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

[addy1]

This is one thing I love about the bog, unless I have been mucking around in the pond or bog, occasionally a mild bloom will occur. Even then it clears within a day. This is what I usually see. This picture is looking down the length of the pond, the far distance is the lily pots in the shallow end 25 or so feet away. The small arrow is the end of the pond.

Most of the dark spots are large trap door snails. I have some darn huge ones.

 

[j.w]

Love them bubbles and your pond is super clear! Can't even tell that you have a liner w/all that good green growing on it.

 

[sissy]

I thought this is a great idea for a pond bog and wonder if I can put my bigger tank as a lotus bog filter

 

[addy1]

One of my ponds, the 300 gallon one is just for lotus. I used to have them in separate pots in the tank. I got rid of the separate pots. So I guess you could call it a lotus bog filter.

 

[CountryEscape]

How many lotus plants do you have in that container now, Addy? And, have they multiplied over the years? I am still intrigued with lotus, got a plant from another local lake, and hoping it will grow and bloom this year. What depth again do you have your lotus plants? Last, if you no longer have them in pots, are they in any type of soil or just whatever falls into that container, stays on the bottom for them to root in? The plant I got out of the lake broke through the pot, and is growing out the side. Going to wait and see if it grows up to the surface or what happens with it.

 

[CountryEscape]

Sissy, looks like you are a favorite of the Pond Digger! WTG!!!

 

[addy1]

How many lotus plants do you have in that container now, Addy? And, have they multiplied over the years? I am still intrigued with lotus, got a plant from another local lake, and hoping it will grow and bloom this year. What depth again do you have your lotus plants? Last, if you no longer have them in pots, are they in any type of soil or just whatever falls into that container, stays on the bottom for them to root in? The plant I got out of the lake broke through the pot, and is growing out the side. Going to wait and see if it grows up to the surface or what happens with it.

What happened, the 300 gallon tank, rubbermaid stock tank, decided to settle after being full of ice this year. Since we are on a slope that means the lower edge settled lower than the rest of the tank, also there is no dirt holding it firm on 1/3 of the tank. There is wood insulation etc but no dirt. So that edge had a 1/4 inch safety zone before it would overflow and if not caught it could drain the ponds, since it is in our pond loop.

So long story short, I had the lotus in those large tubs with rope handles from walmart.

I put the lotus in them originally since I read they like to be around 18 inches below water . Well to fix the tub we had to pull those beyond heavy tubs out of the tank, 3/4 full of kitty litter.
Then drain the tank, raise the one side, finally ended up putting in a 4x4 in concrete with a brace between the 4x4 and the tank to give the dirtless side support it kept bulging when you added the water.

So the story goes on, since the tank froze hard, I dumped one out thinking I would find mushy tubers, nope...........all in great shape winding around the bottom of the tank a bunch of tubers, and new growth. I was thinking of dividing, nope too late they are already growing.

So said heck with the tubs, honey and I drug them up a piece of wood ramp 2.5 feet up, to dump them back in the tank, dumped them all out of the pots into the 300 gallon tank.

Added 200 lbs of kitty litter to fill between them................done. See new little leaves coming up. They like their freedom.

You can see the shape of the old tubs. The green is my turtle, frog escape platform. They can get on it and crawl out.

I could have cut off the top of the kitty litter to make them even with the new, but with all the growth I saw I did not want to take a chance cutting off the new growth under the litter. So the new litter is about 1/3 way up the tank the old varies. There are tads, did have a few rosey reds, but they did not survive the winter.

The tank, before trashing it, was also full of aracharnis which will come back, it was a nice little ecosystem.

I still need to dress the edges.

So the lotus tubers are down 2.5 feet and doing well in answer to your ? CE
I started with one tuber of each plant, there were a bunch of tubers in the bottom of the tubs, so yes they multiplied. 4 different varieties.

 

[CountryEscape]

Wow, thanks for the pic story. I still have seeds, but not sure if they are hardy or not, so hate to sprout them again, just to have them die ... again. I bought plants one year, only one lived, and then it died. I'm doing something wrong. They do or do not like water movement? Would they do ok in the goldfish pond once established, or best in non-moving water, just an air bubbler to keep the water fresh? Oh, and I have this tank that is 3.5' deep, that I thought about burying and using for lotus someday. Maybe that would be best? Thanks for your pointers.

 

[addy1]

The tank would be fine, just start them shallower like I did let them go where they want to live. Mine were all around 18 inches down in the beginning, all ended up going down to the bottom of the tank at 2.5 feet. My water in that tank, moves, slowly. I have a t off the main pump output going into a 3/4 inch water hose that waterfalls into the first small pond, waterfalls into the lotus tub, which waterfalls into the next small pond which waterfalls into the main pond. Small waterfalls.

Keep thinking of putting in a one inch pvc line, but never get around to it, the hose works great. Less chance of over flow issues in the small ponds.

The lotus ended up in a separate tank mainly to control the growth. I did not want them in the main pond, jumping their pots and making a mess. They like the slow flow nutrient rich water the water is non filtered coming from the big pond. They grow and bloom great every year.

 

[tbendl]

I was going to ask why you would keep them separate from the pond. I have seen a few people ask about Lotus bogs and I wonder if I could grow them in mine.

 

[addy1]

I was going to ask why you would keep them separate from the pond. I have seen a few people ask about Lotus bogs and I wonder if I could grow them in mine.

Between the lotus and the aracharnis that grows in it, it is a great plant filter for the big pond

 

[tbendl]

Sadly all of my aracharnis is gone. I need to get more and now I want some Lotus. I will look those up since I'm curious how they would do in my zone.

 

[addy1]

Sadly all of my aracharnis is gone

What happened to it? That stuff grows like a weed esp if you don't have fish.

 

[tbendl]

I don't know. When I was netting during the fall and winter I would make sure to throw back any pieces I pulled up but they kept getting tinier and tinier and when I drained the pond this spring there was none left. I did read that it does better in shade so maybe my pond got too hot for it and it died. I'm trying to find a few gallons of it since I think it would help the pond immensely, I thought I could tie it up and sink it in the shadiest spot of the pond.

 

[addy1]

Mine is in full sun, shallow hot little stream pond and the lotus tub and a real tiny stream pond and the deck pond. All full sun. Freezes solid and comes back. It was growing great in the lotus tub until I had to rip it apart to fix it.