Thinking combining a bog with a bio falls

[GBBUDD]

Yes and no . Expecialy with the snorkel and aquablocks. That void will act as a cave for all kinds of criters microbes and such to live in the settling chamber of those blocks will alow it to fall to the floor and decay. Which is food for those living there. I even found koi in there the first year . My snorkel and centepede are 24 inch culvert with aquablocks above a layer of mellon sized rocks to the sides and then 18 inches of gravel above the blocks.

 

[brokensword]

So, if I split the output of my pump, is a "Y" connector the way to go? How will that impact my pump calculations?

Regarding the pre-filter, I think I need it to stop the pump from chopping up all the koi waste. Will there still be enough waste in the water to "feed" the bog? Thanks!

I used a wye on both (I have 2 pumps of 4K each). The rule of thumb is to turn the water over 1-1/2 times an hour. I'm doing about 1x and the water is fine. I put about half the pond through the bog, give or take. You don't want 'waste' per se going to the bog. The water contains ammonia which will be converted, eventually, to nitrates by the bacteria colonizing your pea gravel in the bog. That's where the magic is. The plants then take up the resultant nitrates and round and round we go!

 

[brokensword]

My understanding is the bog is more for converting ammonia and other nitrates over filtering solids.

basically, yes. Solids will eventually clog the system if you push too much through too fast. The bog can handle some solids if given time for them to decay, hence a slower flow is generally advised but not essential. I've done both slow and fast and the results are about the same.

 

[GBBUDD]

Unfortunately I can’t build the bog at the top of the falls. Too steep and at tree line. You can see large rock at top of hill , where falls will start.

From what i can see you have a depression /small valley to the left of that rock. In nature that would be the more likely place to find a stream. All to often people like to build a stream as more a set of steps going up the hill straight and each tier the same size and height. If thats what they like to each there own. Heres a like to some crazy videos of pond builds theres one on page two replicating a natural stream I'd take a look at for your project.

 

[SaltLakeCity]

Its not the koi waste that is the concern by the time it gets sucked into the plumbing and makes it to the pump there won't be much solids left it will be broken up . its more the plant matter , baby fish ,frogs ,plants that are more the goal. And most external pumps have a strainer basket.

My pump return line splits for times at the pump it breaks off into two lines both of which have ball valves after the split one goes to a return jet in the pond that splits to a second return jet.
The other line does similar but it does so to two bogs . The bog feeds both have ball valves on them at the bogs

Thanks. So, do you recommend a mechanical filter before the pump? Are there affordable options?

 

[Ron-NY]

I was planning a slow flow. I am designing the bog so it should be an easy clean out. The snorkel will have a drain pipe at the bottom and I can water my Daylily garden by opening a cock valve.

 

[Ron-NY]

From what i can see you have a depression /small valley to the left of that rock. In nature that would be the more likely place to find a stream. All to often people like to build a stream as more a set of steps going up the hill straight and each tier the same size and height. If thats what they like to each there own. Heres a like to some crazy videos of pond builds theres one on page two replicating a natural stream I'd take a look at for your project.

I was just looking at that depression earlier today and considering doing a header pond there.

 

[GBBUDD]

Streams often have pools in-between drops the most interesting part is watching the bubbles get pushed across the surface and drop over the next fall i have no idea why it attracts attention and the eye so much but i always hear about just that from onlookers as part of there favorite.

 

[GBBUDD]

I only use the strainer basket to the external pump and that only gets cleaned once a week if that . In the spring it often requires more.

 

[Ron-NY]

Streams often have pools in-between drops the most interesting part is watching the bubbles get pushed across the surface and drop over the next fall i have no idea why it attracts attention and the eye so much but i always hear about just that from onlookers as part of there favorite.

Yes, I plan on having the stream meander down the hill, split and join back together to do a drop into a small pool, then 2 more smaller falls before dropping into the pond.

 

[GBBUDD]

I do not i use a external pump that has a built in strainer thats fine enough to catch algae small fish and rocks. It gets emptiedonce a week plus or minus in the spring it may need more in the summer definitely less as the plants have grown and algae is little more than peach fuzz.

 

[addy1]

I only use the strainer basket to the external pump and that only gets cleaned once a week if that . In the spring it often requires more.

I have a leaf basket before my external pump it only gets cleaned when I remove it in the fall. I draw the water about a foot from the bottom of the pond.

 

[SaltLakeCity]

I do not i use a external pump that has a built in strainer thats fine enough to catch algae small fish and rocks. It gets emptiedonce a week plus or minus in the spring it may need more in the summer definitely less as the plants have grown and algae is little more than peach fuzz.

Thanks. Are you using a bottom drain?

 

[GBBUDD]

Yes

 

[GBBUDD]

I do not............... i use a external pump that has a built in strainer thats fine enough to catch algae small fish and rocks. It gets emptied once a week plus or minus in the spring it may need more in the summer definitely less as the plants have grown and algae is little more than peach fuzz.

I really need to proof read my typing.and work on punctuation. I'd rather be building a pond