Ammonia reading / picture

[Tula]

Do either of you have bogs that are not in your pond, but along side it? I could buy liner tomorrow, as the fish hatchery is open. I've heard some people used a pre-formed pond....they are on sale now, but not sure it will look good with my pond. I don't understand how to circulate water from the pond, through the bog and back into the pond.

I have an opportunity to purchase some nice ayer plants at a good price this week end.....but really don't understand the bog design yet. I did look at the bog sticky....but am still confused Kim

 

[addy1]

Then addy why do you think I have so much string algae? Maybe not enough plants yet? Or maybe they are really established yet? The pond serface area is 10X11 and the bog is 11X 4 X 2' That' should be adequate shouldnt it? Water is clear

No clue fishylove, why you would have string, I had a small amount the first summer, on the north side of the pond that had full sun hitting it, after the bog plants got established, it went away and never came back. Maybe it has to do with my stocking level and I do not feed heavy. I do not have the pond surface covered with plants, only have lilies, some parrots feather along the side of the pond, some plants growing on the edges. This summer about 1/3 or less surface cover with lily leaves. My pond is in full sun all summer long, sunrise to sunset.
There is string in the small preforms, they get fed unfiltered pond water, slow flow, warm, shallow. So sting "spores" or however it spreads go into the big pond all of the time.

Do either of you have bogs that are not in your pond, but along side it? I could buy liner tomorrow, as the fish hatchery is open. I've heard some people used a pre-formed pond....they are on sale now, but not sure it will look good with my pond. I don't understand how to circulate water from the pond, through the bog and back into the pond.

I have an opportunity to purchase some nice ayer plants at a good price this week end.....but really don't understand the bog design yet. I did look at the bog sticky....but am still confused Kim

Mine is next to my pond, my external pump, pumps the water into pvc piping that runs below the pea gravel, it waterfalls back into the pond. My bog is slightly higher than the pond, about 8 inches or so.

 

[dieselplower]

I don't understand how to circulate water from the pond, through the bog and back into the pond.

You pump the water out of the pond and into the bottom of the bog. The pipe in the bottom of the bog should go from one side of the bottom all the way to the other side. It should have a ton of holes drilled in it so that water is let out of the pipe throughout the bottom of the bog. The water will rise to the top, through all the gravel and plant roots, and then it will overflow back into the pond. So you will have to have an area of the preformed pond where the water can flow out. Some preformed ponds actually have a waterfall built in. The water will exit whereever the lowest point it. You may have to drill some holes near the top of the preformed liner for the water to flow out of and back into the pond.

 

[dieselplower]

http://www.exoticwings.com/shoppe/images/pt789.jpg see how that has the spillway? That would direct the water back to the pond

 

[dieselplower]

http://www.exoticwings.com/shoppe/images/pt789.jpg see how that has the spillway? That would direct the water back to the pond

 

[Tula]

I think mine has a spill way, will check in the morning. A big problem is tree roots. We have a large ash tree we've just paid to have treated, in hopes it will survive the emerald ash borer. I currently have two pumps, both submersible. They will both be going into the skimmer on Monday, currently only one is in the skimmer.

You mention pipe running along the bottom of the bog. I assume this is pvc, with drilled holes? Do you just place the tubing from the pump inside the pipe?

 

[Fishylove]

Yes tula exactly. I have it piped to both waterfall and spill over from the bog. Depending on how wide your bog will be, mine is 4' wide, 11' long. So from the pond water piped pvc to the start of the bog: 1) 90* to the bottom 2) T off from there; like I said depending on how wide, and make a fork ( one pipe, the length of the bog, for every two feet or so, there really no set number). 3) 90* up about 6" to a foot above where gravel will be and put a thread cap, so you have a cleanout/flush. So my bog is 4' wide, I have two PVC pipes running the length of the bog and then capped. You can drill holes or cut slashes, on the underside of the pipes ( facing down to keep the gravel from falling in the pipe and clogging). Ideal depth 18 or so but it can be deeper if you like. The idea is to have 40-50% of the surface area of your pond; but again some people have bigger bogs Good luck!

 

[Tula]

Well, there will be no bog this year The pond guy who installed my skimmer yesterday, presented me with a bill for double what he originally thought it would be. I don't think he is dishonest, just not a skilled business person and didn't plan accordingly. His work looks good and the new Savio skimmer is working very well.....now pulling 4000 GPH though it No gravel on the pond bottom and only five koi - so all is good

I think my next purchase will be a pond vacuum and I'll research bogs over the winter!