Pond muck blocking the intake pipe

[sherry]

I am a newbie and building a bog for my pond. Water comes to the pump through a 2'' flex PVC. There are lots of muck at the bottom of the pond. If I put the flex PVC directly in the water, they may get into the pipe and block the pipe and then the pump. Do I need some kind of skimmer or intake bay. Could you please suggest an easy way? Thanks a lot!

 

[bagsmom]

I have two ponds - one has a skimmer and one has an intake bay. I really like them both!!!! I do think it is very helpful to keep some of the debris from sinking. I would watch YouTube videos from OzPonds, Team Aquascape, Ed the Pond Professor, and The Pond Advisor. They are fun to watch and cumulatively, have a ton of great information that can help you decide what you would like to do.

 

[GBBUDD]

I have two ponds - one has a skimmer and one has an intake bay. I really like them both!!!! I do think it is very helpful to keep some of the debris from sinking. I would watch YouTube videos from OzPonds, Team Aquascape, Ed the Pond Professor, and The Pond Advisor. They are fun to watch and cumulatively, have a ton of great information that can help you decide what you would like to do.

I'LL ADD John From modern design Aquascaping he has more diy videos on pondsthan anyone

 

[WaterGardener]

Can you clean out the muck with a net or a pond vacuum? It would be best if you could prevent it from building up.

 

[sherry]

Can you clean out the muck with a net or a pond vacuum? It would be best if you could prevent it from building up.

Right now water is too green for me to clean out the muck with a net. I hope the bog can clear it up so at least I can see where they are.

 

[sherry]

I'LL ADD John From modern design Aquascaping he has more diy videos on pondsthan anyone

Thank you!
May I ask your opinion regarding two possible ways to fill the bog:

2'' of 2-3in rocks below the PVC pipes (slits facing down) and then 18'' of 3/4 pea gravels above them
OR
2'' of 2-3in rocks below the PVC pipes (slits facing down), then 1 layer (8'' height) of aquablocks above the PVC grid (2-3in rocks around the aquablox) and then fill 10'' pea gravels.

Could you recommend which one is better?
Thank you for your help!

 

[bagsmom]

I'LL ADD John From modern design Aquascaping he has more diy videos on pondsthan anyone

Oh yes! Thanks for adding him! He is great!

 

[GBBUDD]

2'' of 2-3in rocks below the PVC pipes (slits facing down) and then 18'' of 3/4 pea gravels above them
OR
2'' of 2-3in rocks below the PVC pipes (slits facing down), then 1 layer (8'' height) of aquablocks above the PVC grid (2-3in rocks around the aquablox) and then fill 10'' pea gravels.

i'm sitting here thinking , if your pvc is 2" off the floor of the bog this is where any debris will build up and there will be no way to flush it out, so both options don't work.

In a minimalist bog / peastone bog, which i do have one . it's piping is like a trident with vent /waste pipes on the ends that come up to the surface of the bog for flushing out waste later. The ends of the verticals will have screw on end caps to each pipe. 2" pvc . This sits on a second piece of epdm with the slits and pvc slits facing up. this is so that the main liner doesn't have constant abuse from the pumps. Then i would stack 4" of 2-3 river rock along side and over the pipes making a flat surface burying the pipes. Then a 16" layer of 1" or 3/4 river rock. I would avoid any plants that have very deep roots. This will help your pipes to stay open and not fill up with roots.

In a MATRIX bog / which i do have one . YOU HAVE A TRENCH within the bottom of the bog that runs end to end . place a centipede. down the angled trench away from the Then a 16" layer of 3/4 river rock. I would avoid any plants that have very deep roots. This will help your pipes to stay open and not fill up with roots.

 

[sherry]

it's piping is like a trident with vent /waste pipes on the ends that come up to the surface of the bog for flushing out waste later. The ends of the verticals will have screw on end caps to each pipe. 2" pvc .

Sorry for the confusion. This is exactly what I'm going to do with the piping.

This sits on a second piece of epdm with the slits and pvc slits facing up. this is so that the main liner doesn't have constant abuse from the pumps. Then i would stack 4" of 2-3 river rock along side and over the pipes making a flat surface burying the pipes.

I thought it was recommended to have slits facing down. If facing up is the new recommendation, I'll go this way then. Can the pipes be placed directly on the bottom, now that slits are facing up?

YOU HAVE A TRENCH within the bottom of the bog that runs end to end . place a centipede. down the angled trench away from the Then a 16" layer of 3/4 river rock

I have a 6'x10'x2'(H) cube bog (the bottom is concrete). The depth seems impossible to have a 10'' trench, 8'' matrix and then 16'' rock on top. Unless I can replace the trench and centipede with the 2'' PVC grid above, I may have to skip this route for now.

 

[GBBUDD]

if using the peastone bog design The slits were recommended to be down to keep the small gravel from clogging the small slits. if you can go with a 3/4" river rock on top and around your pipes once the pipe is covered well the slits can be face up as 3/4 river rock won't clog them. then you can place the 3/8" peastone if that is what you want. my self, i never went that small as it can clog much faster than 3/4" so if your that tight in height sounds like the peastone is for you. But you can always add vertical "BUILD UP THE SIDES" if need be.
there are some that are leaning too the snorkel matrix block and a foot of gravel and no more , i have not tried it so i can't say, i understand why s the less rock the less storage of silt. but the risk of plant roots filling up the area is very real imo