. It does not need to be pvc.

 

[JenH]

Its that black plastic flexible tubing that you use for sump pumps. Pretty much looks like pond tubing only a lot cheaper....Worked well for us last year.

 

[addy1]

Thanks jen, i have only used pvc. for my pond projects

 

[Shdwdrgn]

Always look for the original product - the specialties will cost you a fortune! I was looking around for 1.5" hose to hook up my pumps and initially purchased some specialty (blue) stuff for outdoor ponds at around $5 a foot. Then I found a roll of black stuff at the hardware store with swimming pool supplies - 25 feet for under $20. What a difference in cost!

So with all this talk about bogs, I'm planning on making a mini-bog at the top of my waterfall. Since I have to tear down the whole waterfall this Summer anyway, I decided what I'm going to do is run from PVC in between one outlet from each of the barrel filters, basically going from one barrel, dropping down into a foot of pea gravel, then coming back up into the other barrel (of course with slits cut in the PVC along the bottom. My little bog will only be about 16x36 inches, but I think it will be the perfect place to grow some carnivorous plants. It gets a little afternoon shade, and the gnats seems to really love hanging out above that spot anyway, so my little plants should be well-fed. I also think transforming that area into a bog will help calm down the water flowing out of the filters, and create a much more even flow over the top of the falls (I was originally trying to create a 'sheet' falls about 36" wide). Can't wait for the water to warm up enough that I can go wading and start tearing apart the original falls.

 

[koiguy1969]

sump pump hose works fine...theres just one drawback...the ribs in it are hollow and hold air making it a real pain trying to keep it on the ground if your running it on the floor of the pond for any length. you have to hold it straight up and fill it with the hose tapping it to release the air from the ribs. or hold it down with stones, plant pots, etc... pond hose ribs are solid spiraled for reinforcement, so the hose will lay flat on the pond floor even in longer lengths.

 

[addy1]

I have two carnivorous plants in my pond bog, so far they have come back every year. Keep their crown dry. I love my land bog garden it eats up the gnats, flies, bugs

 

[JenH]

What types of plants are carnivorous? Maybe I should get some of those too just to help keep the bugs in check! Mosquitos ahave already started coming out around here. They're predicting its going to be a really bad summer for bugs this year, since our winter was so mild.

We've decided to take out the other preform and just get a regular liner for the bog too. Still waiting to find out if I will be able to get my friend's skimmer. My fingers are crossed on that one. Anything I need to double check on that to make sure it will work for my pump?

Addy, how deep is your bog? I've read that most people do 12" but thought I saw you mention somewhere that yours is deeper because it is your main source of filtration?