Soil substrate pond

[MitchM]

I purchased a 2' x 4' tray from a hydroponics shop to serve as a plant filter container. (I don't want to call it a bog)
I am running a lentgh of vinyl tubing with some holes drilled in it to supply water to the plants and gravel with a hole in the tray below the top of the gravel for drainage back to the tank.
I don't want to have the gravel covered by water because I don't want a buildup of algae and moss that will restrict gas exchange for the plant filter.
The pump I'm using was too strong for the drainage hole so I spliced in a valve to restrict the output volume.
I filled the tray with a combination of 6 mm gravel, clay and topsoil that I had here already. The mixture is probably 80% gravel, 10% clay, 10% topsoil. I'm sure the plants will benefit from that.
Next I'll be planting the filter with a mixture of marginals, including some zone 9 plants. I always avoided plants higher than zone 5 before, so this will be new.
I have the marginals in my aquaponics system on hold until I move them to the plant filter tray.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

What is the depth of that tray? Although suitable for aquaponic culture, it may not be deep enough to accommodate the rhizospheres of most aquatic marginals.
As to not wanting to call it a 'bog', why not refer to it as what it will be....a phyto-filter.
You are certain to maximize bio-conversion with this.

 

[MitchM]

The maximum depth of the tray is 6".
I'm wondering myself if I should get a deeper one.
Your input is certainly appreciated.

 

[addy1]

So cool Mitch.

My bog garden is a tarp covered with peat moss sand mix 50/50 It dries if no rain, wet if it rains. I do water it off and on, if we are a real dry spell, the plants will die if they stay dry too long, like weeks.

 

[MitchM]

Thanks addy.
My indoor pond is small, 300g, but i'm hoping I can have a thriving pond like you folks in warmer climates.
My outdoor pond is below typical feeding temperatures (55f) for 75% of the year.
We may need to revisit that myth this fall in the forum discussions. My fish certainly feed during periods of "colder" temperatures.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

We may need to revisit that myth this fall in the forum discussions. My fish certainly feed during periods of "colder" temperatures.

And a myth it certainly is.

 

[addy1]

We may need to revisit that myth this fall in the forum discussions. My fish certainly feed during periods of "colder" temperatures.

I watch mine eat all winter, well until the cameras get too mucked up to see out of. Can't reach them under all the ice to clean them.

 

[MitchM]

2 months along and the aquariums/ponds have settled in nicely.
Here is the test aquarium

Here is the 320g greenhouse unheated, unlit pond:

 

[MitchM]

The test pond has done the best out all three setups and for a further testament, it's the drinking water of choice for our dogs.
I have done nothing to the test tank, other than top up the water as it evaporates or is consumed.
The water went through a period of a tea coloured appearance which would be the humic substances that are a result of incomplete decomposition. Hair algae followed shortly afterwards which the minnows consumed and which is no longer present as you can see.
The test setup looks great. Very cool. I will be taking it down shortly because it interferes with the fireplace that I use during the winter. The minnows will be returned to the outdoor pond.

 

[MitchM]

The 320g greenhouse pond has gone through the same cycles of tea coloured water, hair algae and with 2 shubunkins that I added, that algae has been consumed
As Meyer pointed out earlier, the tray that I am using is too shallow, the plants that I have in there are already outgrowing the container.
The Pickeral Rush has become infected with spider mites, one of the hazards of indoor gardening.
I'm considering treating the affected plant with a mixture of mineral oil and a vegetable based soap. I'm still not sure how that will affect the pond and fish overall. I tried to buy some additional plants to keep over the winter, but by the end of July, the local stores were reducing their pond plant inventory for the season so there was nothing new available.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

The test pond has done the best out all three setups and for a further testament, it's the drinking water of choice for our dogs.
I have done nothing to the test tank, other than top up the water as it evaporates or is consumed.
The water went through a period of a tea coloured appearance which would be the humic substances that are a result of incomplete decomposition. Hair algae followed shortly afterwards which the minnows consumed and which is no longer present as you can see.
The test setup looks great. Very cool. I will be taking it down shortly because it interferes with the fireplace that I use during the winter. The minnows will be returned to the outdoor pond.

Too bad that you need to dismantle this test tank. It would be most interesting to see how it functions after a full year.

 

[MitchM]

I did some serious pruning on the heated tropical aquarium today.
It went through the same tea coloured water/algae phase, but because I was feeding it heavily and maybe I did not start it out with sufficient plants, I had a green water phase that I felt I had to intervene with UV for 10 days.
I would have preferrred to take advantage of the green water and add a Daphinia culture to provide additional live food for the fish but I had no plans at the time for a trip into town.
I have also been adding CO2 in an effort to see more aggressive plant growth.
It seems like once the plants in any of the tanks had roots established in the substrate, it was like they hit the jackpot and really accelerated their growth.
Below is before and after pictures of the tropical pruning today. I'm not done yet in case anyone is wondering....

 

[MitchM]

Too bad that you need to dismantle this test tank. It would be most interesting to see how it functions after a full year.

If you think it would make much of a difference, I could probably drain it 75% and relocate it.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

If you think it would make much of a difference, I could probably drain it 75% and relocate it.

It may or may not make a difference but the longer the life of the experiment the more certain are the results.

 

[MitchM]

I'll do that then.
I'll move it under the 320g.
Thanks.