Skimmer/intake bay needed? Raised Bog wall construction...

[GBBUDD]

I would do deeper then a 12 inch bog of peastone. Most plants can get a root system that's well over 12 inches and for the matter I'd lean toward 18 inches that way there is 16 inches from the top of the 2 inch pvc bog pipe to the surface and little chance of roots clogging it to bad.

 

[brokensword]

I'm jealous of all you skilled ones out there that can do your own electricity! I haven't checked pricing yet but I know we paid a pretty penny when we had our hot tub put in.


Thank you. That's a good suggestion. Are you able to recommend pumps?


Do you have photos of your initial build showing how you did things? I love love photos. I'm definitely a visual learner and things click so much faster.


Thank you!!

Running electricity isn't that bad if you have some skills. The 'hardest' part is going through the house with the line. I just tapped into an existing line that has minimal load on it (basement) and ran it through a conduit to the pond house. From there, just have to run more conduit, hook up waterproof boxes, install GFCIs and plates and voila! You're in the power business.

I use Danner pumps; my original is going on 10 years now. The second one was purchased upon expansion in 2019; it too is a Danner submersible.

I'll attach the sequence from my expansion build, bog v2. I don't show the actual placement of the drain tile pipe, but it's running down the center in a trench 8" wide (I have two manifolds, two inlets). The bog should be shaped like a V so all can be backwashed to that low point and even the trench is angled to an even lower point, where you can install a cleanout if you wish. My bog is about 3' deep, 3' wide, and about 20' in length.

 

[GBBUDD]

MANY areas expecialy to a water feature have VERY STRICK Rules for power feeding the pond or anywhere near it. That is one part of the pond I'd suggest anyone not licensed to do so hire and electrician to get this done for you.

 

[poconojoe]

Wow! That's all screened in!
That's awesome!
That's a sanctuary!

 

[brokensword]

Wow! That's all screened in!
That's awesome!
That's a sanctuary!

it is; you have no idea how nice to spend time inside. Covid didn't really alter my routine as I'm sure it didn't yours; with a pond, you can still escape!

 

[poconojoe]

I made the transition from flex PVC to ridgid PVC with a rubber Fernco coupling. I wanted one connection that could easily be taken apart in case I had to shut it down for winter.
A better fitting would have been a PVC union. I bought one, I have to change it out.

Another thing about flex PVC is that it fits into normal ridgid PVC fittings and uses the same primer and glue.

You might have noticed, there are two basic ways to build a bog filter.

One is to lay PVC pipes with slits cut in them on a flat bottom which is covered with pea gravel.

Another has a snorkel and centipede. One large pipe laying in a sort of trench connected to a large vertical pipe. The idea is if you get any accumulated muck, you can drop a pump down the big vertical pipe and suck it out.

Both are upflow. The water gets pumped into the bottom and rises up through the gravel, then returns to the pond.

 

[poconojoe]

it is; you have no idea how nice to spend time inside. Covid didn't really alter my routine as I'm sure it didn't yours; with a pond, you can still escape!

That's fantastic!
Is there a roof or is that screen too?

 

[GBBUDD]

In Florida almost everyone who enjoys tge evenings has a Lani if they didn't then they would be sucked dry by skeeters

 

[brokensword]

That's fantastic!
Is there a roof or is that screen too?

yep; I pull the screen over about June when the conditions become optimal for the blood suckers. I roll it up and store it atop the pondhouse for winter because the snow would pull it down. Two Novembers ago, we had a freak 11" wet snow storm and it pulled the screen down in three places, necessitating me buying a new one (it was getting old and I'd sewn 4' sections together with fishing line; the new one is one piece!). And funny thing is, when I built the pondhouse 10 years ago, I didn't even THINK about snow, using aluminum screen and screwing 20' lengths to the top wood lattice, 4'x4' openings. Then, a construction friend of mine just happened to ask; 'what do you do about the snow?'. SMF! Jeez. So, had to UNDO every single screw and figure out plan B.

