My add-on bog build

[Mmathis]

Wow I can't imagine living a world w/o free rocks to find and bring home!

Oh, I do have a few favorites that followed me home, but I’m always looking over my shoulder, waiting for the “rock police” to show up!

 

[poconojoe]

No shortage here as I said...we live on a mountain of rocks here in the Poconos. I guess we're lucky in one way, but when it comes to digging a hole for plants, fence posts, deck posts, etc., it becomes a burden.
I use a shovel, pick-axe and I have a big bar for prying the big ones out.
They seem to grow out of the ground. I call them Pocono potatoes. After the Winter, there's rocks sticking out everywhere it seems. And what looks like a small rock, can actually end up being quite large once you start digging and prying.
All the rocks around our pond came from our property and there's plenty more to be had if we need them.

 

[Mmathis]

I use a shovel, pick-axe and I have a big bar for prying the big ones out.

LOL, that’s how we have to dig in our clay, especially if there hasn’t been rain (or watering) in a while!

 

[Mmathis]

@cas Your pond is gorgeous! When we get ready for our build, I think I’ll use your pond as an example of what I have in mind!

 

[poconojoe]

Thanks everyone!
The important thing is the water is now flowing through the bog. Now I can take my time adding rocks to hide the liner.
Tomorrow we're heading over to one of our favorite nurseries for more plants. That nursery is big on ponding too. He has some amazing fish in his ponds. He gives free seminars every year for fall closing and spring opening of ponds.

 

[GBBUDD]

You too have been busy. the last i saw your post you had just added one load from your pickup and if memory served me right it looked like there was at least another 8 loads to go. Trust me i know the feeling. It's coming along nicely are you as jhn and almost from the start when he fired up the bog his waters cleared right up?

 

[poconojoe]

You too have been busy. the last i saw your post you had just added one load from your pickup and if memory served me right it looked like there was at least another 8 loads to go. Trust me i know the feeling. It's coming along nicely are you as jhn and almost from the start when he fired up the bog his waters cleared right up?

I used 3 cu. yards of gravel. 3 loads with my pickup.
The water was pea soup green when I started, like every Spring.
When I finished the gravel and got the pump going, the water clouded up from the dirty gravel. I tried to rinse every wheelbarrow load of gravel as best as i could, but of course there was still some dirt in it.
The pump was started up on Tuesday and now it's Saturday and I can see most of the (approximately 3 foot deep) bottom. I'm amazed. Im guessing a few more days and it will be crystal clear and the plants aren't even established at this point!
Just as a note: my pump is a submersible...Tetra's debris handling DHP-3600 which pumps 3690 gph and a maximum height of 11.4 feet.
The flow out of the bog seems perfect. Not too much volume, not too fast and not too slow. The pump is sitting on the bottom of the pond at the opposite side from the bog. All the plumbing is within the pond and bog, so no fears of leaks accidentally draining the pond. In the past I tried to keep the pump raised up with a rope for fear of that. Now I don't have to worry.

 

[GBBUDD]

You'll have to do a video before and after

 

[poconojoe]

Update:
Wow! I can say adding the bog has been the ultimate best thing I've ever done for my pond. The water is crystal clear! I can now clearly see the bottom, three feet down.
Tomorrow the bog will be running for only a week and I have the clearest water I've ever had. My water was green all of last year, even with all the plants. Previous to starting up the new bog last week, the water was like pea soup. The only time I could see the fish was when they came to the surface.
I want to thank all the members here for promoting bogs and posting up all the information regarding all the aspects.

 

[addy1]

Wow! I can say adding the bog has been the ultimate best thing I've ever done for my pond.

Yeah! Glad to hear! I was told, years ago, that the bog would never work. It would stink, be a mess to clean, not keep the water decent etc etc. So wrong! I love the minimal to zero effort my pond takes.

 

[poconojoe]

Yeah! Glad to hear! I was told, years ago, that the bog would never work. It would stink, be a mess to clean, not keep the water decent etc etc. So wrong! I love the minimal to zero effort my pond takes.

Thanks addy for your bog showcase.
I know what you mean about the nay sayers. I've read a lot of online articles concerning bog filtration. A lot of them claim it won't work or it will just clog up with muck and be a terrible stinky mess.
After reading about your success and others that followed, I trusted you over the nay sayers and I'm amazed.
My water has never been this clear in the 12+ years of ponding. I was able to retrieve a plant that fell to the bottom. I didn't even know it was down there until the water cleared. I can see all the wonderful green growth all over my liner too.

I only wish I would have known about bog filtration years ago. I would have saved so much money, time and effort. Plus the benefit of clear water.

 

[poconojoe]

Been working on covering up the excess liner. I'm getting there. A bit more to do...

 

[j.w]

Oh yep looking good!

 

[Tula]

Hoping to work on the bog tomorrow as the rain is supposed to let up. The I look at your picture, I wonder if I should add more gravel / rocks, tony bog? I love that it's almost like a little stream, but woodier if there is too much water movement?

 

[addy1]

I have tons of flow, even keep a mini stream running in the bog, two paths