Where can I buy or make these?

[poconojoe]

I'm taking a wild stab that it was not the idea of a bog that didn't work but the design possibly.

I was thinking the same thing but I was concerned that some of my thoughts would insult the person who built the bog.

We don't mean to be disrespectful. Just trying to help out.

Yes, this thread is about filter pads....
But... here's the point some of us are making... if your bog was working properly, you wouldn't need any filter pads at all and you wouldn't be rinsing them weekly [as you stated]. I've been there and done that and still struggled with terrible green water.

There are members here that have been exclusively filtering with a bog for many maintenance free years. Addy's bog is over 10 years old if I recall correctly. I built my bog the Spring of 2020 and have had crystal clear water since. Previously, I ran two pressure filters and a UV light and had constant green water. I couldn't see my fish unless they came up to feed.

So, it's up to you. You can continue cleaning and buying expensive filter pads or have a maintenance free bog. If you can describe in detail how your bog was constructed, perhaps we can help diagnose why it failed and get you back on track to maintenance free filtration.

Again...just trying to help out....

 

[secuono]

If you’re not finding the information here that you need, you might want to do a Google search. I know that there are alternatives out there, however, I have used Matalla filter pads and they are very good.

I found the spillways HERE through pinterest...

 

[Lisak1]

Welcome @secuono . While I agree with you that the Matala filters are a pricey investment, they are known to be the best and last forever from what I've read. I've never used them - another bog filtered pond lover here - but I've been researching a fines filter for the pond and will eventually buy one made by Matala. Not the cheapest, but I've found that there's often a reason why something is more expensive.

Your best option I would say would be to buy the filter material by the roll if you really need that much.

As for the spillways, I don't recognize those photos, but we do have a few members who DIY them. Maybe they will pop in here.

Is that a photo of your whole pond? Or just the bog portion? You mention it's 4600 gallons so I wondered if we were seeing the whole thing.

 

[secuono]

Welcome @secuono . While I agree with you that the Matala filters are a pricey investment, they are known to be the best and last forever from what I've read. I've never used them - another bog filtered pond lover here - but I've been researching a fines filter for the pond and will eventually buy one made by Matala. Not the cheapest, but I've found that there's often a reason why something is more expensive.

Your best option I would say would be to buy the filter material by the roll if you really need that much.

As for the spillways, I don't recognize those photos, but we do have a few members who DIY them. Maybe they will pop in here.

Is that a photo of your whole pond? Or just the bog portion? You mention it's 4600 gallons so I wondered if we were seeing the whole thing.

It is the pond(yellow) and bog(red). Lines might be a little off, as I can't see actual edges thought all the plants & shade.
13x13ft at surface. There's a 1ft submerged shelf along 2 sides, then it drops another 4ft. Bog is about 300gal. I redid it 2yrs ago, 6x4.5,1.5ft roughly.

 

[secuono]

Downloaded the reverse image search app.

Found the threads!

My pond progression( DIY Skippy, inherited pond renovation)

I bought my house last year and it came with a pond. Roughly 10 feet x 7 feet x Avg 2.5 feet. It only had a 400 gph filter box with a few foam pads and a few bio balls. Looks like a fountain kit from Home Depot. It has a few fish (3 Koi and 2 goldfish). I managed through last year with a...

www.gardenpondforum.com

Veggie or Bog filter?

Hello again! OK........I have removed my 100 gallon skippy filter and was going to replace it with a bog style filter. Here are the before and after pics. The new area is 5'x5'x16" deep (approx. 280gal). The area is feed from an submersed pump in the main pond opposite the water falls. The...

www.gardenpondforum.com

 

[Sunshine]

I have had my Matala mats for 10+ years. They look the same as when I got them. They don't fall apart or deteriorate. I just spray them off with the hose when I clean out the bio.

 

[GBBUDD]

Theres an incredibly small amount of water dripping out of one of the three pipes. I cant grasp how it's set up where the water returns by pipe. I have seen where some folks have set them up with the pipes but to me seeing water drop out of a pipe or drop out of the bog by water fall is a no brainer. Not sure how long ago you set up your system but From what i have seen online which is the beauty of online it's also a time machine where you can go back in time and see how things were believed to be the best. and then compair to what we know today. and many here are bog fans . KoiPhen would be more your skippy filter lovers and nexus etc

 

[Mmathis]

So, basically you are making a Skippy-type filter? How many are you going to make that you need a “cheap alternative“ to Matalla? Are they going to be in-line? I’m confused. A 100 gallon Skippy-type filter is not going to be adequate filtration for an 18k gallon pond, IMHO. And I’m also confused about your current bog. Exactly how is it constructed? I had a bog of approx that size for my 3k gallon pond. It was a supplementary filter, an add-on (to service my turtle habitat), to the pond. It worked well for the turtles, but would not have been adequate to filter my entire pond. And, if you are upgrading from 4,600k to 18k, how can you NOT have enough room for a bog? I’m sorry we’re giving you a hard time about this, but something just doesn’t seem right.

One member already gave you the contact info for a member who makes the weirs, and I think you could Google the info regarding alternative filter material. Not saying that you have to have a bog — you can have any type of filtration that you prefer. But since we’ve basically given you the answers to the 2 questions you originally asked, I don’t understand why it’s still an issue.

BYW, what kind of liner material are you planning to use for the larger pond? Just curious.

