If you want to see some of the DIY pond filters I've built around my yard this is a good playlist to check out- • OZPOND DIY POND FILTER... For helpful products and articles visit ozponds.com
A person who knows what he's talking about. Most aquarium edutubers just give instructions, but not explain the science behind it. This is a good channel. Subscribing...
Hi Kev the bog filter is still going strong almost 2years now and have nearly 30 koi and 2 sturgeon and never have a issue was the best decision I ever made and watching you videos on how to construct one was so easy 👍 good to see your at nearly 50k in subs 👍
I’m so happy mate. This is what makes it worthwhile. I love when people reach out and tell me that the videos helped them in their pond journey. Thanks for all your support over the years 🍻👍
@@benjaminwillems8839 16000Lt including filtration I do still run a EA nexus 220 for mechanical filtration with a uv off a bottom drain and the bog runs off my skimmer line.
I swapped the sponges in my filter barrel for 3 sizes of rocks and I'm absolutely amazed at how clear the water is now. I first found one of your video's a couple of years ago so it took me a while but worked a treat. Thanks Kev.
As a biologist, it is delightful to see a TH-camr that understands pond ecology and is giving actual good advice ❤. It is exhausting seeing over manufactured artificial plastic systems being pushed while sitting on the sidelines jumping up and down yelling "adjust you ecological balance with micro habitat zones and well selected maintenance organisms!"in my head. "Noooo, not a giant empty drum with a plastic box in it ... No, no why are you cleaning the filter weekly, what are you doing?!" Lol.
@darcieclements4880 Hello,Darcie. Having the day off, I was grazing the internet and just found this. A water feature has been on my bucket list for a while, and I may be able to do this soon. Having kept planted fish tanks and some success with raising some fry, I am aware of a bit of this biological process. I found a book several years ago called Dynamic Aquaria. It was mind-boggling to verify the complexities of nature. Anyway,I had a lace plant seed and sprout over 90 plants. I have never been able to reproduce that. If you have any suggestions as to where I might find some information, I would appreciate that. Thanks.
I'm glad I found your channel years ago. The detailed breakdowns and instructions were super helpful. I was able to build a bog filter in 2021 that was 6feet x 3feet and 3 feet deep. It flows out through a wide stream and is an absolute powerhouse of a filter that I only need to clean out twice a year. My pond water is always crystal clear, all the fish are healthier, and tons of native frogs populate the bog during springtime and breed in its shallow waters.
I am planning to make a pond for my 3 year old, thinking of making 2 parts one for 5-6 fishes and another for him to play inside , thank you for all your support ❤
Thank you so much, Kev. I’ve just discovered you & although I have a small pond system, it wasn’t working well. I’ve been scratching to find a solution Brilliant, now I know which way to go. So grateful for your generous sharing of I formation. Torquay/Vic.
This popped up in my feed, so thought I'd have a squint at it. Glad I did, as I've learnt something new. I live in a tenement building, in a city, however, if I ever win the lottery I'll buy somewhere out in the country and create a crystal clear pond, now I have the knowhow. 😂😂😂 Thanks for uploading!
i encourage you to go have a look at prices in small villages around 600 people or so. away from cities. you might be shocked at the prices and be able to stop dreaming and start doing. I miss the city life sometimes, but then just today, i set up my pond for the year. so theres that
There's a large run-off pond on my parents' property, and duckweed takes over every year. I hope to manage it a bit this year, and finding your video was very helpful.
Thank you. It is such a wonderful video and your pond is truly so clear! I don’t have a pond and I wasn’t even interested but YT recommended your video. I’m happy I watched it. Your voice and explanations were so clear and soothing as well. One day if I have a chance to build a pond, I’ll do what you said here. Thank you again.
Commenting so the matrix puts the video infront of more people, superb video as always chap. Soon I will have all the fittings to make my mk2 bog filter, my test bog filter made the world of difference - thanks to you and your channel.
The cormorant came back😞. The fish in this video have left us. At least some of them. There might be a few still hiding but I haven’t seen any for a few days.
