Rebuilding a pond, tips on bog filter?

[dinm]

These Aquascape how to build a pond videos are very helpful,

. I've got 2 more sides to do, to edge nicely. Though this business of tucking in liner is a bit weird and I am not sure I understand it fully, I definitely don't want everything to look the same, the soil should meet right up to the liner I think instead of gravel being used to hide the liner. I do use it, I just don't want to overuse it, some places it makes sense, some less so.

Gonna post some pictures, though I keep forgetting.

I am also thinking of building one of those bucket skimmers as well, though I am not entirely sure of it, it sure would help with leaves etc since I have no intake bay. It doesn't seem that complicated to build.

 

[Pablo]

I agree the folding and tucking the liner for edging is a bit awkward. You have the inevitable folds in the liner, plus you want to keep extra liner so you are folding that also. Doing it in sections helps. Also realize that once you have plantings in place and they start to grow a lot of the liner will disappear. I also watched that video series which was great.
This is another video that is helpful because he goes through the various techniques of edging.

 

[GBBUDD]

 

[dinm]

I've only one side to finish. The bottom 3.3ft part is bare, doesn't look bad actually with a nice shelf, I'd imagine with all the fish poop it'll build up muck soon enough. I do imagine i'll be getting the nasty algae, but it seems inevitable.

I've also planted all of the plants I had from the old version of the pond, except the water lily which I think I'm gonna get 1-2 more and plant in a basket filled with gravel and some soil. And then I might get some carex as well to plant as marginals or right next to the pond.

https://www.youtube.com/@CrystalClearAquatics

This channel is a really great one, he always seems to do bare liner in the pond section and then does rocks/pea gravel for the shelves, and the shelves just amazing for plants, he uses mortar though I think. Fantastic idea.

I've not had the need to use it, rocks seems decently locked. Although I've gotten 2 more rocks to put outside the pond, and one log.

 

[dinm]

It's almost finished. I have only to cut away the extra geotextile. The bare liner doesnt look that bad, the shelves seem to make it seem more natural than if it were wholly bare. I gotta think about a bog filter though, a barrel one, and then to get a black hose for the pump, this grey is an eyesore.

I need to add more plants as well, carex grasses are really nice and seem to grow well, though I am not sure if they like wet feet. I plan to get some smaller pea gravel, as that seems better for plants than this size i have, easier to plant in and I think better for roots? Most of these plants I just put in between rocks and that seems very natural. I've ordered one more water lily, that I'll be planting in one of those baskets with pea gravel, and some hornwort, hornwort been really nice, it seems to multiply fast and looks good.

If the bottom was rocked this would look even better, the dark/blue rocks look amazing, but I think for the time being it is better to stay bare, rocking that deep part would be a lot of work and this looks just fine. One thing I would have done differently is have the shelves be wider, they really add something else to the feel of the pond, and it's easier to walk in.

 

[GBBUDD]

I've only one side to finish. The bottom 3.3ft part is bare, doesn't look bad actually with a nice shelf, I'd imagine with all the fish poop it'll build up muck soon enough. I do imagine i'll be getting the nasty algae, but it seems inevitable.

I've also planted all of the plants I had from the old version of the pond, except the water lily which I think I'm gonna get 1-2 more and plant in a basket filled with gravel and some soil. And then I might get some carex as well to plant as marginals or right next to the pond.

https://www.youtube.com/@CrystalClearAquatics

This channel is a really great one, he always seems to do bare liner in the pond section and then does rocks/pea gravel for the shelves, and the shelves just amazing for plants, he uses mortar though I think. Fantastic idea.

I've not had the need to use it, rocks seems decently locked. Although I've gotten 2 more rocks to put outside the pond, and one log.

Oz pond is comparable but imo they are night and day . I have never been overly impressed with his video's . The pond digger is another that helps spell it out a little more than the pro's may. But if you watch enough pro videos you'll catch the tricks from one video to the next.

 

[dinm]

One thing I am thinking about it, and something I should probably do within a week or two is a bog filter, before it starts freezing and then digging becomes harder. I think I ought to use a barrel. I do like the idea of a liner bog filter since it probably fits in the landscape better, though the barrel I use will be black and buried so hiding it wont be a problem with boulders.

