Bog Filled Up?

[addy1]

I did that, sprayed it off, the sludge just kept coming up.

And it will. I fought it for a few years than said forget it, makes no difference to the function of the bog.

 

[Sunshine]

I'm not concerned about the look of the gravel either. It just looks like the bog is full of the sludge and now, what to do about it. I don't want to tear it out and start over, but I don't want the muck going back in the pond either. Kind of defeats the purpose of having a bog filter the water if it's full. We tore out the smaller bog to make this one bigger. And oh what a lovely aroma that was. That was probably about 10 years ago maybe. Not sure what to do now.

 

[Mmathis]

@Sunshine Can you post pictures of the bog? How big is it in relation to the pond? What do you have planted in there?

 

[poconojoe]

I'm not concerned about the look of the gravel either. It just looks like the bog is full of the sludge and now, what to do about it. I don't want to tear it out and start over, but I don't want the muck going back in the pond either. Kind of defeats the purpose of having a bog filter the water if it's full. We tore out the smaller bog to make this one bigger. And oh what a lovely aroma that was. That was probably about 10 years ago maybe. Not sure what to do now.

How is your bog constructed? Is it's surface area at least 30% of the pond's surface area? How deep is the gravel? Do you have manifold pipes under the gravel with the water flowing up through the gravel then flowing back to the pond? What size pipes and how many? Do you have a clean-out stacks?

 

[Mmathis]

@poconojoe That’s what I was wondering about.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

The pic of the brown is what has been on top since we started it back up in the spring. I always shut it off in the winter and just run the bio filter. View attachment 131188

My bog looks the same on top. It gets that layer of dirt that mixes in the algae. It's not really been an issue in terms of how the bog functions, so I just let it be. My pond water stays clear and last I tested, the water quality was fine.

 

[Sunshine]

How is your bog constructed? Is it's surface area at least 30% of the pond's surface area? How deep is the gravel? Do you have manifold pipes under the gravel with the water flowing up through the gravel then flowing back to the pond? What size pipes and how many? Do you have a clean-out stacks?

It's about 7'x3'x18" deep. PVC pipes with holes about 6" off the bottom that the water runs through. It was put together so it goes around the whole perimeter of the bog plus front to back. Yes, there is a clean out stack, but the water flows through fine. The pump is a 2100 gph.

 

[Sunshine]

My bog looks the same on top. It gets that layer of dirt that mixes in the algae. It's not really been an issue in terms of how the bog functions, so I just let it be. My pond water stays clear and last I tested, the water quality was fine.

In all the years I've had this bog, it never had that brown on top. Algae, yes, but never that brown. That's why I was wondering if a bog can get full of the sludge. I had an elephant ear in there for the past 3-4 years, this year I couldn't find one so I put potted plants in there.

 

[poconojoe]

It's about 7'x3'x18" deep. PVC pipes with holes about 6" off the bottom that the water runs through. It was put together so it goes around the whole perimeter of the bog plus front to back. Yes, there is a clean out stack, but the water flows through fine. The pump is a 2100 gph.

That all sounds great!

Hopefully that layer on top is just some airborne dust or dirt that settled there.

As long as your pond water is clear, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Timothy]

Good morning! I've been following along and thought I'd add my two cents worth. Our bog is an above ground long skinny affair. A pipe with saw cuts in it sitting on occasional bricks on the bottom runs about 2/3rds the length then turns up with a 90 degree elbow to the surface with a cap on it. The pipe is covered with about two feet of pea gravel.
The bog is three years old and has always had a layer of "mud" on the surface. If I open the cap all I get is clear water and I can see where the water percolates up through the gravel with the cap installed.
The plants thrive to the point I have to cull them a couple times a season. My thoughts are; if the bog collects the "mud", the "mud" isn't in the pond - if the plants are so prolific they have to be thinned out - and if the pond water is clear, the bog is working.
We have tads, (both toad and frog,) living in there which are pretty good harbingers of the health of the system.
If your bog gets "dirty", it's working.....

 

[poconojoe]

Good morning! I've been following along and thought I'd add my two cents worth. Our bog is an above ground long skinny affair. A pipe with saw cuts in it sitting on occasional bricks on the bottom runs about 2/3rds the length then turns up with a 90 degree elbow to the surface with a cap on it. The pipe is covered with about two feet of pea gravel.
The bog is three years old and has always had a layer of "mud" on the surface. If I open the cap all I get is clear water and I can see where the water percolates up through the gravel with the cap installed.
The plants thrive to the point I have to cull them a couple times a season. My thoughts are; if the bog collects the "mud", the "mud" isn't in the pond - if the plants are so prolific they have to be thinned out - and if the pond water is clear, the bog is working.
We have tads, (both toad and frog,) living in there which are pretty good harbingers of the health of the system.
If your bog gets "dirty", it's working.....

Good point about the tadpoles. We have thousands, if not, millions and I've never thought about their benefit. They must eat an awful lot off of the liner. They are definitely a good part of the ecosystem.

 

[addy1]

I have tads living in the bog. If they are still there in the fall I chase them down after turning the bog off since they are then the green frog tads that over winter as a tad. I toss them into the fishless ponds.

 

[Sunshine]

I guess the consensus is, it's working, leave it alone The whole brown on top kinda threw me for a loop. Thought it was full of sludge and done working. I did plant some creeping jenny in the bog, trying to compete with the algae and hide the brown, but I think the algae is going to win. Thanks for all the great reply's. You've eased my mind.

 

[addy1]

I have algae in the bog in the beginning of the year, once the plants grow it looses its hold. Poofs away, so another thing I don't worry about.

 

[Sunshine]

I have algae in the bog in the beginning of the year, once the plants grow it looses its hold. Poofs away, so another thing I don't worry about.

Mine has a lot! I tried to find another elephant ear this year. It really takes over the bog and the algae. But, this year, my usual place didn't have them. So a lot of surface water is exposed to the sun. I can deal with it this year. Next year, hopefully I can get another elephant ear.