bog filter any and all ideas welcome

[addy1]

For our pond, (no koi) maybe some fish. We are building a bog filter. it will be 28 feet long 4 feet wide approx 15 inches deep. It will waterfall back into the pond.

We are putting 2 inch pvc pipes (two) to run the length of the bog, these will have 1/4 inch holes in them, pointing towards the liner. The pvc may have slots cut into it instead of holes. (check doc attachment)

The bog picture looks out of wack, but our pond is on a slope, it is actually level (had to dig 2 feet down on the top end, add a two foot berm on the lower end).

Currently we are thinking of adding pea gravel into the entire area, according to a lot of web search this should make a good filter with minimal issues. It will be planted. One recommendation was to use a bio sludge dis-solver off and on.

In reading a lot of the posts from this forum, we have been thinking of using rabbit fence, the white wrapping tape, or whatever would work, for filter material, placed in netted bags, with the plants put into netted / hole filled planters with pea gravel. This would enable us to pull out the filter material if it ever needed flushed.
(flushing will be done with a sump pump we already have).

I have made the pvc stand with egg crate cover over for my filter in arizona. But i don't think it would be strong enough to walk on, to get into this bog to move the plants, tend to them etc. So I am not sure if we need to make the stand or if we should, what would work without breaking the bank.............

Or if we should just stay with the pea gravel filter. The filter is huge the pond with have minimal fish if any fish.

Thanks in advance...............

 

[mrsclem]

We installed a 10'x3' bog last year. It is 24" deep and completely filled with pea gravel. Also used the pvc pipe with holes drilled into it but it has clogged already. I would recomend using landscape fabric over the pipe. The plants will break down and things will get clogged. Good idea to put a filter on before the bog to keep the waste buildup down to a minimum. I just stuck my plants right into the gravel and the fish poo has done a wonderful job of fertilizing the plants. 10-12' high cattails, iris, lizards tail etc.

 

[addy1]

Thanks,
We were thinking of using slots instead of holes to keep down the chance of clogging.

The problem i see with landscape fabric is it is a tight weave and it might clog.
Well I think it would.

We are also going to have three leaf baskets before it goes into the bog.
A filter before the bog is a good idea, thank you.

 

[addy1]

Slots cut 1/3 through the pipe around 1/4 inch in size.

What size did you make your holes and how close?

 

[mrsclem]

Drilled holes of various sizes up to 1/4" and 1" apart all along the pipes. Check with Lowes in the section where they have the large drain pipe. They sell a cloth sleeve that goes over perforated drain pipe designed to keep dirt out but let water drain.
Where are you at in Maryland?

 

[addy1]

Frederick

Thanks I will check that out. The worse part of this whole project is cleaning that amount of pea gravel before putting it into the filter.

I would love to drive my kubota into the filter (the one end is still open) but concerned about damaging the liner. The front end loader would sure make it easy.

The liner will be here today!

 

[mrsclem]

We had 200 bags of pea gravel to wash one at a time! I did 20 a day. I wish we had some type of heavy equipment- Just a small tiller and hubby and he just broke his hand so I'm all alone.

 

[addy1]

It makes this pond business easier. My hubby bought it for me for our first anniversary.
Been digging holes ever since. We have tons of shale type rock with a little dirt here, no way it could have been dug by hand. Hard to even dig a hole for a plant.

I am probably going to get a truck load of pea gravel, there is a place near our house that sales it (within 7 miles), cheaper than by the bag.

So sorry to hear about your hubby, I wish him speedy recovery.

(our tiller is dead)

This rock pile is now twice as big, just a few i pulled from the dirt.

 

[angelmandi]

We built a detached pea gravel bog filter when we made our outdoor pond this past March. Rinsing the gravel was definitely the hardest part-- we had all the gravel put on my husband's trailer, ran the hose on top of it to start rinsing, and then my husband drilled holes in the bottom and sides of a rubbermaid storage container. We kept filling it with gravel and rinsing and dumping in the bog. I wasn't strong enough to lift it, so I had to use the metal kitchen colander! lol

The only wisdom I can give, is that pea gravel is HEAVY. If I had it to do again, I would make our bog shallower and longer, instead of shorter width/length and deep. A lot of stress on that little PVC liner. Not sure if we'll have any leaks next Spring when we hook it back up again. Also, I would be sure to use Firestone lining instead of the PVC-- for the same reasons.

The plants we put in the gravel though were just beautiful and did a great job filtering the water. I put my little guppies outside for the summer in the bog (with a little gutter guart put inbetween the bog and the waterfall to keep them inside). They grew and had some beautiful little babies outside. It was fun to watch them frolick in the bog while the koi were racing in the pond.

 

[cauzeneffeckt]

I would go with a full bareroot bog, if you have plenty of plants you wont worry about not having any peagravel.. cleaner

 

[koiguy1969]

i agree maybe a few bundles of submeresables .. hornwort, anacharas, etc.. and fill it with hyacinths, lettuce, frogbit, and other bare root floating plants. floaters are notoriously big eaters, fast growing and reproduce in a hurry also...they also provide fines filtering with their long fiberous roots. as they over fill the bog toss them in the pond for shade and hiding spots for your fish.

 

[cauzeneffeckt]

right on koiguy.. and considering how big your bog is... its also cost effective since you arent using the peagravel..