Turning gravel bog into a filter with pads?

[Zoe]

We have had our gravel bog for about ten years. There are times where you have to dig all of the gravel out clean the gravel and put it back. It is a great deal of work. I am getting to old to have to think about this type of work.  We are thinking about turning the bog area into a filter with pads laid across the plumbing then adding a grate. Sort of like a bio falls set up. Any thoughts or suggestions? Help?


Cindy

[davin]

Well that is a interesting idea.

Is your bog designed to be back flushed?

The way I build my bogs allows me to place a clean out pump in a chimney made out of corrugated piping and I can simply backflush the water from the top of the gravel and pushing it down to the bottom of the filter.. where it is sloped to the cleanout pump.  Its is the same concept that aquascape uses but I use my own pipe and save a ton of money.

If you build it right you wont have to take out the gravel each year. 

Another tip is to use matrix blocks on the bottom of the bog to extend between cleanings.

I am going to do a whole write up on my website about it, but since I am new to the site dont want to post it and come across as a spammer. Here is a pic of a bog that I just built.

[Zoe]

Thanks for the reply. The bog worked great for many years but at some point you do have to clean it out. We decided to get rid of the bog and turn it into a small upper pond.  Everything cleared up and we are happy now. I think we are just getting too old to be doing so much extra clean out work.

[miguynmkoi]

Hey Zoe, if you turn the bog into a bio-filter you may still need to pump the goop that collects maybe once a year if not less, depending on the fish load.  You may still be able to grow vegetation in this area too to take care of a lot of the goop that builds up. 

I have a very small bog area that receives the out flow from the bio filter and that flows into the larger pond where it all re cycles back to the bio filter.  The taro I have growing in this little bog grow like monsters without any help from me.  That's what happens in my garden 

[davin]

I know this is a old topic, but I was talking a installer and he mentioned that if built large enough, bogs don't need to be cleaned out.  In fact he built a very large bog on his own pond and it has not been cleaning in like 10 years, and still has sparkling clear water.  The key is size, and not putting plants in it.  Plants roots will cause problems down the road.

[labs2006]

             I believe this is the reason why a skippy filter is so great. It works like a bog and because its installed above the pond it gravity feeds into the pond or fall. No problems with the roots clogging the pump due to the pump/s are in the pond.