The pond dig has begun!

[taherrmann4]

Country here is a pic of how clear my pond water is. The debris floating is from where the fish just swam away as I was approaching.

 

[CountryEscape]

Yep, Taherrmann, that's how my pond was about 3 weeks ago. Do you think that since that is about the same time that I unplugged the UV, that has something to do with the cloudiness taking over again? I went ahead and plugged it in, just to see if I can tell a different in this week with it on. I don't mind having it on, just thought once I got the green water taken care of and the water was clear that I could turn it off. And, I didn't have time to get more primrose out of the farm pond, so will try to get that done tomorrow after work. Decided to take the horses out for a ride since it's been so low humidity last few days, and cooler today, too.

 

[addy1]

If you have debris floating country, try some of the quilt batting or something in the water flow to collect the fine stuff, we did that for a few days at the beginning of the summer. When we fired up the better pump a lot of pea gravel dust come out into the water, I set up a quick fines filter ran it with a low flow pump for a few days...........all gone and been gone since. 55 gallon barrel sitting right by the pond, water flow into the bottom, pipe that dumped the water right back into the pond, not pretty but it worked. Now it is just parked for if ever needed future use, out of sight

Last year we had a very low flow pump going 120 gph just to keep the bog wet, did have some plants in it, the pond never cleared up but was still working on it, constant dirt dumping in lol.

This year it took about 3 days with my fines filter.

 

[CountryEscape]

Well, I have quilt batting, so now I can put that under the waterfall weir and see what I can trap! Going to do that right now. I didn't think to try that again. Never could quite get it to work when I had the filter container and weir, before had waterfall built, it was too far of a drop and then into the water. Now, though, it should be fairly easy to strap it under the weir. Thanks for the reminder!

 

[addy1]

If you have spare matting, i.e. like the ac filter pads put some of that under the weir too, mini fines trap.

 

[j.w]

Reminds me I need to go change my fines trap.........lots of gunk in it..........works too good, lol!

 

[CountryEscape]

OK, I put a double layer of quilt batting under the first fall in my waterfall, and tonight it was full of stuff, but still sifting through it, so I was happy. I sprayed out the gunk and put it back. Maybe after I do this a few days in a row I'll get out more of the floating stuff. Also, my skimmer pump had stopped today, so the bog was not being "fed" with water, but at least it was full, just not moving any water into it. Took apart the pump and sprayed it off and it worked just fine again. Need to check the pump on the skimmer more closely instead of just emptying the basket.

 

[addy1]

Great country, hope it works for you. I can tell when my leaf baskets are getting clogged my bog waterfall begins to slow down. My pump is external so it does not get clogged up. Do you have a prefilter before your pump? something to just grab the junk so it does not plug up your pump?

 

[CountryEscape]

Addy, there is a basket in the skimmer, then a pre-filter that came with the skimmer, then the pump so there shouldn't be so much getting to the pump, but it gets around the pre-filter obviously! It's very easy to clean, and only have to remove one clamp to take it out of the skimmer. My skimmer is pretty small, but I didn't think I wanted a big honking one! It seems to be doing a great job so far.
Also, in your opinion, Ms. Bog Expert (I'm talking to you, Addy LOL), should I put one line through my bog when I redo the pipe (hopefully this coming weekend), or 2, or 3? I have 3 right now, but my bog is only about 3.5' wide, and maybe 10-12' long. I got to thinking that with the 3-way I have right now, that's just that much more tubing for the water to have to push through, and probably it goes through one and doesn't maybe even get to the others, especially they have holes to let the water leech out along the way. Just wondering what you think would be best - more tubing, or one through the middle? I have the parts to do 3 lines. What do you think?

 

[taherrmann4]

Great country, hope it works for you. I can tell when my leaf baskets are getting clogged my bog waterfall begins to slow down. My pump is external so it does not get clogged up. Do you have a prefilter before your pump? something to just grab the junk so it does not plug up your pump?

When my skimmer gets full I get a sucking noise b/c the water level is almost empty in the back of the skimmer where the pump sucks it from. That is how I know when it needs empty. Nothing is worse than when it happens in the middle of the night when the windows are open. issedoff:

 

[addy1]

2-3 foot wide one pipe works well, we have around a 4 - 5 foot span and have two pipes.

You don't need three, personally I would go with two running 1/3 in from each side. You really want to have good flow in the gravel.

Laughing tmann, can understand...............wakes you right up!

 

[j.w]

You guys and your bogs and skimmers....................Wish I had a bog but too lazy to build one, lol! Maybe I will get some ambition to do one one of these yrs.


Oh no tmann not the giant sucking sound! I remember that line from Ross Perot..............remember him? I kinda liked him and all his little charts, lol!
Nothing worse than anything that drags you out of bed in the middle of the night!

 

[CountryEscape]

Taherrmann, I know what you mean, although I've never had the problem at night. I do hear it struggling, then I know I need to check the basket. What's funny is it can go for 3-4 days, nothing in the basket, then the filter is plugged. I guess I need to check the filter more often! That reminds me, do you remove and clean the pre-filter while the pump is running, or unplug the pump first? I'm wondering how much stuff goes through the pump into the pipe in the bog if I leave the pump running, which is what I usually do.
Addy, you really want me to think this one out, don't you?! LOL So, if my pipe now goes into the bog on the closest end to the skimmer and you suggested I run a pipe 1/3 of the way into the bog from each end .... would it be best to run the pipe to the middle, then take it to each end, THEN have the slots or holes in the pipe for the water to push through on the end sections, going 1/3 of the way towards the center of the bog? Do I have you understood properly. I think I will have way better water flow this way. I guess I could also run 2 pipes next to each other down the middle from one end, one have holes on the close end, the other have holes on the far end ... but think the first way might be better. Am I close to your thoughts on this design?

 

[taherrmann4]

You guys and your bogs and skimmers....................Wish I had a bog but too lazy to build one, lol! Maybe I will get some ambition to do one one of these yrs.


Oh no tmann not the giant sucking sound! I remember that line from Ross Perot..............remember him? I kinda liked him and all his little charts, lol!
Nothing worse than anything that drags you out of bed in the middle of the night!

I pretend not to hear it hoping the wife will get up and take care of it. :biggrinangelA:

 

[taherrmann4]

Taherrmann, I know what you mean, although I've never had the problem at night. I do hear it struggling, then I know I need to check the basket. What's funny is it can go for 3-4 days, nothing in the basket, then the filter is plugged. I guess I need to check the filter more often! That reminds me, do you remove and clean the pre-filter while the pump is running, or unplug the pump first? I'm wondering how much stuff goes through the pump into the pipe in the bog if I leave the pump running, which is what I usually do.
Addy, you really want me to think this one out, don't you?! LOL So, if my pipe now goes into the bog on the closest end to the skimmer and you suggested I run a pipe 1/3 of the way into the bog from each end .... would it be best to run the pipe to the middle, then take it to each end, THEN have the slots or holes in the pipe for the water to push through on the end sections, going 1/3 of the way towards the center of the bog? Do I have you understood properly. I think I will have way better water flow this way. I guess I could also run 2 pipes next to each other down the middle from one end, one have holes on the close end, the other have holes on the far end ... but think the first way might be better. Am I close to your thoughts on this design?

I leave the pump running and just take out the prefilter and clean it. It only takes a few minutes so I don't think much gets through. However stuff does get through because my filter basket on my pump always has a bunch of stuff that makes it through the skimmer basket and prefilter.