Instant subscription! Thank you so much for this (and I'm assuming all your other videos too). This is exactly what I've been looking for. I'm so happy I found you!
Having a bog filter for 1 year now and wow, just amazed by results. I have around 10 koi and now the water is crystal clear, I'm still amazed. I used to clean the barrel filter ever 2 weeks and never had water quality even close to what it is now, hell I could barely see my koi.
Very well explained, I have a Aquaponic greenhouse I built a fluidized sand bed to give nitrifying bacteria a home, it works great. I think I will set up a bog filter for my pond soon, Thanks for your informative video, cheers 🍻
I think of the bog filter as part of the pond. Yours are just as lovely as the pond itself, and that is my goal - to make my bog filter a beautiful functional plant growing part of the pond. I'm trying out a couple different plants this year, I've got hydrocotyle tripartita, bacopa, water sprite, and rotala. I hope the hydrocotyle will take off and shade the top of the bog a little, plus it is so interesting to look at. I haven't had much luck with water sprite in the bog, but it grows like crazy in baskets in the pond, maybe I will have better luck with it this year.
Thanks Mandy. I’m quite sure your bog and pond are incredibly beautiful. Thanks for always commenting and supporting my efforts 😊. Good luck with the new plants. It’s always trial and error 👍
Kev this was an excellent explanation of the nitrogen cycle. No math to scare off new-be's. They can delve into the math once they get the concept. Again, well done.
I have been saved by small stock in my ponds. Just as you said, the water was always crystal clear. This worked with my old 5m x 4m x1m large backyard pond to my new 3m x 1m x .4m one. My small pond has no mechanical agitation but a healthy ratio of surface area compared to depth, and a couple of hand fulls of frog friendly fish with plenty of plants and snails have produced the same results. Next to no maintenance and beautiful water quality. Love it ✅️
@@Ozponds Pond is now fully finished, had fish in for 2 weeks now and water is still crystal clear, although I'm expecting a few changes as the pond gets established. Just wanted to say a huge thank you for your videos and website, my project was 80% made from information from you, and was built for about 10% of the cost someone would have quoted me. Thank you!
There is another way to have clear water I use. I go to local stream which is overflowing with invasive pond weed, pull out large amounts and throw them in water and they filter it. These need to be changed once pond gets cloudy. Your way is by far superior though.
@@Ozponds With the traffic as I remember it there that probably puts you in about Dandenong 🤣 Too much water here in rural scotland - especially after the snow. I will try to build a pond here.
Hi Kev. Great videos. I have a solar pump, like most, and was wondering if this is enough to provide enough water for a bog filter? The pond is quite small, I'm not great at DIY which is why I've been looking at those ceramic pot filters with charcoal etc....the ones made quite easily, but a bog filter and the idea of the beneficial bacteria really appeals to me. Thanks 👍🏼
My bog filter has canna lilies but the problem is the rooting system is very invasive thereby restricting upward flow from the manifold piping. Still working but flow is bit slower
Yes the canna is great at consuming nutrient but those roots! Boy oh boy do they get thick. Here canna go dormant in winter that’s the time to dig it up.
5:38 i made something similar with 5 gallon bucket of lava rock (for a small pond), works great. no flush valve necessary. who would have thought keeping the water crystal clear is so easy? no need for expensive filter media or a UV filter. thanks kev.
It could. There’s a few issues though. One is you have no control over the quality and quantity of water coming into the dam. Two it becomes ridiculously expensive as everything is much bigger, pumps, filter, aerator, liner, etc. Three the filters and pumps will need maintenance every now and then and because everything is so big it would be a real chore. Better ways to spend money in my opinion.
@@s-c.. you should do some research into it. I think that when you go up to a certain size nature reaches a balance by itself. I remember the swamp not far from the house I grew up in had always crystal clear water we could see every detail of the mud in the bottom. It was a swamp fed by rainwater with no water change to speak of and had lots of waterfowl and fish in it. I guess it was all the reeds and underwater vegetation that helped balance the system. Btw good luck with getting your farm! 😊
@@pansepot1490 Thanks & thanks : ) I’m planning to plant lots of marginals & aquatics, if just for an experiment - at the least it will hopefully look nice! We all used to swim in my friend’s dam when we were growing up, & lived to tell the tale, but I’m a lot softer now!