Currently I have a small flow through filter which is rated for "Ideal for ponds up to 8000 l without fish stock / 4000 l with fish stock", but that seems a bit of an overstatement, maybe the sponges and bioballs do something special but a bit hard to believe it would do better than a bog. The barrel which I use would probably be around 200 gallon. But I am still not sure on what is the best course of action, liner or barrel.

 

[GBBUDD]

Ideal for ponds up to 8000

more than likely its only good to 4000 to 6000 i do not know your filter but they all push the limits

 

[dinm]

Planted two hard rushes today, one yellow iris, creeping jenny, mare's tail, and one interesting plant I never really hear anyone talk about, lizard's tail (saururus cernuus). It seems interesting, it has foliage that smells nice.

I ordered these plants from some sort of hydroponic nursery, which was quite easier to plant than having to deal with soil. These hard rushes are just a test, pond is in part sun but they look nice and so I'll see how they do, though its winter now so I'll have to see in spring. I seemed to have received some duckweed as well accidentally.

It's interesting, I imagine they grow them in optimal conditions, if I were planting in winter I would assume the plants would get shocked if not adjusted slowly to the temperatures.

I still have work to do on the shelves, I need to get some smaller gravel so I can plant easily instead of putting plants in between rocks which works way better but not many crevices.
Algae's already colonizing the bottom of the pond.

 

[dinm]

In terms of a bog filter, it seems getting a barrel that big would not work, it would be too big, too deep. It seems the only way is for the bog to be lined, but I am not sure, I wouldn't to build it right next to the pond. A narrow stream though from the bog to the pond would I think seem weird.

So with barrels I am limited to their size, I could probably do 5% of the pond volume, I still think it would work many times better than this small flow through I have, I'd assume so, but I am not sure. A barrel is the most simple solution. With the bog solution I think it'd require connecting the liners two which I have not much experience with. It would require seaming I assume because it's not that big of a gap and then I'd have the problem with wicking.

 

[GBBUDD]

lizard's tail

That is like Harry potter he who shall not be mentioned It grows fast and once established it can be trying

 

[dinm]

It seems for the bog, I will be using a 500l barrel. Not the most ideal volume, but it should be tens of times more effective than this tiny flow through filter, another issue is leaf falling, but for that it seems netting is the only solution, unless I install a skimmer, but I've read negative things on that so I don't know.

Any more than that it'd be getting too big of a barrel I feel. I suppose it is even stronger than any kind of liner too, though I'll use geotextile to protect it a bit.

I actually don't think I'll have a hard time hiding the hose from the pump, I guess one of the benefits of a bigger pond is space. This time I have the pump on the shelf so less hose. Just gotta get the black one from Oase.

I had thought a lot about a proper lined bog, but no space for that. I used up pretty much all space for this pond, the bog would be very narrow so I don't think it'd be worth it. A lined bog for me I like because I can plant it and it looks just much more natural, still I will plant in this barrel and use rocks to conceal the top parts of the barrel that will stick out, so it should be some sort of waterfall action as well as long as I can make one of those reels and attach it to the barrel some way.

 

[GBBUDD]

but I've read negative things on that so I don't know.

What negative did you read about skimmers?

Any more than that it'd be getting too big of a barrel I feel

Don't know why your stuck on a barrel

Just gotta get the black one from Oase

If i had to guess your talking about KINK FREE hose definitely a ticking time bomb kink free is week stuff. Flex pvc is far superior but is less flexible.

 

[GBBUDD]

barrel some way

YOUR BIG PROBLEM IS HOW DOES THE WATER LEAVE THE BARREL AND FALL INTO THE POND. i would line the barrel with epdm , cut a side and use the liner to create a spill way

 

[dinm]

YOUR BIG PROBLEM IS HOW DOES THE WATER LEAVE THE BARREL AND FALL INTO THE POND. i would line the barrel with epdm , cut a side and use the liner to create a spill way

I was thinking of making some sort of spillway, though how I'd attach to it the barrel is another matter. But it will be a PVC barrel so I don't think it'll be that hard, well as long as there's no leak. I think 3D printing it precisely and then gluing with something would work though in practice I don't know how it work, I read that PLA can handle water passing and it's cold water so it should be at least ok, but bonding it would be the harder part I think.

Easiest way is drilling a hole but that does not look as pretty. I think though with a hole if drilled to dimensions I could buy waterfall spillways that already exist and attach.