Aquascape biofalls into a small bog filter

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I cleaned the filters in my biofalls...yuk! So since I already have a bog filter I am wondering if anyone has just removed the filters, extended and caped, the water inlet with 2” PVC with oodles of slits and filled the box with gravel making it another bog filter. Then the top could support more plants.
What do you all think?
 
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I just converted a150 gallon stock tank skippy filter into a bog so guess it could be done with any filter.
Thanks. How much water are you pushing through it? I would have to send about 1500 gph to maintain the waterfall and am thinking that would be to high a flow rate for a bog to work. I really do not quite understand the relationship of water flow to bog performance. When I decreased the water flow to my current bog, the water cleared up. But that could have been due to other factors, like rainfall or cloudy days which both happened when the pond cleared up. Unfortunately it is back to green algae now but not as bad as it was. That is why I am exploring this bog in waterfall box idea.
 

mrsclem

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Running 1600gph with a 4" outflow pipe. Plants are doing well but a little yellow so thinking not getting enough nutrients. Going to shut down one of the 2 filters running and see how it goes.
 
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Running 1600gph with a 4" outflow pipe. Plants are doing well but a little yellow so thinking not getting enough nutrients. Going to shut down one of the 2 filters running and see how it goes.
How is this working out. Strongly considered turning my biofalls into another bog filter.
 

mrsclem

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I still can't believe that a 10x10x5.5 pond with only a couple of water lilies hanging on the sides is being filtered by a 150 gallon bog! I do still have 4 window boxs lightly planted on one side, 7 adult koi and 12-15 1 year olds.
 
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Split the water feed and have a small amount go to the big and the majority go to the falls when your home and a diverter or just shut off S to direct the amount of flow you want when your home
 
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How is this working out. Strongly considered turning my biofalls into another bog filter.
I'm wondering if you did that and how it turned out
I'm exploring different things I could do in the future to up the filtration as my koi grow
 
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I took out the bio balls as I got tired cleaning them and the bag. They just get jammed up with the fish poop and there is no way they were doing any good. They are a pain to clean too. I replaced them with Matala filter media in both waterfall box and in skimmer. Still need to clean the filters but they are easier to clean. I made to full sets of pads so I can pull them out of the skimmer or waterfall and put the clean ones back in. I only do one or the other at a time. The skimmer and waterfall are the Aquascape Medium size with the Aquascape Aquasurge 3000 pump. About 1/3 of the water goes thru the waterfall, the rest goes through the bogs.
 
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I took out the bio balls as I got tired cleaning them and the bag. They just get jammed up with the fish poop and there is no way they were doing any good. They are a pain to clean too. I replaced them with Matala filter media in both waterfall box and in skimmer. Still need to clean the filters but they are easier to clean. I made to full sets of pads so I can pull them out of the skimmer or waterfall and put the clean ones back in. I only do one or the other at a time. The skimmer and waterfall are the Aquascape Medium size with the Aquascape Aquasurge 3000 pump. About 1/3 of the water goes thru the waterfall, the rest goes through the bogs.
I've always thought the bio-balls looked hard to clean so I never even try them, thanks for confirming my theory.

In my new pond, I have a 40" Pond Builder waterfall, it was filled with green Matala pads and did awesome the first year, but after I rinsed them in Spring they started clogging , so I switched to all black (someone on here suggested) pads.
After switching to black pads we regained the water flow and the pond cleared...but now I wonder if the black pads have enough surface area . I would like to add additional filtration just in case, but I don't know what would be the best choice....I know a bog would be ideal, but it's not an option with my setting.
 
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I've always thought the bio-balls looked hard to clean so I never even try them, thanks for confirming my theory.

In my new pond, I have a 40" Pond Builder waterfall, it was filled with green Matala pads and did awesome the first year, but after I rinsed them in Spring they started clogging , so I switched to all black (someone on here suggested) pads.
After switching to black pads we regained the water flow and the pond cleared...but now I wonder if the black pads have enough surface area . I would like to add additional filtration just in case, but I don't know what would be the best choice....I know a bog would be ideal, but it's not an option with my setting.
I'm pretty sure the bioballs are NEVER supposed to be mechanical filters, but rather, biofilters. The water should go through a mechanical system first (the pads). You shouldn't have to ever clean the balls.
 
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I'm pretty sure the bioballs are NEVER supposed to be mechanical filters, but rather, biofilters. The water should go through a mechanical system first (the pads). You shouldn't have to ever clean the balls.
This is exactly how mine is set up - the biofall box has two heavy black filters & the bag of bioballs sits on top of them. We take the entire thing apart & clean it once a year. The bags of bioballs do get pretty gross & gunky, but it's easy enough to just rinse them off with the hose. We do this in early winter (December) and then store everything until early Spring when we put it all back together. Since the biological action is way down when the water is cold, I don't worry about not having them in there. Plus, my entire pond is full of gravel & rocks which more or less makes the entire bottom surface a 'biological filter' and place for bacteria to colonize.
The filter mats in my skimmer boxes get rinsed off once a week or so, except during winter.
 

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