 

[secuono]

So, basically you are making a Skippy-type filter? How many are you going to make that you need a “cheap alternative“ to Matalla? Are they going to be in-line? I’m confused. A 100 gallon Skippy-type filter is not going to be adequate filtration for an 18k gallon pond, IMHO. And I’m also confused about your current bog. Exactly how is it constructed? I had a bog of approx that size for my 3k gallon pond. It was a supplementary filter, an add-on (to service my turtle habitat), to the pond. It worked well for the turtles, but would not have been adequate to filter my entire pond. And, if you are upgrading from 4,600k to 18k, how can you NOT have enough room for a bog? I’m sorry we’re giving you a hard time about this, but something just doesn’t seem right.

One member already gave you the contact info for a member who makes the weirs, and I think you could Google the info regarding alternative filter material. Not saying that you have to have a bog — you can have any type of filtration that you prefer. But since we’ve basically given you the answers to the 2 questions you originally asked, I don’t understand why it’s still an issue.

BYW, what kind of liner material are you planning to use for the larger pond? Just curious.

I'm only quadrupling the water my fish have to swim in, not the number of fish.

I'm not going to give more info for it to be ratted on. There's no point to it.

 

[Lisak1]

I'm not going to give more info for it to be ratted on. There's no point to it.

I think you misread the intent of the suggestions you received. No one is going to sit by and watch someone do something that they think could potentially be improved upon the first time around. Lots of people here have done what you are planning and have found a bog filter to be a better way. Sharing what works and what doesn't is the whole point of this forum and others like it.

But if you're set on your system and your design, then good luck to you.

 

[Mmathis]

One member already gave you the contact info for a member who makes the weirs, and I think you could Google the info regarding alternative filter material. Not saying that you have to have a bog — you can have any type of filtration that you prefer. But since we’ve basically given you the answers to the 2 questions you originally asked, I don’t understand why it’s still an issue.

@secuono This is the part I was getting at. We have answered your questions: contact info for the member who makes/made the weirs, and suggestions for the Matalla pads. It’s up to you to take it from here and move on that information.

 

[GBBUDD]

18 K and filter pads. Compared to the wetland bog.
This is why Bogs are taking off and why it is so hard to find those who HAVE HAD ONE and did not get the results that are very satisfying. With a bog is the water polished like t nexus filter that had a fine micron mesh and maybe a ozonizer. No it is not is the water so clear that you can find a dime at the bottom of a pond that has dime sized multicolored river rock at a 6 foot depth , absolutely. Mother nature is by far the most amazing filter there is and a bog is trying to condense this into a small area. the micro organisms that grow in the bog all need food . and thats what you give them with a pond and fish 1. your giving them the space to grow and attach them selves or move around to the next food source . but there are also soooooooooooo many organisms that call this area home. and what they don't attack , the plants will and they create a matting sooooooo much thicker then a matala pad and what they also do that matala pads do is to absorb chemicals and minerals in the water like ammonia phosphates and nitrates the two latter being steroids in a sense for plants everyone wins . The bog is very similar to your skippy but it is ALIVE and hungry but it takes time and patience

 

[poconojoe]

18 K and filter pads. Compared to the wetland bog.
This is why Bogs are taking off and why it is so hard to find those who HAVE HAD ONE and did not get the results that are very satisfying. With a bog is the water polished like t nexus filter that had a fine micron mesh and maybe a ozonizer. No it is not is the water so clear that you can find a dime at the bottom of a pond that has dime sized multicolored river rock at a 6 foot depth , absolutely. Mother nature is by far the most amazing filter there is and a bog is trying to condense this into a small area. the micro organisms that grow in the bog all need food . and thats what you give them with a pond and fish 1. your giving them the space to grow and attach them selves or move around to the next food source . but there are also soooooooooooo many organisms that call this area home. and what they don't attack , the plants will and they create a matting sooooooo much thicker then a matala pad and what they also do that matala pads do is to absorb chemicals and minerals in the water like ammonia phosphates and nitrates the two latter being steroids in a sense for plants everyone wins . The bog is very similar to your skippy but it is ALIVE and hungry but it takes time and patience

Very good explanation!
I especially like the end where you describe it as ALIVE and hungry! A colorful description, but very true!

 

[TheFishGuy]

Downloaded the reverse image search app.

Found the threads!

My pond progression( DIY Skippy, inherited pond renovation)

I bought my house last year and it came with a pond. Roughly 10 feet x 7 feet x Avg 2.5 feet. It only had a 400 gph filter box with a few foam pads and a few bio balls. Looks like a fountain kit from Home Depot. It has a few fish (3 Koi and 2 goldfish). I managed through last year with a...

www.gardenpondforum.com

Veggie or Bog filter?

Hello again! OK........I have removed my 100 gallon skippy filter and was going to replace it with a bog style filter. Here are the before and after pics. The new area is 5'x5'x16" deep (approx. 280gal). The area is feed from an submersed pump in the main pond opposite the water falls. The...

www.gardenpondforum.com

I cant speak for most of them, but for the first one, that appears to be this spillway, with the actually spillway part cutoff, and attached to some sort of container.

 

[Mmathis]

View attachment 136003and welcome @secuono
Did you try looking on Amazon for maybe rolls of the Matala? There is a member here who makes the spillways. His member name is @koiguy1969 and perhaps he will see this message and be able to help you.

@j.w Glad you remembered who it was. I recall his weirs, and they were/are very nice!