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

[MariaTeresa]

How do you keep the water from running backwards through the piping back to the pond, Addy? (In the winter)

EDIT: I don't know how I missed your explanation a few posts up! Oops! I understand now, thanks!

 

[Timothy]

Just to confirm what Addy has been saying, our bog is above ground in a "box" 4'X22' . We are in zone 5 and our bog is about 24" deep, but being totally exposed, it froze solid. This spring the plants responded before anything else even woke up.

 

[LoganinMD]

this is great, as I know I won't keep up with taking tender plants indoors!
just trying to wrap my brain around freezing roots solid and then they come back!

 

[addy1]

I used to haul the taros in, but then a cool spring cool summer they never grew enough to even do well. I decided only hardies get to live here. I also tried tropical lilies, they to did not like our cool springs cool water. They would finally start to grow and summer was over or they would not grow.

 

[CountryEscape]

I kept my large bog running all winter, even last winter with that arctic blast we had for a very long period! Because my pump is in the pond at about 2' down from the surface, and running all winter, the ice froze on the pond, but not down where the pump was, and the water continued to flow out of the bog, into the pond, under the ice. If my electricity would go off for more than an hour or so when it was really cold, that could have froze the water in the pipes, and made it impossible for the pump to run, so would have to wait for a thaw, but otherwise it ran 24/7.
And, I agree, bog plants are first to grow in the spring, when all other "ground" plants are still hibernating, bog plants are growing. Also, keep in mind, ground plants freeze solid, too. We just don't think about that, since they are in dirt instead of water.

 

[addy1]

I lost land plants last winter crepe myrtles gave up the struggle, one of my hibiscus gave up last winter, made it the cold winter before but this one was too much.

The bog, none died they just grow. I need to do a purge again, which only last for a month or so then they take over again. So might not lol.

 

[Timothy]

..............
The bog, none died they just grow. I need to do a purge again, which only last for a month or so then they take over again. So might not lol.

I hope I'm not hijacking anyone's thread here;
Addy, it may seem obvious, but being new to a bog, I could use a tutorial on how to cull a bog. Do you take out the largest/oldest plants first? Do you cut, or break the roots? My bog plants have yellow and purple flowers on them now, I suppose the culling comes after the blooms? Two-thirds of my bog is wall to wall with plants and the water can't be seen. I guess my concern is the root systems creating too much of a flow restriction and the pond water being diverted over the edge. Have you ever had this happen?
This is how the bog looked in April,

These are how it looks today.


I think it's ready for some culling!

 

[Lisak1]

It looks great! You're doing something right! I won't speak for @addy1 , but I just go through and pull anything that looks like it's restricting water flow or has fallen over on something else or it catches my eye... No real science, just make room for more growth! It's like a haircut - even if it's a little short, you know it'll grow back eventually.

 

[Timothy]

Thank you. We had some stuff fall over because of wind and rain a couple of weeks ago and all it did was turn up and keep growing so half the plant is horizontal and half vertical. Tough stuff!
I had half expected the pond to start turning a little cloudy by this time of year because of the water temps rising, but it's still clearer than it's ever been. The bottom is totally visible which wasn't the case until the bog went in. I guess if I had it to do over I might have built the bog a little larger as it's less than 10% of the pond's capacity........now, if I were clever enough I'd figure out a way to create another facet to this system...........wonder how big it should be...........BTW, what is a good proportion bog to pond?

 

[CountryEscape]

I think your bog looks great, too, Timothy. If you have any plants that seem to be restricting flow, definitely move them and prevent them from growing in the area where your water flows out. I've noticed plants that totally restricted the flow in my koi pond bog, so it now is flowing over another edge, which is fine ... unless you don't have a low area somewhere else, and the water flows OUT! So, must be careful and always watch for that.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

BTW, what is a good proportion bog to pond?

30% - 40% of pond surface area.

 

[Timothy]

... unless you don't have a low area somewhere else, and the water flows OUT! So, must be careful and always watch for that.

Thank you Country. That's exactly my concern. I have the flow regulated so it remains about 2" from brimming over the edge, and I use this as a parameter of water flow. If the level goes up, the flow out is decreasing. The disadvantage I have is that the bog is totally independent of the pond and if it does overflow I'd be losing pond water because there's no way the water can return except for the sluice. I deliberately over-sized the return so it wouldn't create a choking point. (That's what's in the box on the end with a lid so it can be checked daily.)

 

[Timothy]

30% - 40% of pond surface area.

Thank you Meyer. It turns out I'm just slightly below the lower limit at 27%. Closer than I thought.
Thank you.

 

[addy1]

I usually only purge in the spring, just to calm down the regrowth, and in the fall when I turn it off for the winter. I go through and yank out tractor bucket loads of plants. I do not worry about yanking out roots, breaking a plants. I just put on gloves and yank. They regrow. I hardly touch it during the summer. I rake it in the fall/winter after plants are removed to get rid of all the maple leaves that fall in .

My bog has a high back (down slope wall, 3-4 inches over the height of the water. The front edge (pond edge) up slope side the water overflows along the entire wall. There were two areas on the ends where I had to build up the liner a bit more like one inch for a just in case. So far no matter how full it gets I have not had a over flow, with around 6800 gph flowing in, it would empty my pond real quickly if it did get diverted.

 

[houseguitarshop]

hello, I am new to pond hobby, and just uncover and restored a small pond about 400 gallons and waterfall in my backyard, I read though most of this thread lots of good info.

I researched a lot of filter setups, and decided to go with the bog type. I did not want to make a permanent bog structure and I wanted something that was easy to maintain and clean, so I came up with the idea of using multiple small bogs that I can lift out of place, dump in a larger bin, and spray the rocks out when needed then easily re-assemble.

From my main pump I have three water outlets, one to the main waterfall, two of them are piped to the bottom of separate gravel beds wich are inside two large bowls 10" deep 14" in dia full of pea gravel. the water flows up through the gravel and back into the two ponds.

has anyone tried using multiple smaller bogs? Instead of one big one?