Wading Pool w/ Waterfalls

[simmonspond]

Ok, so now that I've done more bog research, I'm trying to figure out the easiest, but most-effective design.

What's I've come up with is to dig about 18" down, line it with an overlap from the wading pool, add in a pvc pipe with slits spaced apart, top with pea gravel up to a few inches below the water level. What I'm trying to figure out is the pump situation - since I'm doing a waterfall, do i need 2 pumps or can I work off of one?

 

[simmonspond]

Ok, so now that I've done more bog research, I'm trying to figure out the easiest, but most-effective design.

What's I've come up with is to dig about 18" down, line it with an overlap from the wading pool, add in a pvc pipe with slits spaced apart, top with pea gravel up to a few inches below the water level. What I'm trying to figure out is the pump situation - since I'm doing a waterfall, do i need 2 pumps or can I work off of one?

 

[addy1]

Ok, so now that I've done more bog research, I'm trying to figure out the easiest, but most-effective design.

What's I've come up with is to dig about 18" down, line it with an overlap from the wading pool, add in a pvc pipe with slits spaced apart, top with pea gravel up to a few inches below the water level. What I'm trying to figure out is the pump situation - since I'm doing a waterfall, do i need 2 pumps or can I work off of one?

We are going to use one pump to run the bog and the waterfall.

I am putting the pea gravel to the top, i.e. no water on top of the gravel, that way the water has to work through the plants to get to the waterfall back into the pond. Also less mosquitoes breeding as there will be little standing water.

 

[addy1]

Ok, so now that I've done more bog research, I'm trying to figure out the easiest, but most-effective design.

What's I've come up with is to dig about 18" down, line it with an overlap from the wading pool, add in a pvc pipe with slits spaced apart, top with pea gravel up to a few inches below the water level. What I'm trying to figure out is the pump situation - since I'm doing a waterfall, do i need 2 pumps or can I work off of one?

We are going to use one pump to run the bog and the waterfall.

I am putting the pea gravel to the top, i.e. no water on top of the gravel, that way the water has to work through the plants to get to the waterfall back into the pond. Also less mosquitoes breeding as there will be little standing water.

 

[simmonspond]

Do you have some kind of design or schematic drawing? I'm still trying to figure out how this all fits together. Like is the pump still in the skimmer and I'm using a y adapter so one goes up to the waterfall and one goes to the bog?

 

[simmonspond]

Do you have some kind of design or schematic drawing? I'm still trying to figure out how this all fits together. Like is the pump still in the skimmer and I'm using a y adapter so one goes up to the waterfall and one goes to the bog?

 

[addy1]

Sure here is the drawing of our bog and pond. Any questions ask away We are using an external pump. We will have ball valves on the skimmer line, and the line that goes to the waterfall to control the amount of draw on the skimmer and the amount of water going to the waterfall vs the bog garden.

 

[addy1]

Sure here is the drawing of our bog and pond. Any questions ask away We are using an external pump. We will have ball valves on the skimmer line, and the line that goes to the waterfall to control the amount of draw on the skimmer and the amount of water going to the waterfall vs the bog garden.

 

[simmonspond]

If I plan only to have a few goldfish in the main pool, should I rely on a biological filter in the weir for filtration. Or, should I use my bog feature as a filter as well?

 

[addy1]

We are just using the bog as our filter, with maybe some fish, but not koi. Bogs do a great job filtering.

 

[simmonspond]

Well, the reason I ask is because I would prefer not to use the bog as a filter. So, will the weir bio-media be enough to support a small quantity of small fish?

The reason I want the bog separate is to mimic a true bog with acidic soil conditions to enable the growth of more exotic plants like pitchers, sun dews and venus fly traps. My research is telling me that the water from the "pond" can upset this chemical balance and that rain water is the best to keep the soil moist and create the true bog conditions.

 

[addy1]

You would probably be fine with a small filter, I have been reading about acidic bogs, that would be fun to have, but mine is linked to the pond so it can't be.

 

[DrDave]

A smal bio filter will be fine with that load. Remember, your entire pond is a bio filter, including your bog. You don't get a choice there.

 

[simmonspond]

Ok, so I've decided that the bog will be connected to the pool/pond. I'm thinking about maintenance and easy of setup. My thoughts are that I create it so that the water spills over into the bog to keep things saturated. In a way that the water level eqaulizes so I don't have to worry about checking water levels more often than I need to.

Should I have the dirt below or above the water level?

If I do it below, then I planned to get mosquito fish to counter the larvae. And I have to figure out how to keep the mosquito fish out of the main pool.

If I do it above the water level, will that limit certain plants?

 

[DrDave]

Addy is the bog expert here, I'll defer to her on this.