Newbie advice

[Rashad]

Hey everyone, I'm in Albuquerque, NM in the planning stages of a pond and want to run my plan by everyone just to make sure I'm not crazy. Thanks in advance!

I'm planning to have a roughly 6 x 6 foot elevated bog area for filtration using this plan: https://nelsonwatergardens.com/gravel-bog-filter-construction/ for PVC piping embedded in 12 inches of pea gravel and plants. Then the bog area will have a waterfall that will go down into a roughly 8 x 10 pond (no fish planned at the moment as we have tons of raccoons in the area, and potentially coyotes). I plan on having an intake bay on the opposite end of the pond from the waterfall using something like an aqua vault and aquablox under gravel. Then the pump would go in the aqua vault and the outlet would lead up to the PVC manifold in the bog area.

Does that all sound good? My main questions are:

1. Currently the whole area is roughly level. Is it fine to use the dirt I dig out from the pond area to create the built up area where the bog filter/waterfall will be? Just make sure I compact it so it doesn't settle too much?

2. I see besides aquascape there are others that make similar vaults and aqua blocks type things. Does brand matter much and just find what would be cheapest?

3. Pump selection. I haven't estimated the gallons yet but I get that I should a pump that can do at least half the pond size GPH. I'm looking for energy efficiency and its a bit confusing between the different pump types. Should I go magnetic? The idea of variable speed is appealing so I can adjust things as needed, should I spend up on a variable speed pump? Any recommendation on brands?

4. I see in some tutorials the PVC manifold has the slots on the bottom and some on the top in the bog area. Does it matter? Seems like facing up would be less likely to get clogged with accumulated debris?

5. Maintenance/cleaning. I see in the official aquascape wetland ponds using the centipede they have a vertical column that gives you access to clean gunk out from the centipede. Should I mimic that with the PVC manifold and have one branch that sticks up with a screw on cap so that I can use a shop vac to clean out the manifold if needed? How would I clear debris that builds up in the bottom of the rocks of the bog under the PVC manifold?

I think that's it. Thank you!

 

[addy1]

Welcome!

1) I used dirt dug from the pond to build up the bog area, (on a slope) ran over it with the tractor to make it firm. So far doing fine, 10 years. The down slope side is about 7ish feet tall, add dirt from the pond dig. I need to measure it,

2) I only used pea gravel and pipes, no aqua blocks etc. Works just great.

3) Mine pumps the pond volume once every 2 hours or so, maybe more maybe less. I have a external pump, which I prefer.

4) Mine are on the bottom, I did it to keep the small pieces of gravel from plugling the slits.

5) I have never cleaned mine. No need, I do not draw water from the bottom of the pond. I draw from about a foot up. Do not have a clean out pipe.

 

[Rashad]

Thanks @addy1!

 

[GBBUDD]

Hey everyone, I'm in Albuquerque, NM in the planning stages of a pond and want to run my plan by everyone just to make sure I'm not crazy. Thanks in advance!

I'm planning to have a roughly 6 x 6 foot elevated bog area for filtration using this plan: https://nelsonwatergardens.com/gravel-bog-filter-construction/ for PVC piping embedded in 12 inches of pea gravel and plants. Then the bog area will have a waterfall that will go down into a roughly 8 x 10 pond (no fish planned at the moment as we have tons of raccoons in the area, and potentially coyotes). I plan on having an intake bay on the opposite end of the pond from the waterfall using something like an aqua vault and aquablox under gravel. Then the pump would go in the aqua vault and the outlet would lead up to the PVC manifold in the bog area.

Does that all sound good? My main questions are:

1. Currently the whole area is roughly level. Is it fine to use the dirt I dig out from the pond area to create the built up area where the bog filter/waterfall will be? Just make sure I compact it so it doesn't settle too much? depends on your soil if you have sand you'll need far more to hold back the same amount of water as soil that will compact and stay in tack Putting sand in a sand bag and bags kept out of the uv rays in NM and that would probably work well.

2. I see besides aquascape there are others that make similar vaults and aqua blocks type things. Does brand matter much and just find what would be cheapest? Aquascapes is expensive but for the money and service they are top dog

3. Pump selection. I haven't estimated the gallons yet but I get that I should a pump that can do at least half the pond size GPH. I'm looking for energy efficiency and its a bit confusing between the different pump types. Should I go magnetic? The idea of variable speed is appealing so I can adjust things as needed, should I spend up on a variable speed pump? Any recommendation on brands? The pond should be turned over or the amount of water rotated

4. I see in some tutorials the PVC manifold has the slots on the bottom and some on the top in the bog area. Does it matter? Seems like facing up would be less likely to get clogged with accumulated debris? i have face down as do many here face up would have rocks falling in and the pipe at 12" down could easily get clogged

5. Maintenance/cleaning. I see in the official aquascape wetland ponds using the centipede they have a vertical column that gives you access to clean gunk out from the centipede. Should I mimic that with the PVC manifold and have one branch that sticks up with a screw on cap so that I can use a shop vac to clean out the manifold if needed? How would I clear debris that builds up in the bottom of the rocks of the bog under the PVC manifold?

I think that's it. Thank you!

 

[Rashad]

Thanks @GBBUDD! I think I have everything figured out... in theory. I think I'll use some cinder blocks to add structure to the elevated bog, cover with dirt and then underlayment and the liner.