Best filter for Tetra Pond DHP 3600?

[rjone1578]

Have a 4" hole drilled in mine close to top. Working great.

Is it just free flowing through there?

Im thinking of using a rubbermaid stock tank and just cutting a large slit in the side for the water to pour out

 

[rjone1578]

Thinking about using this. Im guessing I would drill a hole towards the bottom and connect my pump to that hole to pump the water in through a pvc pipe under the gravel. On the other side, I am going to cut a large slit in the container so the water can then pour out. Does this seem like a legit plan or should the holes be somewhere else?

 

[rjone1578]

Started the bog a little while ago. Drilled the hole and have the PVC pipe and everything drying. Going to rinse the gravel tomorrow and start laying out the design for the plants.

 

[rjone1578]

Im going to wrap that netting around the end so rocks dont make their way back into the pipe. My idea to get the water out is to just use the hole saw to make a hole on the edge to pour back into the pond. Im scouting plants for this right now but im in south LA zone 8b and 9a. Most threads I have seen on this site are people in cooler climates.

Should I use planting baskets for my plants so I can move them around if needed?

 

[poconojoe]

You can glue a cap onto the end instead of using a net. Then cut perpendicular slits with a circular saw or sawzall along the pipe for the water to come out of. Then cover with pea gravel.
Check out the bog build showcase by member addy1. You'll be doing a scaled down version.

 

[poconojoe]

Plants should not be potted. They should be planted directly in the gravel. You want the roots to have direct contact with the nutrient rich water. That's their role in the filtration process.

 

[rjone1578]

the pots are webbed. they look like the one on the right

 

[poconojoe]

You don't really need any pots. Use them if you want, but all you need to do is remove the plant from it's pot, shake off most of the soil and replant into the gravel. Your plants will love it.

 

[rjone1578]

You don't really need any pots. Use them if you want, but all you need to do is remove the plant from it's pot, shake off most of the soil and replant into the gravel. Your plants will love it.

Sounds good.

Made some progress today.

1 hole was not enough

2 holes didnt exactly do it either so I drilled some more

Ran out of rocks but I'm getting there. As you can tell, I used a plant basket to run the PVC pipe into. I'm kind of experimenting here but it seems to do a good job at catching and debris my pump doesnt get.

Fun little project I have going. Will update as I make some more progress

 

[poconojoe]

As suggested, you should cap the end of the pipe. Then cut perpendicular slits along the whole length of the pipe spaced about 1" to 1-1/2" apart. The slits should be cut 1/3 down through the pipe. This gives you even distribution of the water sifting up through the pea gravel.

I don't want to rain on your parade, but...
It seems to me the way you have it, the water isn't filtering through much of the gravel. The water is rising up in one spot and flowing over the gravel.

Given the smaller scale of your project, it won't be hard to remove some of the gravel to correct the problem.

You don't need the basket. If you're concerned about debris clogging the pipe, instead of capping it as I suggested, put a wide sweeping elbow on the end there and add a vertical clean-out standpipe. Cut the standpipe at gravel level and glue on a female threaded adapter. Put a screw-in cap into the female. Now you can backwash through the standpipe if need be. Unscrew the cap and use a power washer or if you don't have that, a garden hose.

You should look through this lengthy thread for a complete know-how on bog building. A bit over kill for you smaller scaled project, but it will give you the general makings or theory on how bogs function and how they are built:

Bog building, also called upflow filter, eco filter, wetland filter

I was asked to start a thread on how to build a bog. This is my rendition on bog building 101............. Building a bog: Before you decide to build a bog, you need to know what you want its primary purpose to be. Total pond filtration bog filtration combined with another filter. If you...

www.gardenpondforum.com

 

[poconojoe]

Once you get your bog going, don't forget to add plants. They are the final component of the system. They will strip the water of the excess nutrients which will prevent algae from growing in the pond.

In Addy's bog build she lists many plants you can use in your bog.
I would suggest plants that will survive all year in your area. Some that will come back in the Spring. I'm in zone 6b, so it gets cold here in the Winter. Creeping Jenny, Marsh Marigold, Iris, cat tails, are some that come back every year by me.

Remove the plants from their pots and plant directly in the gravel. You can leave some of the soil on the roots at first, but once the bog is established, any additional plants won't need much soil, if any. The roots will thrive.

 

[rjone1578]

As suggested, you should cap the end of the pipe. Then cut perpendicular slits along the whole length of the pipe spaced about 1" to 1-1/2" apart. The slits should be cut 1/3 down through the pipe. This gives you even distribution of the water sifting up through the pea gravel.

I don't want to rain on your parade, but...
It seems to me the way you have it, the water isn't filtering through much of the gravel. The water is rising up in one spot and flowing over the gravel.

Given the smaller scale of your project, it won't be hard to remove some of the gravel to correct the problem.

Bog building, also called upflow filter, eco filter, wetland filter

I was asked to start a thread on how to build a bog. This is my rendition on bog building 101............. Building a bog: Before you decide to build a bog, you need to know what you want its primary purpose to be. Total pond filtration bog filtration combined with another filter. If you...

www.gardenpondforum.com

Will do when I get back in town. Thank you

 

[rjone1578]

Took your advice and redid the tubing. I have some slits sawed on the sides and towards the bottom also. My only question now is that when I cap the end of the pipe, it seems like the flow is severely limited. I'm worried that when the pump starts to pick up little pieces of pond that its going to cause some pressure in there

I did some experimenting. So the pipe runs along the bottom and it is uncapped. I wanted to get an idea on how much debris comes through it. I dug out enough rocks where the water pressure keeps the rocks from going into the pipe. This picture was done after I picked out about a golf ball sized pile of algae looking grass on the rocks. So a good amount of stuff is naturally coming through. Would a good solution for this be to run a 90 degree turn to the top and cap and constantly clean? Or something else?

 

[poconojoe]

I'm surprised your pump was able to pick up that amount of debris, especially in such a short amount of time.

Most people do just that. A 90 degree turn upward with a screw cap. A push-on cap may pop off from the pressure. I have read that many people never need to use it, but it's good to have.

You can duct tape a piece of 3/4" or 1" pvc to the end of a shop vac and stick it in there to suck out accumulated debris.

 

[rjone1578]

That sounds like a better idea. The screw cap at the top.

Thank you internet!! Cheers