how much do you run your pump for pond with bog?

[allif]

Nearing completion on our pond and bog, just working out last details.
We're thinking of having our pump on a timer, so it's on during daylight hours and otherwise off.
Will this be enough? I know we can just try different things and see - and we will - but curious how others do it....

 

[Jhn]

24/7 year round, I never turn it off, that being said some will shut their bog down for the winter, which is fine as the fish and bacteria are pretty much dormant so not much of a bioload on the pond. During the warmer months why would you want to turn it off, it is the backbone of the bio filter in a pond. (especially if the pond houses ducks) Turning it off and on is going to cause issues with your water quality, ie exposing the upper gravel in the bog to air and letting it dry out killing the bacteria that colonizes the gravel surfaces, no nutrient uptake from the plants during this time.

 

[allif]

I wasnt sure; my husband thought we could turn it off at night to save energy (we run off of solar power) and i wanted to see if it would make a difference.
In my mental image - once the water level in the bog dips below the spillway, it would just sit there overnight, which might actually help the bog, no? I don't know how much upper gravel would get exposed, right now it's still unfinished - but don't natural bogs have fluctuating water levels?

 

[Mmathis]

24/7/365

 

[addy1]

24/7 except during winter

 

[GBBUDD]

With ducks even with no winter 24/7 would be my plan.

 

[allif]

thanks for the replies.
my husband is still stuck on the idea of cycling on and off.
the ducks wont have access 24 hours a day and the pond is big for 2 of them. so i still wonder if we can get away with it running only during the day.
has anyone tried it?

 

[addy1]

Worse that can happen is you try it and the water is foul. Then run 24/7

 

[mrsclem]

I agree with everyone else. If you use more than one pump, you could shut down the one to the bog at night but be sure to put some type of check valve in so it doesn't get drained when the pump gets shut down.

 

[GBBUDD]

IF HE IS DEAD set on this then i would split my pumps and just have a small pump run 24/7 and the main pump run durring the day . your much better off with a little water running through then none at all.

 

[combatwombat]

I'm no nitrogen cycle expert—and you can try whatever you like—but I think you will run into issues shutting your bog pump off, especially if you have ducks. I believe the nitrifying bacteria you are relying on to filter your water must have access to oxygen at all times to do their business. And once they run out of oxygen (stale water in the bog) they die quickly because they are not able to go dormant. When you turn your pump back on, they will begin to come back, but it will take time.

Hope someone who knows better corrects me if I am wrong about this, but I believe the pump cycling may cause a lot of death/rebirth of aerobic bacteria in the bog that will prevent it from flourishing like you want it to.

Be careful comparing what happens in nature with what we are trying to reproduce in our ponds. We imitate it, but even at our best, we are not too good at it.

Also, ducks in nature don't hang out in the water 24/7, so if you're just kicking them out at night, that might not be any different than a duck that has 24/7 access to a pond.

 

[combatwombat]

One other compromise—similar to what @GBBUDD suggested—is that you could get a variable speed pump and dial it down at night.

Or... is it windy where you live? Put up a windmill.

 

[Lisak1]

I would never shut down a filter - bog or otherwise - at night, or during the day, if I could help it. I can't think of any way that would "help" the bog. It would only allow the water in the bog to sit stagnant for 12 hours every single day. I know 12 hours isn't that long for water to sit, but repeat that daily and it just feels like you'd be constantly playing catch up. I'd also consider the fact that the plants which add oxygen to the pond during the day actually reverse that process and remove oxygen at night, so now you've got two things going on. I don't know if you have plants in your pond, but it's something to think about!

What is it with men and saving money anyway? haha! You wouldn't build a pond if you wanted to SAVE MONEY!

 

[mgmine]

If there is any question at this point here is another answer. 24/7. You need the water to circulate to keep it healthy. Especially in the summer heat.

 

[GBBUDD]

I would never shut down a filter - bog or otherwise - at night, or during the day, if I could help it. I can't think of any way that would "help" the bog. It would only allow the water in the bog to sit stagnant for 12 hours every single day. I know 12 hours isn't that long for water to sit, but repeat that daily and it just feels like you'd be constantly playing catch up. I'd also consider the fact that the plants which add oxygen to the pond during the day actually reverse that process and remove oxygen at night, so now you've got two things going on. I don't know if you have plants in your pond, but it's something to think about!

What is it with men and saving money anyway? haha! You wouldn't build a pond if you wanted to SAVE MONEY!

Agree except with the save money part after 4 years of stay home vacations we have saved money and agravation