String algae white, aphids, organic matter breaking down
- Thread starter dinm
- Start date
Where the smell comes from is the bog itself unfortunately. I couldn't notice it before but now I think it's quite apparent. I've been hosing off the surface every day or two days and the smell is quite bad even before i hose it off.
It smells like sewage.
and the water's murky, so something's just not working here. clogging i imagine. ive had even before this issues where the flow rate of the waterfall would be extremely weak... if it continues ill do some tests, cause i dont have em locally here so i'd have to wait.
Empty it out start over. Most think I'll just go with a small pond it will be less work when that is the furthest from the truth.
A s.all pond like this is best for two female guppies or what ever minnow type of the same sex do not feed. And plant into gravel not any soils. Some plants will not do well but if the water's clear who cares in time you'll find what works
A s.all pond like this is best for two female guppies or what ever minnow type of the same sex do not feed. And plant into gravel not any soils. Some plants will not do well but if the water's clear who cares in time you'll find what works
thats not a pond, thats the bog.
well i cant tell, it seems something's decomposing and causing all this orange muck. ive been hosing the surface and it seems to help a bit but not for long, it seems to return
it is most probable that something got clogged. for the surface i didnt use pea chips so there is that possibility... ive had issues even before where rain would cause the bog output to be just so weak, and then as soon as i restarted it was back to normal.
water's been murky for over a week. ive only had it running for barely 3 months. up until a week or so ago water has been always clear.
well, it no longer is a matter of just algae dying. goldfish dead today, reason i imagine is ammonia, or perhaps aeration, or anything. it's appearance, bloated and dead. and when a goldfish dies then something truly is wrong because these fish could survive anything. well and im certainly not overstocked, not even close to it. but the bog is failing it's primary function now.
it would appear cause and effect is showing at last. yesterday, heavy rain, hail for an hour, maybe that's it too. i wouldnt know, the bog still smells like sewage so the bacteria perhaps cannot survive, ill have to dig it up when its sunny. unfortunate reality is.
i guess a flaw in the design, that in matter of 3 months the bog is clogged and not working anymore. and trust me, i had 0, not a single issue with fish, or algae up until 2 weeks ago. then everything seems to have went to proper crap. i dont think dog crap smells as bad.
it would appear cause and effect is showing at last. yesterday, heavy rain, hail for an hour, maybe that's it too. i wouldnt know, the bog still smells like sewage so the bacteria perhaps cannot survive, ill have to dig it up when its sunny. unfortunate reality is.
i guess a flaw in the design, that in matter of 3 months the bog is clogged and not working anymore. and trust me, i had 0, not a single issue with fish, or algae up until 2 weeks ago. then everything seems to have went to proper crap. i dont think dog crap smells as bad.
Like I said time to start over. Clean out the bog make sure you use slits in the pipe not drilled holes. Ensure water can get disbursed evenly across the bottom of the bog. Cover the pipes with 2inch rock so nothing can clog the pope's distribution cuts. Then add a layer of 3/4 " and then your 3/8" pea stone . Which i have very little 3/8" ALL STONE MUST BE RIVER ROCK " ROUNDED EDGES " I would also have to gravity out feeds to the pond plants can clog a single pipe very quickly
I did not use holes, I did as most suggested and used slits. Perhaps the not round pea gravel is causing all this mess, though I used it only for the top layer as planting in bigger thick round gravel I have would be a great mess.
Here is exactly how it is, an image from a while ago but the design of this has not changed at all.
No expert here at all. Most of the bog designs I have seen show the manifold pipes like a fork but you have them connected at both ends, like a closed loop. Again not sure if that would be the issue, but its the only difference I could see, except for maybe the slits are narrower than usual but its hard to tell.I did not use holes, I did as most suggested and used slits. Perhaps the not round pea gravel is causing all this mess, though I used it only for the top layer as planting in bigger thick round gravel I have would be a great mess.
Here is exactly how it is, an image from a while ago but the design of this has not changed at all.
i wonder how much of an issue it is. though i suppose water flows wherever it is the easiest, not sure if this makes it so water goes out the end instead of the slits on the way.
wonder how much work it'll be digging it up, hopefully not a lot. but seeing its gravel and not soil, it should be a simple job, just a bit back breaking maybe. easier to pour gravel than dig it out.
mrsclem
mrsclem
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2008
- Messages
- 5,466
- Reaction score
- 4,932
- Location
- st. mary's county, md.
- Hardiness Zone
- 7A
- Country
With the smell you had, I'm guessing hydrogen sulfide from rotting leaves, etc. I lost 75% of my koi pond years ago because I restarted my pond in the spring thru a holding tank full of rotted leaves. Not sure why you are having this issue since it seems like it is short term.
There have been posts before where people have had to dig out their bog, it does not sound pleasant. But it is probably the only way to figure out what is going on since it definitely should not smell like that.
it is quite possible the pipes are clogged, or pipes and gravel both. i have no skimmer of any kind, and the pond captures a lot of debris. i did notice anytime it rained heavily the flow rate went quite weak until i restarted it, as if water had to push something out of the way.
it aint gonna be the prettiest digging though. ive got plenty of vegetation around it which i have no intention of destroying as i have many times. not in peak of spring.
Now this realy HURTS like itching powder in the jock strap hurt.
GOOD CATCH @Pablo if the water was to go in one direction and lost momentum and flow you could get a stagnant side to the bog and it wouldn't be resolved untill the other side started to clog. Also the slits are rather small but seeing as it's in a smaller bucket there may not be enough flow to worry about but. Yeah that is a possibility I would cut the loop off and turn those to dead ends or lift tube's for flushing out sludge down the road.
Damn the boys are dancing