Should I disrupt my bog filter to clean it? (+pics)

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I installed a small bog filter to support my fish pond back in summer 2022. This is what the bog filter looked like prior to stocking:
20220803_173615.jpg



and this was the manifold setup:
20220806_161935.jpg


It has been working fantastically ever since, and the water remains crystal clear to this day. Of couse, the plant life has taken over, and so this is what the bog looks like now:
20240517_142620.jpg


The water in the pond as well as the visible water above shingle in the bog remains crystal clear. However its clear that the manifold is blocking up. I have a vacuum-relief snorkle fitted at the start of the manifold tubing, which is there to provide air intake if the power goes out to the pond pump and hence prevent siphoning all water out the bog. This is just a short length of pond hose sticking into the air. The thing is now it is jetting water out of it, which means that water cannot escape through the manifold quick enough.

As you can see from the above photo, I installed a service cap at the end of each branch of the manifold. If i undo the first cap, water spurts out the end. But doesnt if i undo the further cap. I stuck a pressure washer down the end of each cap and the water does go in rather than coming back up and out. But I have a feeling that it is escaping only through the holes nearest the cap. I know there is a some sludge down the bottom, as it gets up lifted when I blow or force water out, and there may be roots blocking the manifold slits. But I cant really get to the manifold pipes without pretty heavily disturbing/destroying the plant life.

Should I just make a big day of it, and rip out all the plants, remove much of the shingle and have a good clean out, or should I just leave it all be, because although its not optimal, it seems still to be working as water is clear, fish are happy and plants are happy.
 
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Is your bog getting the full force of your pump? Or just a trickle?
And is it drawing water from the very bottom so that solids are being drawn along too?
Those plants sure look happy - I wouldn't want to yank them out.
 
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Bog is getting about 50% pump force I'd say, as the pump still provides a fountain. The pump is sat on the bottom, but very little solids. But I guess yes some solids must get past the pump filters and get sent to the bog. maybe i should have the pump on a brick?
 

JRS

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If it is working good now, I would lean towards doing the maintenance during the off season. Will not be as much disruption to your beautiful plants as well as the filtration for your fish pond.

Any idea how much 50% flow of your pump is? How far apart are the slots in your distribution pipes? Pipe size? Wondering if adding some holes on the sides in between the slots might help slow down future clogging. Depends perhaps on what you find after excavation.
 
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I think the big lily plant is the root of all the problems, so to speak. The yellow flower plant is quite shallow rooted.
 
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Just a thought, but maybe the diameter of the tubing is too small…..? Do you have holes or slits in the manifold?
They are slits in the manifold. It's worked OK for 2yrs until now. The diameter seemed fine as no over flow at the ends if I opened the inspection caps. But I hadn't considered/appreciated the blockages that root's could cause. But then they would likely have blocked any diameter manifold if that is the problem.
 

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I had the same problem with my bog. One pipe was not allowing the water to flow all the way thru. How deep is your manifold buried?
Your manifold looks to be 1 1/2", 2" piping works much better if you do have do dig it up. You can try hooking a pump up to the clean out end of the manifold to backflush it or try to vacuum from that end. I only dug up the one pipe on mine that was blocked and buried almost 2' it was a job. Your plants look fantastic so it could be roots blocking the flow.
 
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which means that water cannot escape through the manifold quick enough.
No, it may simply mean the bog has reached maturity and has some head pressure. This is where a bog comes to life as it starts to filter the water a bit better.
But I cant really get to the manifold pipes without pretty heavily disturbing/destroying the plant life.
don't worry about the plants we cut back tip out and remove them all the time.

now depending how deep your gravel is you may have roots that have grown down into the distribution pipes. the yellow money flower is shallow rooted but spreads like wild fire. rush and sweet flag can dig in like a tick and not let go
I think the big lily plant is the root of all the problems, so to speak. The yellow flower plant is quite shallow rooted.
The hourse rush " what looks like bamboo is not shallow it works on runners then sends up shoots don't let it get into the landscape.
The othe grasses can have deep roots
 
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In a shallow bog yes or place the plants into a mesh bag and control where the roots are allowed to go
 

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