New Pond Setup Opinions Needed Please

myswtsins

myswtsins

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Jun 15, 2008
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I am planning my new pond in a new location, with new dilemmas naturally. :)

New pond!
Pond will be about 13'x8'x3.5', koi and goldie mix with minimum plants, rocks only along the top edge, BD gravity feeding several 55g DIY filters to a pump returning it to a waterfall, and a skimmer. I'd like a bog filter, would using the water after the pump/filter be ok? If I use a separate piece of liner overlapping the main pond liner for the bog how much higher does it have to be to prevent leakage?

New location!
It is surrounded by trees and gets at least 9 hrs of sunlight. Too much light for a minimal plant pond? If so any tips on how I can I get more shade on the pond? I might just move it under the trees some more and deal with the extra leaves.

I'll have more questions but the placement of the pond is the biggest concern right now, I want to start digging before it gets too hot! Pictures to follow!
 
That's what I am thinking! I have in pushed back now where it would get about 7 hours. To get any less I would have to plant trees or build something for more shade.
 
Hi
Why minimal plants??? Healthy plants will do more for your water quality than all the filters in the world . Not to mention they are also beautiful provide cover for the fish you can market the excess. gary
 
You can also run a UV unit on your filter line to take care of green water as well.
 
rooted plants would be a challenge in a koi / goldfish pond, altho they should do fine in a bog as part of the filter run if the fish can't get at them.

having the bog downstream of the filter shouldn't be a problem -- the bacteria in the filter turn the proteins and ammonia into nitrates, which the plants will take up,

larger floating plants (hyacinth if allowed in your area, water lettuce, etc.) should survive the fish and add shade to keep the algae down

not sure what you're asking about the liner. the bog can be at the same water level as the pond, as lond as there's some sort of mechanical barrier to keep the fish out, or it can be stream feeding the main pond with a short drop over an edge. all depends on how you want to lay it out
 
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garyfla said:
Hi
Why minimal plants??? Healthy plants will do more for your water quality than all the filters in the world . Not to mention they are also beautiful provide cover for the fish you can market the excess. gary
Click to expand...
Koi and plants do not get along well, not for long at least. Plants will be used in the bog filter to improve water quality.
Sploke said:
You can also run a UV unit on your filter line to take care of green water as well.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the suggestion.
pbeemer said:
rooted plants would be a challenge in a koi / goldfish pond, altho they should do fine in a bog as part of the filter run if the fish can't get at them.

having the bog downstream of the filter shouldn't be a problem -- the bacteria in the filter turn the proteins and ammonia into nitrates, which the plants will take up,

larger floating plants (hyacinth if allowed in your area, water lettuce, etc.) should survive the fish and add shade to keep the algae down

not sure what you're asking about the liner. the bog can be at the same water level as the pond, as lond as there's some sort of mechanical barrier to keep the fish out, or it can be stream feeding the main pond with a short drop over an edge. all depends on how you want to lay it out
Click to expand...
Thanks for the advice. I am thinking of doing a stream/bog filter leading to a waterfall into the pond. The stream and pond would be 2 separate pieces of liners and I was wondering what kind of overlap I needed but found out it should be about 1ft of overlap. If I do the stream/bog filter to waterfall setup how slow would the water have to travel to get effective filtration from the plants?
 
within limits -- you don't want to be blasting the water past the roots -- water speed is not critical to the plants. pick a flow rate to give you at least 1 turn of the pond per hour (actual pumping rate with your flow restrictions and head to the filter in gallons per hour > pond volume) and if the plants miss something on the first pass they'll catch it when it comes back around :-)
 
Hi
Think what you're referring to is a "Marsh" filter . A Bog is a place that has become devoid of oxygen and very acidic due to plant decay.
Very few species of plants can live in such an environment notable exceptons are Carniverous plants. They require such a place.lol
"Tandem" setup like you describe do provide the best water conditions for the "pond area while keeping the plants away from the fish.
of course your choice of plants will dictated by your climate A "Marsh" can either be flowing or stagnant I would adjust the flow rate to whatever provides the best environment for the "pond." since you'll be keeping it as a chemical filter.. You'll want it to be very rich in oxygen for the fish so you select Marsh plants that like this type of setup.
My runaway fav plant as a "filter" is water hyacinth. though it's a floater requires some depth to the water as well as slow moving or stagnant water. Since it doesn't root can be lifted out and used as mulch gary
 
I have what I call a bog about 2 feet above and 3 feet away from my pond. my pump takes the water from the bottom of the pond, and pumps it to the bottom of the bog, I have about 10 inches of gravel on top of the pipes where the water comes out I planted the plants directly in the gravel, they have done great for several years now. every year I pull out some of the plants to thin it out because it really grow like weeds.
 
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