 

[brokensword]

I made the transition from flex PVC to ridgid PVC with a rubber Fernco coupling. I wanted one connection that could easily be taken apart in case I had to shut it down for winter.
A better fitting would have been a PVC union. I bought one, I have to change it out.

Another thing about flex PVC is that it fits into normal ridgid PVC fittings and uses the same primer and glue.

You might have noticed, there are two basic ways to build a bog filter.

One is to lay PVC pipes with slits cut in them on a flat bottom which is covered with pea gravel.

Another has a snorkel and centipede. One large pipe laying in a sort of trench connected to a large vertical pipe. The idea is if you get any accumulated muck, you can drop a pump down the big vertical pipe and suck it out.

Both are upflow. The water gets pumped into the bottom and rises up through the gravel, then returns to the pond.

@poconojoe ; another reason is if you want to backflush the pea gravel. Having such a cleanout helps pump that out too.

 

[poconojoe]

@poconojoe ; another reason is if you want to backflush the pea gravel. Having such a cleanout helps pump that out too.

Yes, my manifold under the gravel consists of two 10 foot 2" pvc pipes. Each one has a vertical clean out stack on it's end. They both have screw caps.

I don't need to undo any pipes when I do a flush. I don't do a back flush. I do a forward flush, if that makes sense.
I turn off the pump, unscrew one clean out cap, attach my temporary extension aimed at my flower garden. Then turn the pump back on. Black water shoots out for a few seconds, then runs clear. I turn off the pump, screw the cap back on and then do the second one.

I do the flush when the water returning to the pond slows down a bit.
After doing the flush, the water output increases back to normal.

 

[KarenN]

Yes, my manifold under the gravel consists of two 10 foot 2" pvc pipes. Each one has a vertical clean out stack on it's end. They both have screw caps.

I don't need to undo any pipes when I do a flush. I don't do a back flush. I do a forward flush, if that makes sense.
I turn off the pump, unscrew one clean out cap, attach my temporary extension aimed at my flower garden. Then turn the pump back on. Black water shoots out for a few seconds, then runs clear. I turn off the pump, screw the cap back on and then do the second one.

I do the flush when the water returning to the pond slows down a bit.
After doing the flush, the water output increases back to normal.

Yes! This is what I plan on doing. I can’t physically picture how a centipede would work in my 5x5 bog so I’m just going the route of the clean out stacks and hoping for the best.

 

[poconojoe]

Yes! This is what I plan on doing. I can’t physically picture how a centipede would work in my 5x5 bog so I’m just going the route of the clean out stacks and hoping for the best.

Member addy1, who inspired a lot of us concerning bogs, has the simple manifold style. No snorkel or centipede and her bog has been running for over a decade. If I remember correctly, it's 28 feet long and 5 feet wide. She doesn't even have the clean out stacks and hasn't had any problems.

I think with the size you are planning, the simple manifold type will suffice.

Just keep in mind that in order for you to filter exclusively with a bog, the bog surface area should be at least 30% of your pond's surface area.

 

[combatwombat]

I'm jealous of all you skilled ones out there that can do your own electricity! I haven't checked pricing yet but I know we paid a pretty penny when we had our hot tub put in.

Electrical is pretty simple once you know all the rules. The problem is that there are a lot of rules!

 

[addy1]

Member addy1, who inspired a lot of us concerning bogs, has the simple manifold style. No snorkel or centipede and her bog has been running for over a decade. If I remember correctly, it's 28 feet long and 5 feet wide. She doesn't even have the clean out stacks and hasn't had any problems.
[/QUOTE/]

I built mine before centipedes/aquablocks etc came around for bogs. When I was researching the build, reading monster pond building sites, I built mine based on what they said. I had bogs before but on a lot smaller scale. This one is big, deep around 2.5 feet, long around 27ish feet, 4.5 feet or so wide. It does just have pea gravel and pvc pipes. I did not do clean out pipes, did put in clean out drain type pipe. I opened it once, all that came out was clean water, so never bothered again.

Still works great, keeps the pond in great shape.