No more bog

[Zoe]

I had posted a question about my bog last week.  We decided to just jump in and take all the gravel out of the bog that was filtering our main pond.  It had just been a year since we had it cleaned out so we were very surprised on how dirty it was.  We decided to just make this an upper pond that flows into our pond. We took the plumbing out that was under the gravel and hooked up a new bio filter to the plumbing that feeds this upper pond. I was just curious if any of you have had this problem. We have had this bog ten years but it seems the last two years have presented ugly water conditions.  We had a back flush system in place but nothing worked all summer. I am just glad the worst part is over (digging all the gravel out).

[matherfish]

Sounds like you have embarked on a new adventure.  Keep us posted as to how it turns out.

[Julles]

Hi Zoe.

Nelson's (our local water garden store) claims you don't have to clean the bog but once every 2-3 years, if at all.  But mine gets soooo full of gunk!  When I was counting on my bog to filter my pond, yes, I broke it down and cleaned it every 4-6 months, it seems like.

This bog did clean the pond, but I had lots of problems with it, so when I expanded the pond 2 years ago, I yanked it out and went with a pressurized bio filter, which works wonderfully.  The problems, besides the accumulation of dirt/mulm was leaking.  Since it was higher than the height of my pond, any water that leaked out would eventually drain my pond.  I had a problem with "wicking" - water seeping between the layers of liner, up and out of the pond.

The bog I have now is not intended to clean my pond, but just house plants.  However, it is fitted with a pump and tubing, so it does filter a little.  And yes, it is FULL of gunk, including stuff sitting on top of the gravel.  It's been in place less than a year, and I'm thinking of breaking it down.

[Zoe]

Julles I think the concept is great. Nelson's loves the bog concept and they claim they do not clean it often. But like I said before Roland and I are getting older and you saw he has use of only one arm. It is so difficult for him to do that sort of work. Our pond is clear now and we are so happy. The whole summer has been a battle. I wasted money on pond clarifiers and  bacteria. Thanks for the replies.