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

[Nepen]

Thanks Addy. Yes the dirt that wash out to the pond settled very quickly but I just dont really like it. I dont think it's an issue, it's just a preference on my part.

Thanks for the heads up on the plant blocking the water flow, i've been having the flow problem since day one coz my output hole is only the same size as the input hole, and it should've been bigger, way bigger. But my container bogs are still young (made it in the end of fall) I'm really have to keep my eyes on the over flow.

I really want a bigger bog, just couldnt get the time to do it right now. My husband told me to get a whisky barrel but 'm afraid the wood will rot out soon.

 

[addy1]

I really want a bigger bog, just couldnt get the time to do it right now. My husband told me to get a whisky barrel but 'm afraid the wood will rot out soon.

I had whiskey barrel filters/mini bogs for years in arizona, the only issue was the bands started to rust. Do not let them dry out,then the wood shrinks and you need to slowly get it to expand again.

 

[Lisak1]

I planted my plants bare root but find that they collect dirt around the roots over time - which is what they are supposed to do, so that's cool to see. It's actually rather remarkable how much dirt they manage to gather over time. So anytime I move anything or pull anything out there is dirt that gets stirred up. It clears quickly though.

Our bog is roughly 1/3 the surface area of the pond - if I had room, I would have made it larger. Our edges are roughly 4 inches above the highest water level, which is anywhere from 1-4" deep, depending on rainfall - if the water gets too deep we are able to slow the pump down and give it time to level out.

There's a lot of bog poo-pooing (ha!) in the online ponding world, so if I can share a positive message about adding a bog to a backyard pond, I will take the opportunity to do so. It's not the only way to do things, but it is ONE way to do it, and done right it can work. So forgive me if I repeat myself - I am a bog evangelist! I promise not to knock on your front door!

 

[addy1]

There's a lot of bog poo-pooing (ha!) in the online ponding world, so if I can share a positive message about adding a bog to a backyard pond, I will take the opportunity to do so. It's not the only way to do things, but it is ONE way to do it, and done right it can work. So forgive me if I repeat myself - I am a bog evangelist! I promise not to knock on your front door!

lol you can join my bog prayer group! This is my 5th summer coming up, I have done nothing to it i.e. cleaning and it is still working fantastic

 

[Nepen]

I had whiskey barrel filters/mini bogs for years in arizona, the only issue was the bands started to rust. Do not let them dry out,then the wood shrinks and you need to slowly get it to expand again.

did you seal it with anything? how did you make the spillway?

 

[JBtheExplorer]

I'm really sold on this bog idea and if I don't do it this year I'm definitely doing it next year. Seems like it will benefit plants, animals, and the pond.
I had tons of birds using my original shallow stone-covered stream in the hot summer days, but when I changed my stream and made it deeper, they couldn't use it anymore. This bog would help them out, and make a good environment for frogs/toads, and the extra plants would also draw in insects. plus filtering... sounds like a win-win-win-win-win situation!

 

[addy1]

did you seal it with anything? how did you make the spillway?

I just drilled a hole in them, one for the feed into the bottom, then one for a pipe to come out from the top. Wish I could find the pictures, somewhere in my junk (real pictures not digital) Two half barrels one water-falled into the other, the second right into the pond. I also had a full whiskey barrel, that water fed into the bottom, through lava rock which then water-falled into the pond.
Both barrels I had bottom drains to back flush off and on.

I had tons of birds using my original shallow stone-covered stream in the hot summer days, but when I changed my stream and made it deeper, they couldn't use it anymore. This bog would help them out, and make a good environment for frogs/toads, and the extra plants would also draw in insects. plus filtering... sounds like a win-win-win-win-win situation

the birds love to bath in the bog, the frogs live in it, I find tads all of the time in it, even one time some fry.

 

[Nepen]

Thanks addy. So you dont even put any liner in? I'm afraid of the leaks and wood rotting.

 

[addy1]

Thanks addy. So you dont even put any liner in? I'm afraid of the leaks and wood rotting.

No it was just the whiskey barrel, if you buy one make sure they have stored it with water in it so the wood has not dried out. The wood never rotted the entire time I had those ponds, around 10 years more or less.

Actually they were still there when I went back to arizona a few years ago, so that would be 20 years now.

 

[falconut]

So, everybody has the water level above the pea gravel? I thought the bog water level was supposed to be just below the gravel.

 

[Lisak1]

So, everybody has the water level above the pea gravel? I thought the bog water level was supposed to be just below the gravel.

Mine is above the gravel - anywhere from 1-4". I like the look of the bog with water on top - when I can actually see it! - and the frogs, dragonflies and birds love it, too.

 

[CountryEscape]

Your bog can have water above it, or not, just make sure if the water is below the pea gravel, that's it's pretty close to the top. The plants you put in there may decide how deep the water is above the gravel. I had mine at first with all the gravel the same level. They I got a little creative and stacked one end higher, more water showing on the other end. Then noticed one other ponder on here had what looked like a stream running through his bog, which I thought was very cool. But, last summer, the plants literally covered the bog. So, if you want to see the top of your bog, don't plant it very thick, and definitely do not plant stuff that grows very fast to the point of invasive. My goldfish pond bog is VERY thickly planted ... well I didn't plant it thick, but I have penny wart (moderate grower) and water parsley/celery and water cover (FAST growers) plus had cattails in there (multiply each year by about 10) so it quickly became full. Since I'll be adding a much larger bog to the koi pond, I intend to use some of the plants from the goldfish pond to stock it. Come to think of it, when I built the goldfish pond bog, I used plants from the koi pond. LOL Now I want to have "nice" plants in the new koi pond bog, ones that I can control. I've found ones that I really like the looks of, they seem to grow slower, but multiply nicely, too. It all comes with time. I'm convinced my goldfish pond is so crystal clear because of the larger bog (it's about 50% surface area of that pond). Have never had an issue of murky water, whereas the koi pond with much smaller bog (maybe 15% surface area) is always murky in the spring. It's getting clearer, and as the weather and water warms, it will clear up, too. But, so much nicer to have clear water all the time.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Would there be any issue with doing this... where one small area of the bog has deeper water for water lilies?

 

[CountryEscape]

Well, lilies would probably want more than 6" of water, and then they will spread. My smallest lily takes up at least 2' in diameter. Do you really want to take up that much of your bog area? Also, if there is much of a "hill" the pea gravel will likely slide down the side and fill in the space, depending on your water flow. Most of the time the water flow is very calm.
And, as Addy and others have said above, be sure nothing can get in the way of the main overflow. I right now have a large iris that has multiplied and gone right to where the water is to outflow. I'll be needing to move that plant this year, but hoping to do so after I get the new bog built. Will wait for plants to grow before dismantling the old bog on the koi pond, so I don't lose any plants along the way. If need be, place some large rocks so that your spreading plants cannot spread to the outflow and clog that area, especially if you don't have another way for the water to flow out. Otherwise you will be losing water another way. My large bog has had leaks out the back side before because the top edge is too close to the water height, and the roots and plants took up so much space it pushed the water up to the top and over! It was a matter of pulling plants next to the edge to lower the water level back where it needed to be.
Best part about bog plants ... you don't have to water them!

 

[Lisak1]

Six inches wouldn't be deep enough for a waterlily. Even the dwarf varieties like at least a foot of water. You could plant floating hearts or snowflakes - they have leaves that float like a water lily pads and thrive in less than 12" of water. But it might be challenging to maintain that depth differential, like CE said, especially if you, like me, get in your bog and wander around checking things out!

Did I mention I love my bog... I think I might have said that once or seventy hundred times!