Pond rebuild suggestions

[leeannecastro]

Next spring, I am planning on rebuilding my lower pond. It is currently 10 x 12 x 2. I want to dig it to around 5 feet and make it longer but I also want to add some other features that I don't know much about.
My plan is to have a bog area lined with plastic and then filled with dirt about 1 foot deep. I want water to then run off the backside, through a skimmer and into an area for the pump.
So here are my questions:
Does anyone have a bog? If so how does it mesh with the rest of the pond?
How high does the lip need to be to keep the fish from digging around in there?
What type of dirt would be best for a bog?
Do I need to put small gravel over the dirt?
Better yet, does anyone have any pictures of a bog or skimmer system they want to share?
Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[DrCase]

you might think about reversing the flow ,,,,,and make it a vegie filter,,,you can grow all the plants and it will help filter the water...i dont have one .but if you look back 8 or 9 months you will find pics of some filters.....

 

[w00005414]

I wonder if you will need dirt in the bog? I think some plants will grow if they are in gravel which might make life easier for you, it will cut down on any potential cloudiness. I believe the plants will get a lot of their nutrients from the fish waste. Here are some plants I have had good luck with in gravel areas.

Strawberry and Cream Ornamental grass (it is a terrestrial plant too)
Obedience Plant (also a terrestrial plant)
Crystal Confetti Pennywort
Umbrella Palm (I was told this likes running water but mine grows like crazy in a still water area of my pond)

Good luck!

 

[DrDave]

I quit using dirt several years ago and the plants are all doing better. Of course, you do need fish to help provide the nutrients.

 

[elroyjetsn]

Our original plan was to have 3 ponds cascading water into each other with connecting streams. The main pond is done and sits at the bottom of a tree stand/limestone outcropping that the orchard owner couldn't clear due to the enormous limestone veins popping up.

At the top of the stand was to be a deep natural-looking deep pool lined with just the existing limestone and sealed with concrete and a hefty pump to push the water from the main pond to the bottom of this pool like a natural spring.

The overflow would run along a lush natural looking stream to a middle shallow bog area full of cattails and swamp vegetation that would spill of into the main pond. My goal was a dynamic eco setup that wouldn't need a seperate biofilter system.

That may still remain a longterm goal. This treestand is perfectly situated with a nice slope and plenty of shade. Still have a lot to learn about freshwater ecosystems and how a hobbyist can accomplish this sort of thing.

 

[leeannecastro]

Alright, so I couldn't wait until spring and my husband and I did the remodel this weekend.
I had the bog slope down towards the pump pit. This is the best skimmer I have ever seen! My pond sits directly under a large tree and a leaf falls in every 30 seconds, this system pulls all of the water through the bog and the leaves get stuck on the rocks or on a net just before the pump pit. The water runs over and through the rocks so it will be a great veggie filter next year.
I can't wait to plant some stuff next spring!
We also dug it deeper and raised the outer edges with railroad ties - no more rain runoff into the pond!
Here are some pics.

 

[DrDave]

What did you use for your liner? How thick is it?

 

[Randy Walton]

I recommend a Polyurea pond liner. This is new pond liner technology that can be applied to any surface of any shape and size and it will last forever. Check Ultra coating Inc. for the Pacific Northwest.

 

[DrDave]

Randy
Is this material available in Southern California?
What is the approximate cost per square foot for the material?
Can it be sprayed directly over dirt?

 

[Randy Walton]

DrDave
I'm sure there is some one in California that Sprays Polyurea.
I have a mobile unit and travel to other states to do jobs, California would be
$8.00 a square foot with a min. 1000 sq ft job.
I use a fiberglass mateing and coat it to make my liners, I do not recommed spraying it directly on dirt.

 

[DrDave]

This sounds like a great product. Folks with money that want a seamless pond may find this the way to go.

I have to ask, how can it be compared to EPDM that has a 50 year warrantee and is only $1.43 Sq Ft. at Home Depot? I hear it is even cheaper on-line in some e-commerce sites. I think Home Depots is thicker though, I have bought both and the on-line ones are only .045" the Home Depot material is almost .060".

We can also move the liner to another hole if we want to change our pond design and location, your liner seems permanent.

I was a huge avocate of permanent ponds for 35 years before I discovered EPDM. My last pond, start to finish was 3 days labor and cost about $250 plus the extra pump for circulation. Fortunatley, it was able to share the same filtration system.