Wanting a bog for natural filtration

[pugle1]

Hi folks,

Been a while since I've been on here, but I was wondering a few things about bogs. I built my pond and waterfall without doing a lot of research, but for the last 3 years, it's been getting better and better. The landscaping is finally nearing completion, and this year is the first year that we've actually had american toad tadpoles... hundreds of them. I love it!

What I'd like to do is add a bog. Most set-ups I've seen have the bog above the waterfall and feeding into the pond, however, the way I built mine and landscaped it with sumac trees I can't do it that way. The pump is in the pond and feeds the waterfall via a filter that I built. The filter works very well.

What I want to do is build a bog below the main pond, and move the pump to a skimmer box in the bog. The pump would then feed my DIY filter and thus feed the waterfall... then the main pond. I'd like to make a stream from the main pond to the bog. Would I still benefit from natural filtration from the bog with it below the main pond? Sadly I can't alter the original pond and waterfall for an upper level bog.

Tips / hints / suggestions / advice? Will my bog work below the pond or is it important to be above the pond?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Tula]

I'm not sure. I too was thinking of a bog and was told it need to be above the pond, with the filtered water spilling back into the pond. I then considered a skippy filter, thinking I could pump it back into the pond....but didn't do it either.

Addy is the queen of bogs around here - she is very knowledgeable.

 

[pugle1]

Thanks Tula .... Will wait for some other replies. Personally I think it would work fine.... maybe just not as efficiently. But I'm also wanting it as a feature. I love bog plants. I think it'd be a nice addition the my backyard.

 

[addy1]

It would work, main thing would be to make sure you draw of water from the skimmer/bog is equal to the water flowing into the bog. It would still filter, the balance of water would be the tough part. But if your main pump is in the bog / skimmer the only water coming back into the bog would be what is pumped up into the pond. SO it most likely would balance out great. I would make sure your bog walls are high enough to survive a slight imbalance or a shut down of the system, since the water will be flowing down to the bog. But then again your stream, heading to the bog, would have a edge that would run dry before it would drain the pond.

And have your input on one end your output ie pump on the other end to draw the water through the filtering

 

[HARO]

Welcome back, Paul. Good to see you're still into pondering! Don't see why the lower bog wouldn't work. You still have water flowing through it, and back to the pond, only the location of the pump is different. Keep us informed!
John

 

[pugle1]

Thanks addy and John. Good to be back.... The bog is mainly for a feature, but I do want it to function as best it can. The pump would be moved to the back of the bog in a skimmer box to feed back to the top, but too, I want to add a smaller sump style pump to the main pond that would take care of the solid wastes in the deeper part that wouldn't make it into the bog. Losing much water shouldn't be an issue as the river will only be a couple inches deep where it leaves the main pond. I'd lose a bit during a power failure but no more than I do now (about 10 gal.) Just a rough "wannabe artist's" concept below...lol

 

[addy1]

nice drawing! It would work well imho

 

[HARO]

Looks good!
John

 

[pugle1]

... And so it begins

 

[herzausstahl]

I went on a local garden walk a few years ago and a guy had exactly what your building. He said his bog was 3' deep, knowing what I know now, seems a bit excessive, but he seemed happy with it. If your looking for a way to draw the water through the pea gravel (and through the plant roots in the process) have you considered a pump pit like someone would use for a pond less water feature?

 

[addy1]

Mine is 2.5 feet deep, mainly because when I was digging , I didn't stop, then did not want to refill the dirt to make is shallower. But it works great, keeps the pond great, plants grow great. So I am happy.

good idea ^^^ pondless filter pit to draw the water back out.

 

[RobAmy]

This looks like it would work very well for you

 

[herzausstahl]

Thanks Addy, guess the only question is, would you have to worry about roots growing through the holes in the pump container. But guess they would be easy to trim if needed.

 

[addy1]

Most of my bog plants have shallow roots, just keep grasses and rush away from the container, their roots go deep and lots of them.

 

[pugle1]

Thanks folks... Was thinking 2 to 2.5 feet total depth with about a foot to foot and a half mixed pea gravel and 1 to 2 inch river stone. Deep enough for roots to establish. My upper pond has only a couple inches of 2 to 3 inch river rock, and the mini-cats and mares tail are so well established that I fear thinning them out. The bog will have a pump well in it at the back end so that I get water flow through the entire bog. The pump well is going to act as a skimmer with some small holes drilled i n the sides low down so that the water not only flows into it from the sides but also over the lip of the well. I'll keep you posted as to the progress.