Darksaber Pond - My Next Adventure

[addy1]

Plain old pea gravel for me and still working just fine.

 

[GBBUDD]

@milonedp your holding out on us waiting OK not so patiently for the next video

 

[milonedp]

@GBBUDD sorry about that, here are some updates... Monday I'm hoping they'll start rocking in some of the pond

Day 9 - Bolting together the wall and some work on the wetland filter

Day 10 - Wetland and starting to backfill the walls

Day 11 - Backfilling the walls

Day 12 - No work they had some emergency work on another project (rodent ate through a liner).

 

[GBBUDD]

COMING ALONG NICELY . I do hope your gettting some stills or a video or two of the bog build

 

[milonedp]

The smaller rock is what is right on the aquablox and you can see the larger above it.

If the first layer of rock is to do 3 things; diffuse the water, trap the largest debris coming up, and stop the smaller gravel from penetrating down into the aquablox, wouldn't having them reversed potentially allow larger debris to clog the smaller rock on the bottom and allow smaller gravel at the top to penetrate deeper into the larger rock bed leaving a tighter compaction that will result in hotspots or channeling of flow. Or am I overthinking this?

 

[GBBUDD]

My take from your picture is the aquablocks were set and then off to the side they installed a little resistance being the smaller stone this way the water is more likely to go through the aqublocks and not slid up along the outside. If they had used all of the larger you have the potential for more water to fly by along the outside making your investment of the aquablocks less efficient. i'm betting the clean rock on the side will be placed over the dirty larger rock then once that layer is complete they will start with 3/4 or pea the larger in the center is mixed already they may just jump right to the finish layer. it would have been nice if the large rock was washed but its hard to find quality washed rock

 

[milonedp]

Thanks, that cleaner smaller rock is also on top of the aquablox (several inches) then the big stuff that will be leveled out then smaller. You think that's okay even though it's all out of order?

 

[GBBUDD]

Yea from what we have seen here on this site over and over is the variations in the set up I used culvert pipe and aqua blocks in my bog along with a very deep set up , addy has like 4 feet of pea stone on top of a grid of 2" pvc Lisa has a negative edge while jhn i believe uses skimmers. and a matrix block set up with larger rock on top layer of the blocks down to layers of pea and 3/4 inch river rock. I think my point is is that we are all giving mother nature a stage. And she is going to take her time to discover how she wants to play the final act and how she is going to get there. With the aqua blocks and that dead space gives room for a colony of little creatures to thrive where there are no fish well at least we hope so as i have found baby fish in my culvert pipe in the bog. This allows for these creatures to do there thing and break down the waste that enters these areas. i don't think they care if it's a foot wide or 20 feet wide . as long as the basics are there i believe she will balance out the system if she is given the chance. But time is what we usually don't want to give to our systems we want it now . MOTHER NATURE NEVR HAS ASKED FOR PERMISSION she does as she wishes when she wishes.. { how's that for some b.s}

 

[GBBUDD]

I would prefer seeing larger to smaller so that the water pressures build evenly as they work there way up. i kind of have the same scenario with two bladders. as the 24" culvert is the diffuser at the bottom of my bog then i have larger rock softball to 10" then the aquablocks back to the softball 3to4" then 1-2" and the 3/4 and 1/4 river rock. i technically never used any pea stone , size is comparable .

 

[milonedp]

I would prefer seeing larger to smaller so that the water pressures build evenly as they work there way up. i kind of have the same scenario with two bladders. as the 24" culvert is the diffuser at the bottom of my bog then i have larger rock softball to 10" then the aquablocks back to the softball 3to4" then 1-2" and the 3/4 and 1/4 river rock. i technically never used any pea stone , size is comparable .

Thanks so much I really appreciate all the advice and support! In the end you are saying it doesn't matter? Mother nature will take it course and the size rocks being switched isn't worth worrying about?

 

[Lisak1]

I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. Like @GBBUDD said - Mother Nature isn't sorting gravel into sizes somewhere. That's just us goofs!

 

[GBBUDD]

Thanks so much I really appreciate all the advice and support! In the end you are saying it doesn't matter? Mother nature will take it course and the size rocks being switched isn't worth worrying about?

Yup. for the most part.... I saw a video with Ed Balue. The inventor of the snorkel aqua block system Where he was talking about the whole process and he would lean toward larger rocks on the bottom and then smaller on top as the build up of pressure helps to wash out the extreme fines. Up onto the surface. I understand the theory will one work possible a little better maybe will it fail doubtful. ..... I should have been a politician can get a straight answer....

 

[brokensword]

I built my bog based on 'The Pond Professional' (in Atlanta), who had a web page. He did indeed do as you're suggesting; large rock followed by smaller followed by smallest. When I see your pics, I do think you may have issues with premature clogging just above the aquablox. I've had to dig up my bog v1 and it wasn't fun (I hadn't shaped my bog walls and vault correctly the first time and with plant roots overgrown, I was getting too much channeling due to clogging). Not in the least. With my setup, there is less water in the actual bog and less 'settling' area but the cost was a lot more amenable and the function the same.

Just chiming in with a version of graduated size stone re the bog.

 

[Lisak1]

too much channeling due to clogging)

So this may be 100% dependent on what you're pumping into the bog. We have zero build up because we send only "clean" water to the bog. So I guess your mileage may vary.

I'll go back on my earlier "I wouldn't lose sleep over it" and say this - If I were paying what I'm guessing you're paying for this installation I'd either want them to do it right the first time or guarantee me that they will come and fix it if it does go south.

 

[GBBUDD]

I second the bring it to there attention and throw in the dirty rocks as well say look it it works we are great and all is good if it fails you come back to fix and get in writing if they are willing