I installed a small bog filter to support my fish pond back in summer 2022. This is what the bog filter looked like prior to stocking:
and this was the manifold setup:
It has been working fantastically ever since, and the water remains crystal clear to this day. Of couse, the plant life has taken over, and so this is what the bog looks like now:
The water in the pond as well as the visible water above shingle in the bog remains crystal clear. However its clear that the manifold is blocking up. I have a vacuum-relief snorkle fitted at the start of the manifold tubing, which is there to provide air intake if the power goes out to the pond pump and hence prevent siphoning all water out the bog. This is just a short length of pond hose sticking into the air. The thing is now it is jetting water out of it, which means that water cannot escape through the manifold quick enough.
As you can see from the above photo, I installed a service cap at the end of each branch of the manifold. If i undo the first cap, water spurts out the end. But doesnt if i undo the further cap. I stuck a pressure washer down the end of each cap and the water does go in rather than coming back up and out. But I have a feeling that it is escaping only through the holes nearest the cap. I know there is a some sludge down the bottom, as it gets up lifted when I blow or force water out, and there may be roots blocking the manifold slits. But I cant really get to the manifold pipes without pretty heavily disturbing/destroying the plant life.
Should I just make a big day of it, and rip out all the plants, remove much of the shingle and have a good clean out, or should I just leave it all be, because although its not optimal, it seems still to be working as water is clear, fish are happy and plants are happy.
and this was the manifold setup:
It has been working fantastically ever since, and the water remains crystal clear to this day. Of couse, the plant life has taken over, and so this is what the bog looks like now:
The water in the pond as well as the visible water above shingle in the bog remains crystal clear. However its clear that the manifold is blocking up. I have a vacuum-relief snorkle fitted at the start of the manifold tubing, which is there to provide air intake if the power goes out to the pond pump and hence prevent siphoning all water out the bog. This is just a short length of pond hose sticking into the air. The thing is now it is jetting water out of it, which means that water cannot escape through the manifold quick enough.
As you can see from the above photo, I installed a service cap at the end of each branch of the manifold. If i undo the first cap, water spurts out the end. But doesnt if i undo the further cap. I stuck a pressure washer down the end of each cap and the water does go in rather than coming back up and out. But I have a feeling that it is escaping only through the holes nearest the cap. I know there is a some sludge down the bottom, as it gets up lifted when I blow or force water out, and there may be roots blocking the manifold slits. But I cant really get to the manifold pipes without pretty heavily disturbing/destroying the plant life.
Should I just make a big day of it, and rip out all the plants, remove much of the shingle and have a good clean out, or should I just leave it all be, because although its not optimal, it seems still to be working as water is clear, fish are happy and plants are happy.
