Confused between a bog filter and a traditional filter

[DHUNTER2]

Hi all
I’m planning to build a koi pond early next year and have read a lot of your posts which have helped.
The main question I have is can I have a bog filter with a bottom drain/airline
And a skimmer with a uv lamp built in some and do I need all of the above .
Completely new to all this so a diagram would help if any of you kind people would be able to help me please
Thanks Dan

 

[Pablo]

Welcome. Definitely a lot of information here, which can be overwhelming. Everyone's setup can be a little different. A good place to start for bogs is in the construction forum there is a sticky thread for bog building, that will give you the basics. For videos, ozponds has a lot of videos on bog building on youtube. Not sure I have seen anyone put a bottom drain on a bog, not saying you cannot do it I just dont think I have seen that. Skimmer helps to keep debris out of the pump, most people will say you do not need a UV if you have a bog filter, but some have used them even with a bog. You will want to give more information about the size pond you are thinking of and if you are going to have fish, what type and how many. Problem most people do is overload a filter with too many fish. Hope that helps a little.

 

[j.w]

@DHUNTER2

 

[addy1]

Welcome to the forum!

If you are going to have koi think big pond, lots of water, lots of filtration. OR controlled population growth.

I filter with just a bog, no bottom drain, only subunkins. I let them have as many kids as they want.

 

[GBBUDD]

Hi all
I’m planning to build a koi pond early next year and have read a lot of your posts which have helped.
The main question I have is can I have a bog filter with a bottom drain/airline
And a skimmer with a uv lamp built in some and do I need all of the above .
Completely new to all this so a diagram would help if any of you kind people would be able to help me please
Thanks Dan

Youtube youtube and more you tube i would watch EVERY video that john j Adams with modern design aquascaping has that has yellow lettering over the video welcome screen that talks about all the aspects to a pond . Then ozz ponds and Aquascapes and team Aquascapes .
Then i put together a large list of who what where to ponding you can find here first half is pretty pictures of who what when . then the second half is what you need to consider when building a pond https://www.gardenpondforum.com/sho...r-2023-12-000-gallon-koi-pond-full-build.141/

 

[addy1]

Lots and lots of options. Mine is basic, built way before bogs became a good thing.

 

[Lisak1]

Welcome to the GPF! A questions for you -

You say "koi pond" - is that what you really mean? Like is the purpose of your pond to raise big, beautiful koi with no plants and crystal clear water? Or do you want an eco-style pond with fish, plants, rocks, etc?

How big do you plan for this pond to be? If you've read anything here at all, you know "koi" means "gallons" - lots and lots of water volume required for big fish. Does 1000 gallons sound like a lot? It's not.

Answers to those two questions will answer a lot of your remaining questions.

Can you have a bottom drain and a bog filter - yes. Check out @GBBUDD and his build thread. Do you need a bottom drain? Well, maybe. See question #1. Do you want a bottom drain? See question #1. Many factors to consider when choosing to add a bottom drain or not.

Do you need a skimmer? Not necessarily. Research vanishing edge, negative edge or intake bay builds.

Do you need a UV - my simple answer is "no". If you understand what a UV light does, you may decide you would never want one. Plus it's one more thing to maintain.

That first question though is where you start - what kind of pond do I want? The term "koi pond" gets thrown around much like "Kleenex" or "Clorox". Knowing where you want to end up will help you decide where to begin.

There are LOADS of great pond build threads here, and, as @GBBUDD said - YouTube is a fantastic resource. These professional pond builders are giving away ALL their secrets to building ponds that are both beautiful and function well. Take advantage of what they're offering. If you can do it yourself, you'll save yourself a ton of money and have a whole lot of pride in yourself and your creation when it's all said and done.

Stick around here, ask questions, read read read... you'll get all the help you're willing to accept and some advice that you may wish you didn't have to hear. Post some photos of where you plan to locate your pond and start with that. There are definitely right and wrong places to build a pond in a yard.

 

[GBBUDD]

If you can do it yourself, you'll save yourself a ton of money and have a whole lot of pride

I have to add that there is risk involved . your possibly placing tons of rock and boulders on a thin layer of rubber. it is not very hard to rip and puncture but when protected and done right the rewards are great. But what may come along with that is when it goes wrong. a small tear can cost big time trying to find the area is less that fun and regardless of baseball size rocks or boulders you set with a machine it can be a daunting challenge to find and repair the leak. I did have a tear myself and i was lucky i found it only after a few hours looking for it. I have a feeling many are not so lucky as they are here a lot one minute and then they disappear never to be seen again.

if you want rock in the pond you can go either way bog or filters. or even both . if your looking at a raised pond with no rock and fish without a scratch then maybe a rdf and bead filter or shower or more to your taste

 

[Mmathis]

Hello and welcome!

Wow, great advice and questions so far. I guess, going back to @Lisak1 post — define what you are looking for! What is your goal? There are so many things to consider, and it can be very confusing.