Pond shelves and dimensions.

[reefsr]

I wish I had built mine like @j.w ’s. I have straight sides 18” to 24” deep on a slope with a flag stone cap. It isn’t an unpleasant look but limited by not being able to put plants easily in the pond. I do have a bog filter and I recommend reading up on all the positive things our members have to say about them. Two years, my pond is about the size of yours, and I haven’t touched a thing for the most part. Add water, scoop out leaves once or twice a year early spring and late fall and haven’t feed my fish in weeks, closer to a month. I do not miss the weekly or monthly filter cleaning one bit.

I've heard about bog filters but every time I hear about them they include a pump. Is there one that does not? By regulation where I live we can not have permanent wiring outside.

 

[Phaewryn]

I've heard about bog filters but every time I hear about them they include a pump. Is there one that does not? By regulation where I live we can not have permanent wiring outside.

You have to have a pump for a bog. You really have to have a pump for any pond if you want to keep fish in it. If you're not aiming to keep fish you might be fine without a pump/filter, especially since your location is shady. You'll probably have to use a chemical mosquito control method if your water is going to be still water though.

It's hard to tell because your photo is very small, but your border rocks look like they might be granite? If you can't get more of the same type of stones, you can get granite shaped to any shape, you might consider irregular granite cobble as your pond edge, like below. You can fill between it with low growing groundcover or gravel or a combination of both.

 

[reefsr]

You really have to have a pump for any pond if you want to keep fish in it

Why is that? Do plants not do a good enough job? I'm not getting any super heavy bioload fish.

 

[reefsr]

It appears I've been bamboozled. We can have outdoor cords here. Anyone want to link me to that heavenly bog filter setup by addy1 I keep hearing about?

 

[j.w]

It appears I've been bamboozled. We can have outdoor cords here. Anyone want to link me to that heavenly bog filter setup by addy1 I keep hearing about?

Here is the link to @addy1 's bog build: https://www.gardenpondforum.com/threads/bog-building.6894/

 

[reefsr]

I've got a few new questions. Not much of an electrician or plumber but here goes.

Q1: I've heard it's ok to use an extension cord year round on a pump cord as long as I wrap the connection with waterproof tape. Is this true?

Q2: I read up on that bog filter guide and I noticed some problems I would run into. Addy recommends a 2" PVC for the distributing pipe inside the gravel. I need 1 inch tubing for my pump. What sort of fittings would I need to get that 1" tubing to adapt into 2" PVC?

 

[BKHpondcritters]

A1: Yes, you can use an extension cord, just make sure it's heavy duty & rated for outdoor use. One of our pumps is too far from the outlet, so it's plugged into an extension cord that is run through pvc pipe (it has to go under the waterfall) We did have to replace it once after about 6 - 7 years of service because over time it started to trip the gfi anytime it would rain/get wet.

A2: Sorry, no idea.

 

[addy1]

Q1: I've heard it's ok to use an extension cord year round on a pump cord as long as I wrap the connection with waterproof tape. Is this true?

Q2: I read up on that bog filter guide and I noticed some problems I would run into. Addy recommends a 2" PVC for the distributing pipe inside the gravel. I need 1 inch tubing for my pump. What sort of fittings would I need to get that 1" tubing to adapt into 2" PVC?

My electrician husband had me running our pond on a extension cord for years, while he got around to doing some wiring. It did fine, just make sure is one of the heavy duty ones, outdoor rated. I just put a bucket over the connection to keep rain off of it.

Any size of pipe works, I have 3/4 irrigation hose running my small pot bog for my hot tub pond. I used 2 inch pvc due to the fact my bog is 27 feet long. 4.5 feet wide and 2.5 feet deep.

They sell connections that will change the size of the pipe from one inch to two inches at lowes, home depot etc.

Search Results for pvc bushings at The Home Depot

Search Results for pvc bushings at The Home Depot

www.homedepot.com

 

[Mmathis]

By regulation where I live we can not have permanent wiring outside.

Seriously? No permanent wiring? (What about temporary wiring, as in extension cords?). Properly done, outdoor wiring is much safer than anything temporary. Are you sure you’re not mis-reading or misinterpreting? It’s going to be hard having a pond — bog or no bog — without electrical. Where you are siting your pond, it looks like a lot of shade, so even solar might not work.

 

[reefsr]

Seriously? No permanent wiring? (What about temporary wiring, as in extension cords?). Properly done, outdoor wiring is much safer than anything temporary. Are you sure you’re not mis-reading or misinterpreting? It’s going to be hard having a pond — bog or no bog — without electrical. Where you are siting your pond, it looks like a lot of shade, so even solar might not work.

It turns out that we can, I should have deleted or edited that post. Sorry about that. I plan on moving the pond a bit forward as well so it is in less shade for the plants.

 

[Mmathis]

It turns out that we can, I should have deleted or edited that post. Sorry about that. I plan on moving the pond a bit forward as well so it is in less shade for the plants.

YAY, YAY! I just knew that couldn’t be right!

 

[reefsr]

YAY, YAY! I just knew that couldn’t be right!

I'm excited to recreate that bog filter now. It seems like a brilliant idea, although I will be adding a pre-filter box so the pipes don't get clogged too fast.

 

[GBBUDD]

I'll be going for the full 24 as well.

24 INCHES IS WHAT THE TOWN STATED if your pond was that deep then you need a fence . well if you add 2-4 inches of stone you better make the pond 30" deep at least or you will be 20 or less

 

[GBBUDD]

By regulation where I live we can not have permanent wiring outside.

That's ludicrous i think somewhere the stories have gotten confused i have built many things in many areas and that is just not feasible

 

[GBBUDD]

I've got a few new questions. Not much of an electrician or plumber but here goes.

Q1: I've heard it's ok to use an extension cord year round on a pump cord as long as I wrap the connection with waterproof tape. Is this true? it is not a best practice. Any pond pump should be plugged into a gfci directly. while most extension cords are out door worthy the sun can cause issues with the jackets. and like you said the connection is less than ideal and will trip a circut breaker in foul weather.

Q2: I read up on that bog filter guide and I noticed some problems I would run into. Addy recommends a 2" PVC for the distributing pipe inside the gravel. I need 1 inch tubing for my pump. What sort of fittings would I need to get that 1" tubing to adapt into 2" PVC?

a simple reducer one inch to two ...that you can buy at lowes or the depot ace hardware probably even tractor supply. 2 inch is not a must but it would give dead water space to your bog to allow for heavy sediment to fall out of the water column instead of in to the rock.