What does your pond look like ... Today?

[JBtheExplorer]

So it flows fine when you turn the waterfall down, meaning it's looking for more pressure. But it doesn't instantly slow down when you turn on the waterfall, just gradually. That's a puzzler... where is your pump in relation to your bog? And is the waterfall on the opposite side of the bridge?

Yes, waterfall is right on the other side of the bridge. Pump is on the opposite side of the pond.

 

[Blueeyes]

Very nice

 

[Lisak1]

Yes, waterfall is right on the other side of the bridge. Pump is on the opposite side of the pond.

Still puzzling over this... it would make sense that something has gotten clogged, except for the part about it taking time for the flow to slow down.

 

[bettasngoldfish]

Bit of a mess as we just bought the house. I want to clear what's behind it and put a bench there. Maybe some rocks around it. Need to figure out what to do with the waterfall thing above it too. Weeds need clearing, could do with some pond plants. There's potential there I reckon. Don't love the net but apparently they jump out

The net will also protect the fish from predators. I keep a net on my pond all the time (don't like the looks of it either) it also keeps most of the leaves, helicopters, and cherry bombs from the trees from dropping in the pond.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Still puzzling over this... it would make sense that something has gotten clogged, except for the part about it taking time for the flow to slow down.

I've been confused about it for weeks. Trying to solve it without doing anything, I guess. Hoping it would solve itself. It hasn't.

 

[MajorDan]

So what happens to the water lily flower when it stops blooming? Do I need to cut it off or just let it go? On our third flower from one plant and none from the other.

 

[mrsclem]

Still waiting for my 1st flower in the ponds. You can cut them off when they start to sink. I leave mine, the koi will snack on them.

 

[addy1]

So what happens to the water lily flower when it stops blooming? Do I need to cut it off or just let it go? On our third flower from one plant and none from the other.

The stem of the flower will start to curl and it sinks, that is one way to know you are only cutting a dead flower
Depends on my mood, I have so many I sometimes go in the water and remove, other times just let the flowers, dead leaves rot and disappear. They help feed the bog plants.

 

[GBBUDD]

I've been having some bog flow age issues this year. I can turn off the waterfall valve and have all the water go to the bog and it flows just fine, then I turn the flow back on to the water fall, and over the course of about 24 hours, the bog slows down to almost no flow again. I dug down just a little bit and it doesn't seem that the pea gravel is overly dirty and clogged, so maybe it's plugging inside of the PVC, which would require serious bog construction. Unsure as of right now what I'm going to do.

Jb
if your set up is from 2013 like your account i would have to lean toward the denitrous has clogged. When you throw all the pressure toward the bog the water is findings the path of least resistance and when you drop the pressure it is probably taking a little while to plug up. I would have to think 6 years on a closed system with no cleaning " of the bog" is mother nature at her best. One solution may be to forget about the waterfall for a period an try stirring up the gravel at full pressure while collecting the dirty water coming up. I would think lessening the denitrous load would allow for O2 to get into places it hasn't seen in years. you should have no problem reestablishing the bio load id think the bacteria would colonize on the cleaned rock quite quickly.

 

[j.w]

@MajorDan I only have a couple lilies and I just let them be and the fish seem to like nibbling on the brown parts that are disintegrating. It all gets sucked up eventually by the filters. No buds yet tho. I have 3 filters in the pond now. Trying to clear green water and since I've added the 3rd things are looking better. Too many fish!

 

[Lisak1]

@GBBUDD - are you meaning to say "detritus"? Or is "denitrous" something else? Are you assuming the build up is in the gravel? I would agree with that, except the fact that it takes a full day to slow down again is puzzling. If the extra flow is cleaning out the clogging, how is it getting re-clogged so quickly? When it took years to get to this point?

I'm thinking it could be plant roots that have overgrown and could use some thinning... but even still there the hours that it continues to flow well before slowing again is the part that isn't fitting the equation.

Still thinking @JBtheExplorer !

 

[GBBUDD]

Pond is now a year old . There's a slight tinge of all green algae to the water but it seems to be clearing .I added horn wart and Val to the pond as submerged plants and I also bought some sphagnum moss for the stagnant bog that is in the pond on the left side of the picture . It just arrived with very little greenery to it we will see if it makes a quick turn around or if I'll be making a phone call to the supplier. The iris are all blooming . Hair algae is present but it seems to be slowing. Hard to say as I only get to see little more then you see here being on the road all the time.

Not sure I thought it was the latter. a scientist or a biologist i am not but i do understand seeing how much waste can build up over time in a filter

 

[Lisak1]

You have one of the most mature one year old ponds I've ever seen! It looks great!

 

[GBBUDD]

@GBBUDD -

I'm thinking it could be plant roots that have overgrown and could use some thinning... but even still there the hours that it continues to flow well before slowing again is the part that isn't fitting the equation.

Still thinking @JBtheExplorer !

I am thinking when he shifts ALL he water pressure to the bog it is add enough pressure to get past the what is backing up his system the roots the waste build up what ever it may be. And when he cuts the pressure way back and allows the water fall to run the pressure drops thus allowing for the clog to help reestablish it's self the 24 hours time frame is odd. I know how much jw. loves his plants maybe it's time to increase the bog size. Rip out the plants clean most of the roots and start fresh.

 

[mrsclem]

Is it possible that the flow slowing down is being caused by the pump overheating because of back pressure from valves redirecting flow? Just a thought. I get those once in a while!