Darksaber Pond - My Next Adventure

[milonedp]

Thanks, I spoke with the lead this morning and the size rock on the bottom is the size that was always planned to be there, so that will mean the particulate filtering and pressure will be correct, and this only results in some larger rock mixed into the middle layer which will be topped again with the size that was on the bottom with the final layer of gravel on top. With a smaller layer on top of that but not going all the way down to gravel, there shouldn't be excessive compaction and channeling.

Everything is guaranteed for a year so if there is channeling I should see it by then, but given the bottom layer being the right size I'm much less concerned than I was over the weekend. Just stinks that the distributors size their rock so differently.

They started rocking in the pond today... it's a muddy mess though we got rain overnight and the first part of the day....

 

[brokensword]

So this may be 100% dependent on what you're pumping into the bog. We have zero build up because we send only "clean" water to the bog. So I guess your mileage may vary.

I'll go back on my earlier "I wouldn't lose sleep over it" and say this - If I were paying what I'm guessing you're paying for this installation I'd either want them to do it right the first time or guarantee me that they will come and fix it if it does go south.

yes, Lisa, you're undoubtedly right. I used to have my pump on the bottom of the pond.

 

[brokensword]

Thanks, I spoke with the lead this morning and the size rock on the bottom is the size that was always planned to be there, so that will mean the particulate filtering and pressure will be correct, and this only results in some larger rock mixed into the middle layer which will be topped again with the size that was on the bottom with the final layer of gravel on top. With a smaller layer on top of that but not going all the way down to gravel, there shouldn't be excessive compaction and channeling.

Everything is guaranteed for a year so if there is channeling I should see it by then, but given the bottom layer being the right size I'm much less concerned than I was over the weekend. Just stinks that the distributors size their rock so differently.

They started rocking in the pond today... it's a muddy mess though we got rain overnight and the first part of the day....

I want to raise my hand and wave it furiously; my clogging didn't occur until the 4th year and it was a small bog. If yours has any size to it, you may not see it for longer yet it'll be happening. Seriously, I've never seen a bog where smaller is under larger rocks. If my pond, I'd reverse that while I could. It just makes sense that if it's going to clog, it will be at the first small layer/border. Hence why I believe the smaller is at the top. JMHO

 

[milonedp]

I want to raise my hand and wave it furiously; my clogging didn't occur until the 4th year and it was a small bog. If yours has any size to it, you may not see it for longer yet it'll be happening. Seriously, I've never seen a bog where smaller is under larger rocks. If my pond, I'd reverse that while I could. It just makes sense that if it's going to clog, it will be at the first small layer/border. Hence why I believe the smaller is at the top. JMHO

Understood. I really appreciate you weighing in!!!

The bottom layer of rock is properly sized to be the bottom layer, so that shouldn't clog. The issue was the middle layer which wasn't supposed to be a middle layer, it was supposed to just be more of the bottom layer came from a different distributor, and it included mostly the right size, but also included some larger rock mixed in, so my fear was the gravel going directly on the larger stuff could compact tightly and that'd be where I had the clogging issues. They have more of the properly sized (without the large mixed in) sitting in the driveway and that will go on before the gravel goes on. Basically, it's not so much a bigger layer as it is a lot of big rocks mixed into the middle of the bottom layer. In my mind that sentence makes sense but that might be the only place it makes sense...

 

[milonedp]

yes, Lisa, you're undoubtedly right. I used to have my pump on the bottom of the pond.

Pumps will be at the bottom of an intake bay so most of the debris will be trapped there, right?

 

[GBBUDD]

Just stinks that the distributors size their rock so differently.

supply and demand

 

[GBBUDD]

Bottom of the intake bay within a pump vault i would hope . for the size and effort your undertaking it couldn't be anything else

 

[Lisak1]

That's essentially what we have - pump vault in the rain exchange which could have been an intake bay had we known better! But that's why I say the water is "clean" that gets pumped to the bog. All the debris is caught in the rocks.

 

[milonedp]

Day 15 - Got some rain overnight so it's a muddy mess. Starting to rock in the pond!

 

[brokensword]

Understood. I really appreciate you weighing in!!!

