Pond owner from USA- Trying to improve my pond all the time- bog filter help

[addy1]

Forgot to welcome you to our forum! So Welcome!

 

[poconojoe]

Thanks Joe! Some great advice.. I finally was able to upload pics, tried to give you every angle also tried to show you how inside of container has no threads and outside does ( I bought a plug (white) and put it in.... thanks for all the advice I have to try to figure this whole thing out..... wow I have so many more pond questions I will definitely ask more questions..Have a great 4th!

Nice pond! Thanks for the pictures!

That stock tank is perfect for a bog filter.

Yep, exactly what I was saying, plug that hole. Make your own holes where you want them and use double threaded bulkhead fittings. Make sure you drill the correct size hole for the bulkhead fittings.

Make one hole low for the water entering the stock tank and make one high for the water to return to the pond.

You can screw a PVC pipe into the higher one and have that feed a waterfall. Hide the pipe with bushes or other plants, rocks, soil...whatever.

 

[Denise T]

We just built this today out of a 350 gal stock tank. We used 2 inch pipe coming out of a bulkhead to an elbow connected to a shower drain for our return to the pond.

 

[Mmathis]

@Denise T What are you going to plant in it?

 

[Denise T]

I have canna lillies, pond lilies, iris, papayrus, creeping jenny, mondo grass, society garlic, and something else I can't remember the name of ready to go.

 

[addy1]

I would put the lilies in the big pond, use the stock tank for the other root friendly plants. The pond lily likes room for their leaves.

 

[Denise T]

I may have called it the wrong thing. It isn't a water lily, it is a lily that is found in the local waters here that grows upright.

 

[asrios]

Nice pond! Thanks for the pictures!

That stock tank is perfect for a bog filter.

Yep, exactly what I was saying, plug that hole. Make your own holes where you want them and use double threaded bulkhead fittings. Make sure you drill the correct size hole for the bulkhead fittings.

Make one hole low for the water entering the stock tank and make one high for the water to return to the pond.

You can screw a PVC pipe into the higher one and have that feed a waterfall. Hide the pipe with bushes or other plants, rocks, soil...whatever.

Great, I am glad I am going in the correct direction with this. Are bulkhead fittings available at a lowes or home depot? or should I buy from a pond store? when you mention make sure I drill the correct size hole, does it matter what size I use? I read that a lot of people use 1.5" or 2" is there a formula or specific size recommended? One lact question ( sorry for all the questions) I was planning on re-running the piping going from my skimmer box(in pond) into the bog filter, right now it was the black corrugated type (it is 8 years old and sprung some leaks) friends have recommended I use regular PVC piping, would you recommend that? I plan to have the PVC attach to the bog flter somehow.

Thanks again for all the great advice!
AL

 

[poconojoe]

Great, I am glad I am going in the correct direction with this. Are bulkhead fittings available at a lowes or home depot? or should I buy from a pond store? when you mention make sure I drill the correct size hole, does it matter what size I use? I read that a lot of people use 1.5" or 2" is there a formula or specific size recommended? One lact question ( sorry for all the questions) I was planning on re-running the piping going from my skimmer box(in pond) into the bog filter, right now it was the black corrugated type (it is 8 years old and sprung some leaks) friends have recommended I use regular PVC piping, would you recommend that? I plan to have the PVC attach to the bog flter somehow.

Thanks again for all the great advice!
AL

Check lowes or home Depot. I bought some on Amazon.
When I said to drill the correct size hole, I meant to accommodate the size bulkhead fitting you decide to use. They come in many sizes. Buy the size that matches your pump's outlet.
As far as what type of pipe or hose to replace your corrugated hose, I highly recommend using flex PVC. It will be the last hose you buy. Very durable.

 

[Kristi Kelty]

Nice pond! Thanks for the pictures!

That stock tank is perfect for a bog filter.

Yep, exactly what I was saying, plug that hole. Make your own holes where you want them and use double threaded bulkhead fittings. Make sure you drill the correct size hole for the bulkhead fittings.

Make one hole low for the water entering the stock tank and make one high for the water to return to the pond.

You can screw a PVC pipe into the higher one and have that feed a waterfall. Hide the pipe with bushes or other plants, rocks, soil...whatever.

What drill is used to make the hole in the stock tank that holds the bulkhead fitting?