Gday Kev, great videos I've just subbbed to your channel, quick question I'm up in central qld coast, planning a rather large stone waterfall with multiple cascades and small pocket pools on the way down with plantings of water based plants along the entire length (3-4mts) do you see any issues with me using a concrete and lime based mortar for my stonework for the bulk of my construction, will the lime in the mortar affect the water ph much ? I will have a liner in the large fish pond at the bottom with a sump and looking at a 100lt bog pond 1.5mts off the ground as the head waters of the falls. Any thoughts on this, I'm looking at a 6-8 month build with approx 4+ tonne of rock conservatively
I can’t really give a definitive answer as I’ve never used concrete myself. Actually that’s not fully true. I have a concrete stock trough, no issues there.
I like too know more about ponds we have a small pond in our yard and it's ugly because of the pond LG be great for fish but we have a lot of frogs in the pond just like too now what I can do to get it clear pond instead of it being gross and green
I usually only have an issue if it’s in the tap water. In summer I need to top the pond with city water. Tends to encourage string algae for me, not so much green water.
I have no first hand experience in this. My assumption is that it’s perfectly fine as the biological activity in the pond over winter is also dormant. In spring start it all up again and off you go.
If you search for “how to winterize a pond” you will get great explanation. From what I found most northern ponds will get a clean in spring to manually remove string algea, they are active when the bacterias are not yet, and then as soon as the water temperature rises to around 10c the beneficial bacterias will be active again.
Thank you for your tips. Was also wondering what plants to go for; given that the filters top area will be a feature to enjoy. I was going to try to keep it uncomplicated or natural and have two Iris with a little cress in patches. I know the Iris will do well in a clay soil, but will the clay be a bad idea for the top. Of course I have to leave open shingle? I was also wanting to pump the water from the bottom of a "Skimmer" yet that will have to somehow dictate the water level. I think that I will have to raise the bog up a little, so that it can run back to the pond. Will the filter work better with less pressure and if so, should I use a smaller pump from the pond directly. Then have the main pump at the bottom of the skimmer run water to the waterfall and stream? What do you think? p.s. Oh one last Q. Do you think a wall/barrier made of cement blocks, maybe home made ones, then rendered with strong cement will be waterproof enough?
Does it freeze where you are at? This kind of filter looks perfect for my dad’s pond, but we are in Michigan and I think it would be tough to keep running in the winter.
Oh I would love to try this on our dam … would you be able to turn on and off the filter? Say over a hot dry summer. Would the big filter come back to life or just become a sludge pit. I suspect the latter. Just worried that there may be too much evaporation at some points of the year.
Hello, Kev. I have been wanting to build a water feature for a while now and may be able to do this in the near future. I live in Texas and during the summers, I definitely would have to top it off occasionally. I would probably have to create a drum container to mix the water. My biggest question is about all the leaves that would certainly accumulate. I keep planted fish tanks and use natural things in them,but certainly not a bottom full of leaves! And suggestions as to where to find information on building a small pond right the first time would be appreciated. Thanks.
I did a video about a year ago on designing and building a pond. I think it’s a two part video. It will certainly contain plenty of useful information for you.
There is an area of my local park where water always ends up. I want to take a mattock to it and maybe make it into a natural pond? How do you avoid pond liners? It might be just a seasonal pond?
I'm battling cloudy green water now😫. it's just so cloudy. It was crystal clear last week. It's getting really hot here in AZ now. So I'm hoping it's just trying to balance itself out.
@@OzpondsThank you. I just added a big matala aerator a few days ago. I hope it clears up soon because I REALLY miss that clear water😫. I don't know what else to do but patiently wait😢
You could possibly do it in a timer where it runs 15minutes every hour. But your results might vary. Definitely don’t want it sitting there 18-19 hrs everyday without water flow.
I live in central austraia and every pond or dam is like muddy brown water, would this work to clear the sediment that suspends in it? We have loads of native fish in there and seem to do well regardless, but unless you chuck a castnet in there you wouldnt know they where there.