The bottom layer of rock is properly sized to be the bottom layer, so that shouldn't clog. The issue was the middle layer which wasn't supposed to be a middle layer, it was supposed to just be more of the bottom layer came from a different distributor, and it included mostly the right size, but also included some larger rock mixed in, so my fear was the gravel going directly on the larger stuff could compact tightly and that'd be where I had the clogging issues. They have more of the properly sized (without the large mixed in) sitting in the driveway and that will go on before the gravel goes on. Basically, it's not so much a bigger layer as it is a lot of big rocks mixed into the middle of the bottom layer. In my mind that sentence makes sense but that might be the only place it makes sense...

that sounds a lot better; I thought at first you were describing the first, bottom layer as smaller than the middle. IMO, as long as there's large rock as the first step, and it gets smaller as you go up, you're okay.

Re the intake bay and pump; I believe GB and Lisa have answered that. I don't have an intake bay but the debris my pump was sending to the bog wasn't the surface large type but just whatever accumlated, typically rotting, on the bottom. By lifting the pump off the bottom, this layer stays on the bottom and now, I'm feeding the bog from within the water column. As long as I don't have a lot of OC there being stirred up, the bog should only see very small particulate. I verified this as I used to have a mechanical pre-bog-filter where I could see exactly what was being sent. More than I imagined but small (I experimented with 100 to 400 micron screens) but I believe that it is of dissolvable organic nature and with a lot larger bog now, should see it as adding orgainc fetrilizer to the plants above.

 

[milonedp]

Anyone use an automatic feeder they like, especially one that's solar-powered? I searched the forum and didn't seem to find too many that like using them.

 

[GBBUDD]

Dont know if you have any budget left but i just found these at one hell of a price i don't know if they are as good not as good or better than but these blocks look very reasonably priced. WHILE YOUR RIPPING UP YOUR YARD APPART YOU MAY WANT TO THINK ABOUT A RAIN CAPTURE SYSTEM

NEW 1/3 rd the price Eco Blocks

Game changer ? https://justpondliners.com/products/copy-of-atlantic-eco-blox-water-matrix-large-panels-pack-of-4?gclid=Cj0KCQiA2uH-BRCCARIsAEeef3nyCVscEQAGl1aMyqHf6Tp85a2Fxk2xvEvRFwwI3idABj5D9gKTvkAaAsAVEALw_wcB

www.gardenpondforum.com

 

[milonedp]

Dont know if you have any budget left but i just found these at one hell of a price i don't know if they are as good not as good or better than but these blocks look very reasonably priced. WHILE YOUR RIPPING UP YOUR YARD APPART YOU MAY WANT TO THINK ABOUT A RAIN CAPTURE SYSTEM

NEW 1/3 rd the price Eco Blocks

Game changer ? https://justpondliners.com/products/copy-of-atlantic-eco-blox-water-matrix-large-panels-pack-of-4?gclid=Cj0KCQiA2uH-BRCCARIsAEeef3nyCVscEQAGl1aMyqHf6Tp85a2Fxk2xvEvRFwwI3idABj5D9gKTvkAaAsAVEALw_wcB

www.gardenpondforum.com

I'm confused, do you need to by 1 set of small and 1 set of larger to make one block? Still a pretty good price... I wanted to do rainwater collection it just stretched the budget too much when we did all the landscaping and everything else that'll need to be done.

 

[milonedp]

Day 16 - soooooo when I replaced the microSD card I didn't hit the button to activate the timer so I don't have a recording for yesterday, which is a bummer cause they made good progress rocking in more of the pond and doing the intake bay.

Today the weather was terrible so no progress, hopefully, they'll be back tomorrow and the mud won't slow them down too much.

As of now, they are shooting to be mostly done by next week (dependant on weather and the arrival of the ball valves, I decided to go with a different brand that'll hopefully not lock up on me over the years). Electrical the week after Christmas, irrigation the week after new years, and landscaping the week after that. Ther'll probably still be some changes and moves but hoping to be done will all of it by end of January, let things run a couple months and possibly planting in late March / early April, not sure when the best time to do that will be.

 

[Lisak1]

No - every block has six sides and reinforcement cross pieces inside.

From watching the video, it appears that these have way more "flex" than Aqua-blox do. Possibly it doesn't affect the strength at all - just an observation from watching him assemble these.