A bog question -- does anyone have some "dead space" [false bottom] beneath pea gravel?

Mmathis

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I've studied the typical bog set-up where you have your PVC distribution tubing sitting directly on the bog bottom, with pea gravel on top of that.

But then I've seen some [more commercial set-up's from the looks of it] other set-ups with several options such as
  • a sloped bottom for debris collection
  • a huge tubing or conduit-thingy, I think called a snorkel
  • a false-bottom for debris to collect underneath
Anyway, just wondering about some of the other bog-building methods and WHY any one of them could/would be superior [or is it just marketing?].

I like the idea of the false-bottom [so you could more easily pump out settled debris], but no ideas how to go about doing that.....
 
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My bog has a false bottom. I have a PVC pipe from the bottom up a little past the gravel so I can stick a hose down it to suck out the crud.
 

mrsclem

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I have pvc pipes at both ends to clean out bog and also installed a 6" section all the way to the bottom so I can drop a pump in and really clean it out/
 
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I took PVC pipes with elbows and made a brace about 4 inches off the floor. Than laid egg crate (the lighting cover for 2x4 ceiling lights) on the PVC brace than put a layer of rocks just a bit bigger than the crate squares so they wouldn't fall through. Than filled the rest of the way up with pea gravel.
 

Mmathis

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I took PVC pipes with elbows and made a brace about 4 inches off the floor. Than laid egg crate (the lighting cover for 2x4 ceiling lights) on the PVC brace than put a layer of rocks just a bit bigger than the crate squares so they wouldn't fall through. Than filled the rest of the way up with pea gravel.
OK, I see now. That sounds like what I did in the pond when I had a section fenced off for my boxies -- their "turtle bog." But I didn't use the lighting grate as I was afraid it would get brittle and break over time [plus I would be walking on it, too]. Instead, I used sheets of vinyl lattice placed over the PVC frame. Because the holes in the lattice were too big, and wouldn't contain the pea gravel, I pieced together sheets of plastic [craft] canvas mesh. That worked very well for this purpose...
image.jpg
But after a while I was concerned about the weight of the gravel [and me, when I walked on it...], and was worried about what it was doing to the liner -- was afraid the PVC would eventually poke through.
  • Did you do anything to reinforce the liner?
  • In your water distribution tubing, did you make holes or slits, and are they facing up or down?
 

Mmathis

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I have pvc pipes at both ends to clean out bog and also installed a 6" section all the way to the bottom so I can drop a pump in and really clean it out/
My pea gravel is on the bottom. The 6" pipe has window screen across the bottom and is set up 2" off the bottom.

Any way you can post a picture or draw a little sketch for me? I'm a "visual" person, and it helps me if I can see it.
 
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OK, I see now. That sounds like what I did in the pond when I had a section fenced off for my boxies -- their "turtle bog." But I didn't use the lighting grate as I was afraid it would get brittle and break over time [plus I would be walking on it, too]. Instead, I used sheets of vinyl lattice placed over the PVC frame. Because the holes in the lattice were too big, and wouldn't contain the pea gravel, I pieced together sheets of plastic [craft] canvas mesh. That worked very well for this purpose...
View attachment 71856
But after a while I was concerned about the weight of the gravel [and me, when I walked on it...], and was worried about what it was doing to the liner -- was afraid the PVC would eventually poke through.
  • Did you do anything to reinforce the liner?
  • In your water distribution tubing, did you make holes or slits, and are they facing up or down?

We put pieces of slate under the PVC ends so it wouldn't cut into the liner. We didn't reinforce the liner, but ours is above ground so no walking on it. We made holes facing down.
 

mrsclem

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Any way you can post a picture or draw a little sketch for me? I'm a "visual" person, and it helps me if I can see it.
007.JPG

Turtle Mommy- Here is the redone bog. 6" pvc cleanout will be topped off with a decorative stone. My 650gph pump will fit right inside the tube for a major cleanout.
 

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