Bog building, also called upflow filter, eco filter, wetland filter

[addy1]

But seriously - I think people overthink a lot of these things. Nature is very forgiving. These are man made bogs with lots of man made rules. Get the general principles in place and it will work.

Very true! Tiny to large the bog type filter will help your pond.

 

[poconojoe]

Yeah, I've read some articles by so called "professional" pond builders and they insist the bog can only be 12" deep and it has to be 3/8" pea gravel and non other!
But as you can see, members here have broken their so called "rules" and their bogs/ponds are doing great.

 

[addy1]

But as you can see, members here have broken their so called "rules" and their bogs/ponds are doing great.

I don't play by the rules, most of the time without issue but sometimes it is a opps.

 

[Tula]

This is the first winter, my guess is they will die, since I will have nothing running. But it is just water willow of which I have a ton. My in ground bog all of the plants survive, but the gravel is never dry but it does freeze. At least down xx inches

Yes, this is what I'm afraid of, the plants will die over winter. I could always look at them as annuals and uy new each year, but love the idea of them filling in and coming back each year.

 

[Spanky]

I also am well known for breaking the rules, but I sure am grateful for resources like this group when I venture into new territory. I calculated that I need almost exactly 1 cubic yard of gravel. That is around 2 tons, 52 bags from my local Home Depot for $215.80. I called a local gravel pit who will deliver 1.5 tons for $120.00 total and I don't have to haul 50 lb bags. Score!

 

[Ronfire]

I used close to 5 tones in mine. Manged to borrow a dump trailer

 

[Ronfire]

Abby - Does the bog get better at filtering fine debris a it gets older. My ponds seem to have a lot of fine debris. My bogs are about 3 times the size of the main pond if you include the one feeding the liilys in the top pond. Thought my ponds had more volume but a recalculation shows around 2000 gallons and pump 3000-3500 gph - see "finally rebuilding my pond "for pond layout.

 

[poconojoe]

I also am well known for breaking the rules, but I sure am grateful for resources like this group when I venture into new territory. I calculated that I need almost exactly 1 cubic yard of gravel. That is around 2 tons, 52 bags from my local Home Depot for $215.80. I called a local gravel pit who will deliver 1.5 tons for $120.00 total and I don't have to haul 50 lb bags. Score!

Excellent! You saved a bundle and didn't have to handle all those bags twice (into your vehicle, then out of it when you got home). Buying things like that in bulk is usually way cheaper and less work.

Having a pickup truck helps a lot. Whenever I need mulch, gravel, sand, soil, etc., i just have the local garden center dump a yard in my truck bed. I can usually back my truck up to the areas that need it and shovel it out pretty quickly. I lay a tarp in the bed before they dump it in so that it's an easy clean out later. $35 for a yard of top soil. How many bags from HD or Lowe's would you have to buy to equal a yard? And the cost? Not even close.

 

[Lisak1]

Does the bog get better at filtering fine debris a it gets older.

I won't speak for @addy1 , but I can say that our bog does not filter fines. We've considered getting a fines filter from time to time, or just DIYing a quilt batting set up for a few days, but ultimately decide that we just really aren't all that bothered by it.

 

[addy1]

Yes, this is what I'm afraid of, the plants will die over winter.

It is a plastic pot, will dry out, will freeze, one reason I picked plants that I can easily replace, ie I have a ton of them and they grow easy and fast. I never put anything special where it may or may not live.

 

[addy1]

I called a local gravel pit who will deliver 1.5 tons for $120.00 total and I don't have to haul 50 lb bags. Score!

I had my truck load delivered. We started to clean it, it was a very dry summer, we are on a well, it was hot. We cleaned two wheel barrel loads, sort of and then said tough just dumped it into the bog using my tractor, bucket loads. My poor hubby pushed the two wheel barrel loads in, we both said no way. I drove right on the liner (not epdm) and loaded up the bog. The dust/dirt in the gravel settled right out. Took a bit but no hours and hours and days of washing the 38000 lbs. 16 tons of pea gravel. minus a bit that ended up on a path.

 

[addy1]

I won't speak for @addy1 , but I can say that our bog does not filter fines.

I am guessing it filters fines just fine lol. My water is crystal clear looking in, but via the cam you can see some small particles floating around, esp when the fish bump the hornwort. Which they do all the time. Does not bother me at all!

 

[Lisak1]

but via the cam you can see some small particles floating around, esp when the fish bump the hornwort.

Same. Water is clear; some floating particles. Fish don't mind so neither do I.

 

[Ronfire]

The water looks good in the 2' deep pond but at the 4.5' it is difficult to see the bottom. Not sure yet if I will ad a fines filter to the system, think I will give i some time as it is only running 3 weeks at most.

 

[addy1]

It took some time, let the debris settle out get caught up.

This is my 5 foot bottom, you can see the trap doors snails and some hornwort starting to grow. The white spects are pea gravel or kitty litter that got spilled.