The little hole that could...

[tbendl]

I also wondered about adding more cuts to the piping in the bog? Any opinions on that?

 

[addy1]

I also wondered about adding more cuts to the piping in the bog? Any opinions on that?

More cuts would let more water out, if you can do that it would help.

 

[tbendl]

Yeah I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I didn't know my pump burning out was a possibility and I was looking forward to getting a little more water movement but I'm just not sure what to do. We added the water hose and I don't even think I want more water coming over the falls. I like the amount of noise right where it is. I guess I was thinking additional flow might help aerate the pond and lead to clearer water. It's back to the drawing board for me.

 

[addy1]

If the pump comes with a 3/4 adapter it is made for 3/4 piping, but in doing so it reduces the amount of water that can flow. So in general, if it is rated for 2000 gph, reducing it to 3/4 might reduce the flow to 1000 gph. I am not the best at flow rates and pumps, always have put in 2 inch pipes so never really looked into it. The pump I use now pushes a lot of water, 6800 gph.

Also every joint, t, angle reduces the flow via head pressure.

You can control the noise by arranging the way the water flows into the pond, less splash = less noise.

I have a lot of noise, but my pond is down the slope from the house, we hear it in the house with the doors/windows open, with them shut can't hear it.

 

[tbendl]

Well and that's why I was so flummoxed. I went from a 700gph to a 2400 gph pump going to the bog and there is negligible difference. I thought it would at least pump half again more.
I am flummoxed I tell you.

 

[tbendl]

And here is the other question, last week a question was asked regarding bog flow rates and I thought it was explained that a slow flow rate is better for eliminating waste from the pond that a faster flow. So... If I get more water to either come out of my 3/4 inch tube OR pull out all the tubing and replace with something larger, and get a faster flow rate, am I not possibly working backwards with my algae issue and in fact filtering the water less?
I know the turning over the pond 1 every 2 hours is for fish but not sure at what rate I should be turning my pond over through my bog.

 

[addy1]

I don't go by rates, maybe I should, sort of built the pond and bog based on the pond is this size, my bog is around 1/3 the size. I have not worried about a slower flow rate through the bog to take care of waste. I have a pretty good flow going through all of the time. The pond stays perfect. Water tests are perfect. Any cloudiness from winter shut down is gone within a day or so of turning everything back on.

That is a close to 3 foot rock the water is flowing over back into the pond, a solid sheet of water, don't recall the exact width, it was heavy. The water also flows over parts of the bog wall the entire length, 26 feet. So a lot of water movement.
Heavily planted bog, this picture is right now it is just beginning to grow. I had just mucked around in the bog which caused that little bit of foam.

 

[tbendl]

See I don't know how to figure for lack of fish. I don't know if an aerator or more water streaming from the bog will help or just more water movement. Everything I read is for ponds with fish. I know the heat down here contributes since I'm in most sun and my pond is already bath water warm. I know my bog isn't at the 1/3 size but I've got parrots feather, 2 lilies, and 2 potted rushes in the pond. I am reminding myself to be patient since this will be the first summer with the pond but I'm still kinda lost when it comes to the algae. (I think this is where I quote something about the forest for the trees or the eukaryotic organisms for the algae) but you know. I am jealous of your pond.

 

[addy1]

I would just crank up the water flow if you can, see what happens. Without fish you don't have all the extra nutrients i.e. fish poo. Fishless should be basically like with fish.

Add an aerator, or a nice fountain flowing in the pond, or a water spitter. My pond is full sun, by summer it is hitting 85 plus on our real hot days, still stays nice and clear of green water, minimal algae.

 

[tbendl]

That's not a bad idea, I like the spitter and wonder if that would help. Since I don't have the extra nutrients, what the heck is causing it to turn so green? Provided I can run the new pump to the bog, I can use my other pump for a fountain or spitter. Any idea which provides more water movement or aeration?

 

[addy1]

Get yourself a drip hose, from home depot, lowes, 9 bucks, hook your aerator to it, if it is powerful enough. Makes a great curtain of bubbles.

this is from my frederick pond thread, you can see the bubbles from the drip hose.

 

[tbendl]

I am going to do some research on aerators. I still don't quite understand the difference between running say a spitter to aid with aeration versus adding an "aerator". I have some additional reading to do. Although I did look into the natural swimming pool and saw something about using a gravel filter versus a bog in hotter climates.
I also re-read and saw that you use oyster shells in your bog, what does that do?

 

[addy1]

I also re-read and saw that you use oyster shells in your bog, what does that do?

Our well water is very soft, i.e. in the lower than 30 range. Fish do better in harder water. Also our well water has a ph of 5.4

The oyster shells slowly dissolve and get the water up to a hardness of around 100 +/- , my ph stabilizes in the pond, to around 7.6 with no chemicals needing to be added.

When I first built the pond, filled it, let it run for 2 months as i worked on it, added a bunch of feeder fish................they all died. That is when I found out just because we drank our well water, the ph was a fish killer. No chlorine but like an acid bath. So I started reading as to what I needed to do to fix it. Started adding baking soda, but the ph bounced constantly, then read about oyster shells, things stabilized, all has been fine since. A year after building the pond I added more fish. Of the feeders 4 managed to survive, surprised me when I found them the next spring. I add 100 lbs into the bog every spring (best water movement)

I have 3 waterfalls going into the pond, a lot of water movement. I started up the aerator i.e. the drip hose making lots of bubbles, because the hornwort grows better with water movement. And a lot of people post less algae growth with added air, so I am thinking, maybe it will help keep the string from taking over my small warm slow flowing preform ponds. And it seems to be working, maybe, I see less string in the little preform than I had before I added the aerator.

 

[sissy]

Why not use 2 pumps one that just flows to the bog and your bigger pump with in the pond plumbing that runs to your waterfall .The sump pump pipe will fit on your pump and at 10 dollars it is cheap to try

 

[sissy]

I bought this at walmart 50 ft 7.97 and 25 ft 5.49 here