Rubbermaid Bog Bending

[Meyer Jordan]

One additional question and I will leave you be....for now.
What is the approximate elevation of the primary waterfall location in relation to the pond edge (not the water level)?

 

[tbendl]

Hmmm If I go back 7-8 feet I would say it drops in elevation at least 8-12".

 

[tbendl]

Now I do have a pile of sand I can use to level or slope it and 34 concrete blocks as well. If that helps.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Now I do have a pile of sand I can use to level or slope it and 34 concrete blocks as well. If that helps.

That depends on what you want the finished product to look like. Do you want a waterfall with a big initial drop or would you rather have a few cascades? Would the extra height look out-of-place with the surrounding landscape?
Any height differential is workable.I just need to know what you want.

 

[Mmathis]

@tbendl When I made the turtle-bog, I incorporated a clean-out pipe on both ends (2 are better than a single one) (LOL -- auto correct tried to make "single one" be "simple male"). This drawing doesn't show the outflow pipe, but it would be wherever you were going to have a waterfall, as mine has a 4" pipe going directly to the pond. The clean-outs are a few inches above the water/gravel line, and are topped with a threaded adapter so I can screw a cap on to each pipe.

 

[tbendl]

I want something natural so a few cascades would blend in better. The reason I had the height going was to get the height of bog container.

 

[tbendl]

TM, I had a clean out pipe as well but what I really needed for my bog was a drain to be able to rinse muck out of the bottom of the bog. When I dug mine out it was disgusting how much stuff had accumulated in a short period of time. It sits right under that tree so the fall it just accumulates so much crap and then add me leaving the pond alone this spring and summer and I had a mess on my hands so I never want to have to dig up all that pea gravel again! Lol

 

[Mmathis]

TM, I had a clean out pipe as well but what I really needed for my bog was a drain to be able to rinse muck out of the bottom of the bog. When I dug mine out it was disgusting how much stuff had accumulated in a short period of time. It sits right under that tree so the fall it just accumulates so much crap and then add me leaving the pond alone this spring and summer and I had a mess on my hands so I never want to have to dig up all that pea gravel again! Lol

Believe me, the clean-out will get the muck out! Several times I've opened one or the other of the pipes and all kinds of gunk and muck come flowing out, and flowing out..... I don't know if that has anything to do with the flow rate or just what. I've also stuck a Shop Vac hose in there and sucked out gunk! At least I know that the "mechanical" part of the bog is functioning well. And the stuff that comes up never smells bad -- that surprised me.

 

[tbendl]

Hmm mine never helped although my tubing was much smaller.

 

[Mmathis]

Hmm mine never helped although my tubing was much smaller.

Ah, maybe that was it! Mine is 1-1/2" and I have slits all along the bottoms side.

 

[tbendl]

I had the slits. And when I would stick a garden hose in it, I would see it bubble up but I couldn't actually flush out the bottom of the bog.
It is kinda like blowing bubbles in a glass full of slime at the bottom. It stirs it up super great but at the end of the day, you're still left with a bunch of crap at the bottom.
Hehe

 

[Gordo33]

Three 1.5" PVC pipes coming out of Rubbermaid tank.

Top view pipes covered with rocks. In the tank I have a pre filter made of Matala pad and quilt batting. I change the quilt batting weekly . The Matala pad monthly. It's held in a plastic tray that nurseries use to hold multiple plant pots.

Water fall

Tank filled with yellow flag iris and some water hyacinth. There is is a round basket in the tank with lava rock held in a laundry bag. I surround that with quilt batting to keep the lava rock from clogging. That gets changed bi monthly

View of water fall and 2 tiered stream flowing into pond

 

[addy1]

tbendl Like your crude mockup that is going to look great.

 

[tbendl]

Wow Gordo I hadn't even considered doing an additional filter at the top like that. Hmmm something else to think about. I had just planned on having the PVC pipe extend into the tank and put some type of screen over it so keep stuff from getting in. How much does that back up your water flow? I mean do you have times when your bog overflows because it can't filter through that fast enough? I like it and THANK YOU for the pictures, I am such a visual learner.
And Addy, thank you! I think the hubby wants it a bit closer to the ground so I may try and dig the tank in a bit and lower it all.

 

[Mmathis]

@tbendl You brought up overflowing bogs..... Again, keep in mind that mine is somewhat atypical for a bog. I do occas. have this problem, but it's never been to the point of draining the pond as long as I check it on a regular basis. With mine, the problem has been plant roots trying to grow through an under-gravel drainage grate. And so far it's happened so gradually that now that I know what signs to watch for, I can do a proper on-going maintenance.