My DIY pond filtration

[gizmo]

Hi I have made a pond out of sleepers it is 6 x 5 foot x 30 inch deep it has a hozelock easy clear 4500 pump with uv filter but I seem to be cleaning filter every week.
I was looking at changing the filtration system but which would be best for my pond
Thanks for any advice

 

[poconojoe]

If you added a bog filter it would help cut down on most of the maintenance.
If it's sized correctly, it should be the only filter you will need. It will look like a garden planter.

If my calculations are correct, you would need 9 square feet of bog to achieve the 30% goal.
The recommended size is the bog's surface area should be at least 30% of the pond's surface area.

So, any configuration that will give you 9 square feet would be great.
For example, you could build a 2 foot wide trough along the back by 5 feet wide to match the pond wall. That will give you 10 square feet of bog.
It should be about 15-16 inches deep and hold 12 inches of pea gravel.

Water gets pumped into a pvc pipe with slits cut in it. That pipe is covered with pea gravel. The water rises up through the gravel and out of that really nice waterfall weir you have there.

Plants are grown directly in the bog, no soil, no pots. The plants thrive and live off the excess nutrients from the fish waste. The gravel has lots of surface area for beneficial bacteria to colonize in. So, thanks to the beneficial bacteria and the plants, we have clear water and no cleaning of filter pads.

 

[combatwombat]

We all love bogs. Probably going to get a lot of recommendations for a bog. You can also look into the Oase filters or RDFs that automatically clear the pre filter for you.

 

[brokensword]

If you added a bog filter it would help cut down on most of the maintenance.
If it's sized correctly, it should be the only filter you will need. It will look like a garden planter.

If my calculations are correct, you would need 9 square feet of bog to achieve the 30% goal.
The recommended size is the bog's surface area should be at least 30% of the pond's surface area.

So, any configuration that will give you 9 square feet would be great.
For example, you could build a 2 foot wide trough along the back by 5 feet wide to match the pond wall. That will give you 10 square feet of bog.
It should be about 15-16 inches deep and hold 12 inches of pea gravel.

Water gets pumped into a pvc pipe with slits cut in it. That pipe is covered with pea gravel. The water rises up through the gravel and out of that really nice waterfall weir you have there.

Plants are grown directly in the bog, no soil, no pots. The plants thrive and live off the excess nutrients from the fish waste. The gravel has lots of surface area for beneficial bacteria to colonize in. So, thanks to the beneficial bacteria and the plants, we have clear water and no cleaning of filter pads.

...and you wonder why you're the BFC prez! As one of the foot soldiers, I heartily endorse what the Prez just said!

 

[gizmo]

Many thanks for your replys unfortunately one reason why I have put in a raised pond is that I could not dig down more than 10 inches due to hard rolled chalk without a digger of some kind plus DIY skills. Lack of space behind pond. Disabled. So I think a bog is out of the question..
I looked around www and was looking at box filters with uv light but all though we have a pump with uv light I am not sure if the new filtration system would only run of original pump or would I need another source of electricity
Thanks

 

[combatwombat]

I don't pay much attention to box filters, but I believe you can get them both ways: self contained with a pump or fed from your own pump. I prefer to avoid "all in one" solutions for most things in life since it usually means when one function breaks, all the functions break with it.

 

[brokensword]

Many thanks for your replys unfortunately one reason why I have put in a raised pond is that I could not dig down more than 10 inches due to hard rolled chalk without a digger of some kind plus DIY skills. Lack of space behind pond. Disabled. So I think a bog is out of the question..
I looked around www and was looking at box filters with uv light but all though we have a pump with uv light I am not sure if the new filtration system would only run of original pump or would I need another source of electricity
Thanks

you can build a bog above ground, like your pond. The bog should, imo, be higher than the pond anyway as an easy way to return the water..