 

[Kristi Kelty]

Hey there My name is Al and I am from Long Island , New York ( USA) I have a nice oval pond about 1000 gal in my back yard, always looking to improve my pond. My latest project is converting a 150 gallon rubbermaid stock tank into a bog filter with waterfall. I have been racking my brain how to connect a waterfall chute that wont leak as well as putting in a manifold in bottoc of container...driving me nuts but I am committed to finishing this. I saw sone rubber maid containers with the waterfall but cant figure out what they did...Can anyone offer e some ideas, tricks ways to make this bog filter or articles to read??? would appreciate it!

Al I am in the process of finishing (lol) using a small stock tank for reservoir to hold water that will have spillway into lower pond. I am also wanting to add manifold in the bottom of stock tank to convert it to bog. (This setup doesn’t not have fish). I am using waterfall foam that so far is working well. Now I need to add more to the inside of the stock tank under where the SPILLSTONE is, to prevent water from flowing out under the SPILLSTONE.
I am looking for step by step process to add manifold to stock tank..... steps to make it a bog. If you come across anything like that.

 

[Jhn]

What drill is used to make the hole in the stock tank that holds the bulkhead fitting?

It is called a hole saw, they come in kits or singly and will fit most battery or electric drills.

As for adding a manifold to a stock tank, if it is a Rubbermaid stock tank it comes with a hole/bulkhead already in it. You can use that for the water entering the bog attach the manifold to the inside of the bulkhead, the manifold pipe should form a sort of grid with slots cut a 1/3rd of the way through the pipe ( would use 2”pipe) every 6” or so with a saw of some sort ie table saw, sawzall, circular saw. Then have a clean out stack or a clean out pipe could be plumbed into the bottom of the tank with another bulkhead to flush it when needed. Manifold rests on the bottom of the tank and water flows up through the gravel. Make sure you have some sort of prefilter on the pump/line that feeds into the bog, otherwise it can clog quickly.

 

[Denise T]

Great, I am glad I am going in the correct direction with this. Are bulkhead fittings available at a lowes or home depot? or should I buy from a pond store? when you mention make sure I drill the correct size hole, does it matter what size I use? I read that a lot of people use 1.5" or 2" is there a formula or specific size recommended? One lact question ( sorry for all the questions) I was planning on re-running the piping going from my skimmer box(in pond) into the bog filter, right now it was the black corrugated type (it is 8 years old and sprung some leaks) friends have recommended I use regular PVC piping, would you recommend that? I plan to have the PVC attach to the bog flter somehow.

Thanks again for all the great advice!
AL

We bought our bulkheads on Amazon. Our plumbing is all 2 inch PVC.

 

[Jhn]

Most big box stores don’t have bulkheads, except tractor supply they have them.

 

[Phaewryn]

Are bulkhead fittings available at a lowes or home depot?

You can get them on Amazon.com (and with Prime, free shipping). Search for "bulkhead" ("double threaded bulkhead" if that's what you're building with, see further down), lots come up in all sizes (size it to match your hose/pipe). They do have a few limited options at Tractor Supply as well, in the Ag sprayer section, such as https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/green-leaf-1-1-2-in-polypropylene-bulkhead-fitting (but it doesn't specify if it's double threaded or not, so I'd go in person and fit it all in the store to be sure it all works together). You can get them from a pond store, but the mark-up will likely be high. They shouldn't be more than $10 each (half that for smaller diameters like 1"). Double threaded is threaded inside (female both ends) to connect a male threaded pipe (or fitting) to both sides (you can buy NPT threaded fittings at Tractor Supply which is handy when you forget/lose parts), (single) threaded (or threaded/slip) means it's threaded inside one side (female) only to screw a pipe into one side only (you can still slip a piece of pipe into the slip end and glue it in place though), slip-slip means you pass a piece of pipe (like PVC) of the diameter listed into/through it (and can ostensibly seal it with PVC glue, but it's not as leak-proof/robust as threaded). Which option you use depends on how you're building your system. There are also bulkheads with barbed ends to attach pond hose directly to with hose clamps, but only in smaller diameters (but if your system is small and you have 3/4-1" size hose, it's an option). From the pics I've seen in the forums, it looks like most people making stock tank bogs are going with 1.5"-2" fittings/pipe, like https://www.amazon.com/Lifegard-Aquatics-Standard-Threaded-Bulkhead/dp/B0002HBL9A/ref=sr_1_2. Tractor Supply is likely the only place you'll find them in a retail store, and good luck because in mine that section is always very low on stock (it's in the Agricultural Sprayers section, Green Leaf brand).