Pond filtration

[Jrylb73]

Hello all,

I just recently bought a new house down in Laredo TX that had a small pond in the back yard. The pond was not running so I have been working on it slowly. It has a small over flow where once it fills up it flows back into the pond through 3 small copper pipes. In the bottom of the over flow it has a wire grate that has about 5-6”s of clearance under it. When I took it out there was some kind of growth under it. Reminded me of like peat moss. Not sure if that was there to help filter or if it grew there due to who lived there before me filling the whole thing up with dirt and rock and putting flowers and plants in it. Should I put something back under the grate to help filter the water or do I just need to add some kind of filtration system?

 

[Crimedog]

I believe the wire grate is to create a void (nothing below the grate) and you put filter media on top of the grate

 

[Mmathis]

Hello and welcome!

 

[Jrylb73]

So what would be a good filter media to put on top?

 

[j.w]

@Jrylb73

 

[brokensword]

So what would be a good filter media to put on top?

Matala pads. If there's nothing else in the filter, you could also consider some sort of bio material (balls, ribbons, shreds of pvc, lava rock, etc) as this will give you both a mechanical (the pads) and bio filter. The bio portion is important as that's where the bacteria (the good ones) colonize and break down the bad things in your water (the ammonia, then the nitrites). Plants will take up what is left, the nitrates, so I'd add many of those.

 

[GBBUDD]

you have the makings to build a bog hands down the easiest least amount of maintenance money can buy all you need to do it put a couple 2 inch pvc pipe at the bottom of the raised area cut slots in the pvc 1/3 through the pipe every 6inches and then fill the raised area with 3/8 pea stone but keep it about 4 inches down from your drain pipes. And you will never look back or regret building the bog

 

[Jrylb73]

I have something similar to that in the main pond. The pump pulls the water through the pvc pipe and fills the overflow.

 

[brokensword]

I have something similar to that in the main pond. The pump pulls the water through the pvc pipe and fills the overflow.

there's a fundamental difference; a bog has water PUSHED into it at the bottom so it can then be forced up through gravel and plants, where it pours back into the pond. That's what GB is intimating. A pump works much better at pushing than pulling. I didn't think of that when I first saw the pics but it really would work well for you (bog filtration).

 

[GBBUDD]

Same principle. But like @brokensword said the bog has that in the bottom and the water is pumped below the gravel and forced up through the gravel basicly mother nature's pressure filter. As the gravel gets blocked in one area the pressure builds and finds another way up through the gravel and plant roots. Phosphates are a nightmare to mechanical remove from water with any man made chemicals or filters. Mother nature has plants do the job they thrive on phosphates , nitrates and all the algae growing goodies we hate.

 

[GBBUDD]

@poconojoe HAS quick little bog post there check it out it will give you the principles. Of the bog . That and most here who do have a pond has there's in a link at the bottom of there posts

 

[Jrylb73]

Thanks everyone for your help. It’s greatly appreciated!!

 

[addy1]

If it were mine I would load up the box with pea gravel, after adding some slit pipes to the two that are in the bottom of that area. Have the end of those two pipes capped so the water is forced up. Plant some nice small bog plants, like water willow, blue forgetmenot. etc. You would have great filtration and a neat planter of plants. There are a lot of plants that like to be wet and bloom great. Including impatiens.

 

[addy1]

And Welcome to the forum!

That is a beautiful pond.

 

[Bluerooster]

So what would be a good filter media to put on top?

Pea gravel and plants?