Bog filter hookup when using 4" bottom drain with external pump

[ArtisanB]

I have a 3000gal pond that has a 4" bottom drain feeding an external pump then going to an Evolution Aqua Eazy Pod filter, thru 2 - 36" UV lights and back to the pond waterfall box. My problem is that the filter basket that is before the pump gets clogged up easily with junk from the bottom of the pond.

The Evolution Aqua Eazy Pod filter automatically cleans itself every 3 days, but the strainer basket on the external pump has to be cleaned out manually each time for the external pump to work.

I want to build a bog filter and eliminate the Evolution Aqua Eazy Pod filter so the water coming from the bottom drain will flow through the Aquascape Wetland Filtering System and up through the different size layers of rock and return to the pond.

This would mean that I would need to install an external solids pump that could be used externally so a strainer basket would not be necessary and so would not get clogged up. However, I don't think they make an external solids pump.

Any suggestions on how to achieve this?

Thanks in advance!
Joe

 

[Mmathis]

Hello and welcome!

 

[j.w]

@ArtisanB

 

[Lisak1]

You lost me. Are you wanting to pump from the bottom drain directly to the bog?

 

[combatwombat]

Taking crud from a bottom drain, blending it up with a pump, and sending it straight into your bog seems like a bad idea.

 

[Lisak1]

That’s what I thought we were taking about @combatwombat - just wasn’t sure I got the whole picture!

 

[GBBUDD]

Bogs are not magicians but they are biological filters that man simply can not duplicate with plastics and filters.

I USE a 3" bottom drain and in the spring it does its job well . it pulls material like plant and algae into the drain that then gets to the strainer basket to the external pump and yes it clogs frequently . there are the same baskets that you can add to the plumbing so it can hold three times as much debris before it clogs , or you can install a sieve filter on a gravity feed where the pump pulls from a sieve or two . the other option is a rdf filter. I do not have an issue with all solids removed before it goes to the bog the liquid waste from the fish is plenty to feed the bog.

and the solids pump your talking about is called a trash pump. like a sewer ejector pump

 

[poconojoe]

I wouldn't send debris filled water into a bog.
A bog is not really a mechanical filter. It's more of a biological filter containing a colony of beneficial bacteria.

Most of us with bogs keep our pump (submersible pump) or pump intake (external pump) suspended off the bottom to prevent sending solids to the bog.

You could also use a prefilter on the pump intake, but my guess would be that you'd be cleaning that quite often as well.

I use a net in the Spring and Fall to slowly drag the bottom for any debris that may have settled down there.
I put a net over the pond in the fall to catch the leaves.

If I had a bottom drain, I would not send it to the bog. I would send it over a waterfall or other feature.

 

[ArtisanB]

You lost me. Are you wanting to pump from the bottom drain directly to the bog?

Yes.

I was also wondering if the 4" pipe coming from the bottom drain could simply be redirected to the Serpentine at the bottom of the bog without a pump. Not sure if the water would flow correctly just from the gravity.

THANKS!

 

[ArtisanB]

I wouldn't send debris filled water into a bog.
A bog is not really a mechanical filter. It's more of a biological filter containing a colony of beneficial bacteria.

Most of us with bogs keep our pump (submersible pump) or pump intake (external pump) suspended off the bottom to prevent sending solids to the bog.

You could also use a prefilter on the pump intake, but my guess would be that you'd be cleaning that quite often as well.

I use a net in the Spring and Fall to slowly drag the bottom for any debris that may have settled down there.
I put a net over the pond in the fall to catch the leaves.

If I had a bottom drain, I would not send it to the bog. I would send it over a waterfall or other feature.

Thanks for the advice poconojoe!

Joe

 

[ArtisanB]

Bogs are not magicians but they are biological filters that man simply can not duplicate with plastics and filters.

I USE a 3" bottom drain and in the spring it does its job well . it pulls material like plant and algae into the drain that then gets to the strainer basket to the external pump and yes it clogs frequently . there are the same baskets that you can add to the plumbing so it can hold three times as much debris before it clogs , or you can install a sieve filter on a gravity feed where the pump pulls from a sieve or two . the other option is a rdf filter. I do not have an issue with all solids removed before it goes to the bog the liquid waste from the fish is plenty to feed the bog.

and the solids pump your talking about is called a trash pump. like a sewer ejector pump

Thanks for the info!

 

[ArtisanB]

I wouldn't send debris filled water into a bog.
A bog is not really a mechanical filter. It's more of a biological filter containing a colony of beneficial bacteria.

Most of us with bogs keep our pump (submersible pump) or pump intake (external pump) suspended off the bottom to prevent sending solids to the bog.

You could also use a prefilter on the pump intake, but my guess would be that you'd be cleaning that quite often as well.

I use a net in the Spring and Fall to slowly drag the bottom for any debris that may have settled down there.
I put a net over the pond in the fall to catch the leaves.

If I had a bottom drain, I would not send it to the bog. I would send it over a waterfall or other feature.

It is now sent over the waterfall but the external pump has to bring it in first from the bottom drain. The filter basket that is before the pump is what gets clogged up. It is my understanding that the Aquascape Wetland Filtering System consisting of a Serpentine (#2 see attached) on the bottom that catches and filters out solids and a Snorkel (#1) which is where you clean it out occasionally.

My problem is with the filter basket getting clogged up easily. Once the bog filter is in place and working properly, I would expect that solids from the bottom drain would be greatly reduced. THIS is why I was wondering if a solids pump like the SAER Heavy Duty Centrifugal Water Pump could replace my current external pond pump because it would not get clogged. My pond is seen here on Instagram.

Artisans Bonsai Nursery on Instagram: "Good morning! Were open until 5pm - Come say hey to our koi (and us) "

Artisans Bonsai Nursery shared a post on Instagram: "Good morning! Were open until 5pm - Come say hey to our koi (and us) ". Follow their account to see 314 posts.

www.instagram.com

 

[poconojoe]

I understand your dilemma.

I have a pool pump that has a basket that is a pain to clean out, although I don't need to do it very often. But when I do, it's a hassle getting the air bubble out of the top of the clear plastic dome.

It's no fun cleaning any filter.

I don't use an external pump or have a bottom drain.
There are some here that do and I hope they can chime in with their experience.
Someone must have the same problem.

 

[combatwombat]

It’s not a good idea to send any solids you don’t absolutely have to into the bottom of a bog. Yes, the idea is that it will settle out, but it can also get stuck in your gravel and prematurely clog your filter.

That’s especially true when you purée the solids with a pump ahead of the bog.

If you sent a whole leaf into the centipede, sure, it’ll quickly settle and you could get it later with a trash pump in the snorkel. If you chop that leaf into a million pieces with an impeller, it’s not going to settle so quickly and much of it is going to end up in the gravel.

Maybe if you build a huge bog fed by a small pump so that flow is very slow you’ll get better performance. But if your main concern is cleaning your leaf trap too often, there are several other ways to solve that. Sending the crud to the bottom of a bog is the last on that list… if it makes the list at all. Just an overall poor design choice.

 

[GBBUDD]

The centipede is designed to disburse the water across the bog. The matrix blocks are more for dissolved solids in the water column where the water with around ten minutes Statius hoping the water will start to clarify and work its way up through the gravel and through the roots.

We are aware of the design i have had the same design on my pond 5 years now.

below is two links take a look at the showcase