Hi Everyone,
Just over a year ago I constructed a 300 gallon buried stock tank pond with a slightly raised bog filter approximately 24% the area of the pond and a small waterfall (https://www.gardenpondforum.com/threads/first-pond-taking-shape.28098/). This forum was extremely helpful - thank you again for all your expertise and advice!
Overall, everything has been going really well. The water stays remarkably clear and all the plants seem very happy and they really take off in summer. Lately, however, I've noticed that the waterfall coming out of the raised bog has slowed down and its flow is about 1/2 - 3/4 of what it was before. I unscrewed the maintenance cap and flushed the system and it flowed very freely, which to me suggests there is not a major clog in the pipes. I also cleaned off the bottom of the pond a bit and cleaned the pump itself. I'm wondering if the array of pipes at the very bottom of the bog underneath all the gravel - the ones with small holes drilled in them to release the water from the bottom up - are becoming clogged with algae and muck. This is a pretty small setup compared to what a lot of people here have, so it is probably more prone to that kind of build-up.
Is this something other people have experienced with the bog filters over time? Is it necessary to periodically empty the bog of the gravel and plants and clean it out?
Just over a year ago I constructed a 300 gallon buried stock tank pond with a slightly raised bog filter approximately 24% the area of the pond and a small waterfall (https://www.gardenpondforum.com/threads/first-pond-taking-shape.28098/). This forum was extremely helpful - thank you again for all your expertise and advice!
Overall, everything has been going really well. The water stays remarkably clear and all the plants seem very happy and they really take off in summer. Lately, however, I've noticed that the waterfall coming out of the raised bog has slowed down and its flow is about 1/2 - 3/4 of what it was before. I unscrewed the maintenance cap and flushed the system and it flowed very freely, which to me suggests there is not a major clog in the pipes. I also cleaned off the bottom of the pond a bit and cleaned the pump itself. I'm wondering if the array of pipes at the very bottom of the bog underneath all the gravel - the ones with small holes drilled in them to release the water from the bottom up - are becoming clogged with algae and muck. This is a pretty small setup compared to what a lot of people here have, so it is probably more prone to that kind of build-up.
Is this something other people have experienced with the bog filters over time? Is it necessary to periodically empty the bog of the gravel and plants and clean it out?