Is this a good time to pump the funk out of the bog or should I wait?

[bagsmom]

This isn't about water chemistry per se, but this is the closest category I could choose. If I am picking the wrong time for this chore, it could mess up the water chemistry, so here we go!
I have a decent sized bog, fed by an intake bay. As the temps warm up here, I am noticing a ton of sediment coming to the bog surface and lots of string algae forming.
I know that is sometimes normal for Spring. I don't have any big concerns. I'm mostly curious and interested to see what kind of crud I can pump out of the bog bottom.
Last year, when I looked into the clean out snorkel, it was pristine. I realized, though, that I did that with the pump functioning. I bet when I turn the pump off, a lot of gunk will settle. I thought I would do a gentle hose off of the rocks -- no high pressure. Just a little splash and swoosh. I wouldn't want to dislodge any good bacteria that was still on there after the winter.
Is this a good time to do this? Or should I wait for Spring/Summer? Fall?
@GBBUDD? What do you think?

 

[Pablo]

I guess the question would be what do you hope to accomplish? That "crud" is helping to feed your bog plants. If it is not really causing problems with water flow then not sure why you would be concerned about it. I dont think you would cut down on the string algae, that will happen no matter what. I know @addy1 always says she has never cleaned out her bog pipes in over 12 years with no issues. Or perhaps another question would be why you have so much "crud", is there a lot debris from trees falling into the pond?

 

[addy1]

Too much work!

If it working why mess with it?

 

[bagsmom]

I guess the question would be what do you hope to accomplish? That "crud" is helping to feed your bog plants. If it is not really causing problems with water flow then not sure why you would be concerned about it. I dont think you would cut down on the string algae, that will happen no matter what. I know @addy1 always says she has never cleaned out her bog pipes in over 12 years with no issues. Or perhaps another question would be why you have so much "crud", is there a lot debris from trees falling into the pond?

It is a decent-sized, natural pond out in a wooded area, so stuff does get blown in. The intake bay does a good job of pulling things in, but not everything makes it. The crud I'm talking about is the brown, crumbly, insubstantial stuff - sediment? But organic. Probably great fertilizer! My bog doesn't have too many plants yet, courtesy of the deer, who love to pull everything out. I was thinking if I turned off the pump for a bit to let things drop to the bottom and slide down into the snorkel, I'd just drop in my small sump and suck out the sediment. It wouldn't be much work at all. I'd really just like to see what comes out!

 

[addy1]

Curiosity factor! Go for it

 

[j.w]

It is a decent-sized, natural pond out in a wooded area, so stuff does get blown in. The intake bay does a good job of pulling things in, but not everything makes it. The crud I'm talking about is the brown, crumbly, insubstantial stuff - sediment? But organic. Probably great fertilizer! My bog doesn't have too many plants yet, courtesy of the deer, who love to pull everything out. I was thinking if I turned off the pump for a bit to let things drop to the bottom and slide down into the snorkel, I'd just drop in my small sump and suck out the sediment. It wouldn't be much work at all. I'd really just like to see what comes out!

You could do the big bucket w/a hole in the bottom and sides stuffed w/the white stuffing to filter out all that small fine stuff. Would take longer tho than the sump pump but would save your water.

 

[bagsmom]

Well that was extremely uneventful!!!!! I guess all the little brown crumbles were right at the surface. Even pumping out from the bottom of the clean out snorkel, the water was perfectly clear!
It was interesting (and sort of exciting) to see how well the wetland filter with intake bay system works!

 

[Lisak1]

I've dropped a pump into the snorkel a couple of times, expecting to see tons of gunk come out... and nothing. Crystal clear water. Like you, I was curious. That satisfied that!

 

[YShahar]

Glad the system is working, and curiosity is assuaged! And am I the only one who read your headline with, er... a slight alteration in wording? ;-)

 

[bagsmom]

Glad the system is working, and curiosity is assuaged! And am I the only one who read your headline with, er... a slight alteration in wording? ;-)

Well, NOW I'm reading it differently!

 

[GBBUDD]

This isn't about water chemistry per se, but this is the closest category I could choose. If I am picking the wrong time for this chore, it could mess up the water chemistry, so here we go!
I have a decent sized bog, fed by an intake bay. As the temps warm up here, I am noticing a ton of sediment coming to the bog surface and lots of string algae forming.
I know that is sometimes normal for Spring. I don't have any big concerns. I'm mostly curious and interested to see what kind of crud I can pump out of the bog bottom.
Last year, when I looked into the clean out snorkel, it was pristine. I realized, though, that I did that with the pump functioning. I bet when I turn the pump off, a lot of gunk will settle. I thought I would do a gentle hose off of the rocks -- no high pressure. Just a little splash and swoosh. I wouldn't want to dislodge any good bacteria that was still on there after the winter.
Is this a good time to do this? Or should I wait for Spring/Summer? Fall?
@GBBUDD? What do you think?

Sorry i was traveling all day on Wednesday and i did not see this in the short after hours time i had. I doubt there would be much of anything in your bog at this point. your a bit too new still.

String algae gets a bum rap it really does we all know our plants have died off and only the roots remain alive. The bacteria is much the same , i am not a biologist but i do now for a fact there is warm water bacteria that grows very fast in comparison to bacteria that grows in cold water. Anyone who tells you theres no bacteria in our ponds below 50 degrees missed biology 101 . There is bacteria in the Antarctic.
Back to string algae if you look around it is about the only thing growing fairly quickly. IT is eating the nutrients/ gasses good and bad in or ponds down time. It has a value that we generally don't se because it can take over. I see no harm in cleaning out the bog . that mulm that you may pull out while it is black gold for plants i would prefer the plants have to find what ever nutrients they need from my water. thats the end game of eco ponds deny soils to plants forcing them to strip the water of any nutrients. WOULD THE PLANTS LOVE TO KEEP THE BLACK GOLD ..SURE but they will do just fine from the water alone.

 

[GBBUDD]

DIND'T get me to skip a beat ,