I don't care who you are...

[Bluerooster]

A Bog cannot be beat. For a low maintenance pond you can use a bog. The bog has been absoloutly mx free for the past 2 years. I just feed the fish once in a while, and go about my life. Well, I do dump the skimmer basket when I feed the fish. But I have no green water, (haven't had for over a year now) and the pond seems to be fine and dandy. The consensus is bog must be at least 30% pond area. Mine is way less than that. Closer to 10%. But, every little bit counts. Yes, there is a clup or two of algae hugging the shoreline. But the water is clear, and the fish love it. That's nature. That's what we want, right? Our human made pond to look natural. Well, there are several native species that have grown in the stream. That's a ponders dream. (I would think)

I have a bog, (too small) supplemented with a planted skippy of sorts. As mentioned before, I've done nothing but feed the fish, and dump the skimmer basket from time to time. No cleaning filters, no UV, No work involved. Except thinning of the bog plants, which I re-planted in another bog in a different pond.

 

[addy1]

Love my bog!

 

[GBBUDD]

I leave my pond for weeks on end

with my bog running the show. Water is always crystal clear no issues other then the koi out breeding even rabits.

 

[Lisak1]

Agree 100%. My bog is one of my favorite features of my pond because it means less work for me!

 

[poconojoe]

No argument here! That's an understatement! The bog is the utmost hands down best thing I've ever done for my pond (and me!) In over a decade.
I've never, ever had water this clear and with zero maintenance. Love my bog. I've said this before...I thank addy for her bog showcase which had inspired me to add the bog to my pond.
If only I had known about bogs 12 years ago, I would not have wasted so much time and tons of money on filters and UV lights. Filters that never gave me clear water.

 

[Wokfie212]

my concern is does the gravel ever become clogged with sediment?

 

[mrsclem]

Mine hasn't- been years and running great.

 

[Tula]

I'm loving our little bog too. I do have an area that channels and spurts water upwards. When I reach down into the gravel in that area , I can feel the hollowed out area where the water is coming from and can grab a fist full of algae......but it never stops flowing.

We're still using the sand and gravel filter in addition to the bog. I've wondered if I could do away with it, but it too gets pretty dirty. Guess my pond is probably a bit small for my 4 adults, hence the needs for extra filtration.

 

[GBBUDD]

Don't fix whats not broke tula . In a years time or two you find the bog fully mature then I'd think about testing the waters to rid the sand filter if you so desired.

 

[addy1]

my concern is does the gravel ever become clogged with sediment?

Not in the 9 years mine has been running.

 

[Lisak1]

my concern is does the gravel ever become clogged with sediment?

I'm always confused by this question. A bog provides biological filtration, not mechanical. A bog filter will never get clogged if you aren't pumping any solid waste through it. You should only be pumping "clean" water to your bog - skimming or catching any solid debris before it gets to the pump. If you're using an in-pond pump, it should be raised to avoid pulling any organic material off the bottom.

 

[Tula]

I'm always confused by this question. A bog provides biological filtration, not mechanical. A bog filter will never get clogged if you aren't pumping any solid waste through it. You should only be pumping "clean" water to your bog - skimming or catching any solid debris before it gets to the pump. If you're using an in-pond pump, it should be raised to avoid pulling any organic material off the bottom.

Hmmmmmm, I'm pumping pond water directly into the bog, it doesn't get filtered through the skimmer or sand & gravel filter first.. The bog pump is about one foot beneath the water's surface, so a good couple of feet above the bottom of the pond. Do you think that's why I've gotten some algae.....should I have run the water through the sand & gravel filter first, then discharge to the bog ?

 

[GBBUDD]

Bogs will inevitably start to clog and as they do so the pressure builds and the path of least resistance will constantly be changing thus the need for the surface area. The gph will decrease as the bog clogs and unclog the area that has now the least resistance. Thats the beauty of the bog it will self regulate from one area to another as the plants come and grow the paths will change and its constantly revolving.
As far as mechanical filtering I believe they do just not as the true sencd of the word. When debris gets in the bog it gets trapped it rots turns into amonia, nitrates etc where the plants absorb these and when we yank them out in the fall or wh we n they overgrow the bog is that not removing the heavy once solids. A little backwards but its the same principle

 

[addy1]

Do you think that's why I've gotten some algae.....should I have run the water through the sand & gravel filter first, then discharge to the bog ?

No, I get algae in the bog until the plants take over. I just ignore it. My water is pulled about a foot off the bottom of the pond. I pump pure dirty water into the bog. And it is my only filter.

 

[Tula]

No, I get algae in the bog until the plants take over. I just ignore it. My water is pulled about a foot off the bottom of the pond. I pump pure dirty water into the bog. And it is my only filter.

I get that the plants are biological filtration, but it seems to me gravel provides some mechanical filtration as well as providing surface area for the growth of beneficial bacteria.