newbie bog builder

[Margo]

I’m still trying to get my head around all my bog details as I’ve never put one in before. Please let me know if my plan has flaws.

My pond is going to be 10x15 and I’m planning on my bog being 5x10. Trying to stick with the 30% ratio pond to bog using the surface dimensions. I’m planning on 12” to 18” inches deep (still can’t decide which is best) with 2” PVC pipes at the bottom with slits in them providing the water flow (pond water will come from pump in skimmer box before it flows through the UV light). I’ll separate the pond from the bog with concrete masonry brick under the liner. I’ll fill the bog with pea gravel to a height that allows for the water to trickle over it but make sure there is no exposed water (?). Or do I have the water exposed before it enters the pond?

My thought is to put flagstone along the length of the bog where it means the pond so the bog water trickles over the entire length. Or do I provide a smaller area for the water to drain into the pond? I’m actually thinking that really doesn’t make a difference. But I know I’ll have to put a lot of pond foam to keep the water over the flagstone and not just run under it.

I also think I need to raise the outside edges of the bog higher than the pond so the water doesn’t find its way out and to make sure I have the water flow over the flagstone like I want.

Any thoughts to my plan? Flaws? Things to watch out for?

Thanks again!
Margo

 

[JBtheExplorer]

I’ll fill the bog with pea gravel to a height that allows for the water to trickle over it but make sure there is no exposed water (?). Or do I have the water exposed before it enters the pond?

You can do either or. I chose to have much of the water level about 1" to 3" higher than the pea gravel so the frogs and birds would enjoy it, but I've heard of people doing it both ways.

Make sure you read addy's bog topic if you haven't already. The initial post has a lot of info along with the responses. About 20 pages worth of good info. That's what I used when I installed my bog last year. It kept my pond clean all season, and now I'll wait to see how it is in year #2.

 

[mrsclem]

Regarding the water return option- I have an 11' wide pond and bog and tried the full width water return. It clogged with algae unless I used a heavy duty pump. I opted for a 12" chimney flue liner as a spillway back to the pond. I also mix some areas under water and some exposed gravel.

 

[addy1]

My bog has some exposed gravel, some under water, dug in some holes for the birds to bath in.
Most of the bog plants have shallow roots, I made mine way deeper than it needed to be.

 

[Margo]

I've read about every bog thread here but still have one last question I didn't see an answer to. I plan on moving my water from my skimmer box to the bog using a 2" flexible PVC pipe that is buried 12" down. I can attached a bulkhead fitting to the skimmer box no problem, but how to I attached the pipe to the bottom of the bog liner so it meets up with the bog water system? I'm assuming I can't use a bulkhead fitting for that. I'm thinking something similar to what I have to do to plum the bottom drain, cutting the liner and using specialty fittings. But what fittings are those?

Thanks!
Margo

 

[Lisak1]

Our plumbing comes in from the top of the bog and drops at a 90 degree angle down the side to meet up with the plumbing at the bottom. So the pipe is buried until it gets close to the bog, comes up at an angle and then drops back down - all flex PVC pipe.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

I've read about every bog thread here but still have one last question I didn't see an answer to. I plan on moving my water from my skimmer box to the bog using a 2" flexible PVC pipe that is buried 12" down. I can attached a bulkhead fitting to the skimmer box no problem, but how to I attached the pipe to the bottom of the bog liner so it meets up with the bog water system? I'm assuming I can't use a bulkhead fitting for that. I'm thinking something similar to what I have to do to plum the bottom drain, cutting the liner and using specialty fittings. But what fittings are those?

Thanks!
Margo

A bulkhead fitting will work.