New pond with bog plan (mkII)

[Kobe]

I initially thought because you had the wall there that you were going to run a waterfall over it. I like your idea better of an infinity pond.

I built my pond a couple of years ago on the side of a hill. I never thought of how hard it would be to get the water level right. I did mounding like you, but my sides are steeper due to space restraints. I do like your use of the boulders around the edge. Were they natural to your property or did you need to purchase them?

This picture is from last year after I expanded it. It defiantly needs something like yours to keep it from looking like a volcano.

Thanks for detailing your process.

 

[Mmathis]

Hi, @Kobe, and welcome to our group! We would love to hear more about your pond and your experience with building it! Please go over to our “introductions “ topic and tell us a little about yourself!

 

[GBBUDD]

an intake bay will keep the debris within the pond untill you scoop it out and an intake bay will require a vacuum to pull up what gets pulled between the rocks. A small pond like yours with a well placed skimmer will catch floating debris and place it in the skimmer basket or net ready for removal . so it's up to your maintenance desires which to go with.

as far as wanting ideas you came to the wrong place with that back yard and the magnificent hill you can not only have your bog but you can create a stream second to none
This will also get the bog to discharge to one end of the pond so as it pushes your skimmer or intake bay is pulling at the same time. If money is tight i'd wait and go for the stream and bog on the hill without a moments hesitation you'll make a vacation right in your own back yard . a good example what can be done is on page two third video

Some very impressive pond builds

www.gardenpondforum.com

 

[GBBUDD]

Bio balls are designed to have water dripped over them keeping the bacteria free of sediment and to have water trickled over them for maximum O2 so the bacteria with thrive. So to place them underwater is not there design . ceramic disks or those floating rings are better suited but even then i think your wasting your money if your going to build a bog the pea stone has the surface area your looking at with the bio balls . and the peastone will also trap and hold waste longer until it's so broken down it works its way up through the bog in the form of silt.

You can use that area you were thinking within the pond as your pressure bog be just a true bog on the side of the pond where you can plant what ever you'd like and where the water is outside the main contour of the pond it looks very natural

 

[Pharian]

Hi Gbbudd,

Yeah that plan with the bog at the top and the stream running down is the stage 2 plan, although due to the size of the rocks and the enormous tree up there that we can't mess with then the plan is for the pond to be where the bed of agave is and a waterfall running over the big rock (to the right in the picture you posted). Then a bridge over the stream, and a chess board patio next to the pond nestled in some forested garden beds. I have plans. But at this point that's a plan for after the kids get a bit older though as currently that area in front of the rock is earmarked for a kids fort. Although the other option I'm looking at is the bog and stream moving up the other direction, between two big tree trunks. All plans for the future though. I'll post a pic of the whole yard width, it has serious potential.

I did give up on the bio balls. It is now just an intake bay with a pump underneath going straight into the bog, with the bog being the only filter. It's been going really well so far, though not enough plants to suck all the tannins out of the water yet, so it's tea coloured water. No algae though, very clear, just tea coloured. Work in progress in that respect. There are about a million baby fish in there already though so they clearly don't mind in the least.

Hi Kobe - The rocks for my pond mostly came from the local buy/swap/sell facebook group. People would post that they were throwing out bush rock from their garden and I would go load up the car with as much as I could take. It was all free, but quite labour intensive.

 

[brokensword]

Hi Gbbudd,

Yeah that plan with the bog at the top and the stream running down is the stage 2 plan, although due to the size of the rocks and the enormous tree up there that we can't mess with then the plan is for the pond to be where the bed of agave is and a waterfall running over the big rock (to the right in the picture you posted). Then a bridge over the stream, and a chess board patio next to the pond nestled in some forested garden beds. I have plans. But at this point that's a plan for after the kids get a bit older though as currently that area in front of the rock is earmarked for a kids fort. Although the other option I'm looking at is the bog and stream moving up the other direction, between two big tree trunks. All plans for the future though. I'll post a pic of the whole yard width, it has serious potential.

I did give up on the bio balls. It is now just an intake bay with a pump underneath going straight into the bog, with the bog being the only filter. It's been going really well so far, though not enough plants to suck all the tannins out of the water yet, so it's tea coloured water. No algae though, very clear, just tea coloured. Work in progress in that respect. There are about a million baby fish in there already though so they clearly don't mind in the least.

Hi Kobe - The rocks for my pond mostly came from the local buy/swap/sell facebook group. People would post that they were throwing out bush rock from their garden and I would go load up the car with as much as I could take. It was all free, but quite labour intensive.

I don't believe the plants are going to 'take up the tannins'; you need charcoal for that. Or keep the tannin-laden leaves out of the water in the first place. That net idea comes back to mind...

 

[GBBUDD]

I believe the types of trees they have down under even just a little in the water and the water tannin's right up. And if im not mistaken it takes a lot of charcoal to filter it out.

 

[Pharian]

Yeah I am going to put some charcoal in the waterfall and see if it makes any difference. From what I have been reading on some aussie pool forums the plants will soak out the tannins but you need a lot of them to make any difference, and I can't find any clear lists of which ones work best. I have a lot of plants in there now so I'll keep you posted.

A net over the top isn't an option, it would need to be made of steel to withstand the local area and it would look awful. I do have a pole net that I have been scooping leaves out with manually every day or so, but the trees above are 50m+ and drop leaves and branches constantly. Like GBBUDD said, just a few leaves and it's tea coloured. Finding the right plants to suck it out is the only real option. Though I'm thinking it's probably just going to have to be a tea coloured pond in the end. That's OK though. The fish and plants don't mind, and it still looks clear and clean.

 

[brokensword]

Yeah I am going to put some charcoal in the waterfall and see if it makes any difference. From what I have been reading on some aussie pool forums the plants will soak out the tannins but you need a lot of them to make any difference, and I can't find any clear lists of which ones work best. I have a lot of plants in there now so I'll keep you posted.

A net over the top isn't an option, it would need to be made of steel to withstand the local area and it would look awful. I do have a pole net that I have been scooping leaves out with manually every day or so, but the trees above are 50m+ and drop leaves and branches constantly. Like GBBUDD said, just a few leaves and it's tea coloured. Finding the right plants to suck it out is the only real option. Though I'm thinking it's probably just going to have to be a tea coloured pond in the end. That's OK though. The fish and plants don't mind, and it still looks clear and clean.

When I went looking, I found no reference at all to any plants that would take up the tannins. I found only chemical or physical removal options. I think you could erect a rigid net, something that you can slide/move aside when you want to enjoy your pond but otherwise, is up and shedding branches and leaves. If my pond was always brown and I couldn't see the fish, I doubt I'd even have a pond.

JMHO

 

[Pharian]

Oh I can see the fish easily. It's really quite clear, just a tinge of colour.

I may end up getting a charcoal filter in the end. Will have to wait and see. It's only a month or so old so far..

My concern there is that the easy place for a carbon filter would be on the back of the existing pump, but that would mean it would filter before getting to the bog which would filter out nutrients the bog needs. So I'd need to put a whole separate circulation in for the charcoal. I can do that, but it will be a pain.

 

[GBBUDD]

I actually love the tea color, in my eyes it beats the algae green we get . but I believe the tannins also inhibit algae growth I don't believe it is due to shading but more from chemical makeup

 

[brokensword]

I actually love the tea color, in my eyes it beats the algae green we get . but I believe the tannins also inhibit algae growth I don't believe it is due to shading but more from chemical makeup

but I would imagine colors like that on shiros and showas, p ogons and Sarassa comets wouldn't look nearly as briliant under that color covering. I can see the 'beauty' where of you speak but don't like permanent color casts on my fish! heh

 

[Pharian]

I have all native fish that are less than 1 inch, frog friendly, and not showy colours like comets. The guppies have some colour and the mountain clouds / gold clouds, but mostly they are pretty dull coloured.

I've been doing cursory reading and it looks like chucking a mesh bag full of activated carbon into the bottom of the bog runoff will filter out a ton of tannins. So that might be an easy fix if it gets too brown. I'll just need to make sure there are enough nutrients for the bog still, so will wait a bit for the 10,000 babies to grow up first.