Unlined dam is almost impossible to keep clear. The clay stays suspended in the water even with filtration. You can use flocculent but it would be expensive.
I’ve never tried it. If I were going to I’d probably just use the liquid extract. I don’t really like the idea of just leaving the bale to decompose inside the pond. Did it work for you?
@@Ozponds Yes it did help but did not remove all algeas completely. It was in a 300litre aquarium so I never used massive amounts of straw. We used to put some under the sand and under a couple of stones. And we also cleaned the aquarium sometimes.
@@Ozponds I didn’t even know there is an extract available. We have sold the aquarium several years ago but I do want to build a pond in the garden. Perhaps I could try there.
Bogs and wetlands are different ecosystems. A wetlands is oxygen rich, a bog is oxygen poor. This is not a bog filter, this is an artificial wetlands filter. A bog filter would low flow and create anaerobic conditions to remove nitrates. The way to make one is to divert a portion of the ponds water into a deep secondary area filled with organic matter, then run the very slow moving water over the top.
Yes. I recently did a video on a very green patio pond. I added a bog filter. I haven’t done the update video but I can tell you the water clarity has already improved significantly. No bacteria added.
String algae is a funny unpredictable beast. I find it’s about pond maturity that makes the biggest difference. New ponds are like pimply teenagers. Old ponds are like Sean Connery.
I have a small outside pond plastic one that you get at the store, but my water is green and I have a small filter in it. Can you help me tell me what to do? It looks like algae and I have goldfish in it.
Like Dan said or get a plant pot some course filter sponge and make a cover. It’s all about increasing the surface area that the pump can draw water from. There’s a recent video I made on this very topic 👍
A person who knows what he's talking about. Most aquarium edutubers just give instructions, but not explain the science behind it. This is a good channel. Subscribing...
Hi Kev the bog filter is still going strong almost 2years now and have nearly 30 koi and 2 sturgeon and never have a issue was the best decision I ever made and watching you videos on how to construct one was so easy 👍 good to see your at nearly 50k in subs 👍
I’m so happy mate. This is what makes it worthwhile. I love when people reach out and tell me that the videos helped them in their pond journey. Thanks for all your support over the years 🍻👍
👍🏼👊🏽
How much liters is your pond?
Just being Curious 😄
Can you paste the link to create filter?
@@benjaminwillems8839 16000Lt including filtration I do still run a EA nexus 220 for mechanical filtration with a uv off a bottom drain and the bog runs off my skimmer line.
I was skeptical when I saw the headline that this was going to be an ad. But instead it was excellent advice. Thank you!
I swapped the sponges in my filter barrel for 3 sizes of rocks and I'm absolutely amazed at how clear the water is now. I first found one of your video's a couple of years ago so it took me a while but worked a treat. Thanks Kev.
Well done 👍
As a biologist, it is delightful to see a TH-camr that understands pond ecology and is giving actual good advice ❤. It is exhausting seeing over manufactured artificial plastic systems being pushed while sitting on the sidelines jumping up and down yelling "adjust you ecological balance with micro habitat zones and well selected maintenance organisms!"in my head. "Noooo, not a giant empty drum with a plastic box in it ... No, no why are you cleaning the filter weekly, what are you doing?!" Lol.
@darcieclements4880 Hello,Darcie. Having the day off, I was grazing the internet and just found this. A water feature has been on my bucket list for a while, and I may be able to do this soon. Having kept planted fish tanks and some success with raising some fry, I am aware of a bit of this biological process. I found a book several years ago called Dynamic Aquaria. It was mind-boggling to verify the complexities of nature. Anyway,I had a lace plant seed and sprout over 90 plants. I have never been able to reproduce that. If you have any suggestions as to where I might find some information, I would appreciate that. Thanks.
Very clear way to explain what aquarium gear sellers try to NEVER explain to people. thank you for sharing!
My pleasure👍
I'm glad I found your channel years ago. The detailed breakdowns and instructions were super helpful. I was able to build a bog filter in 2021 that was 6feet x 3feet and 3 feet deep. It flows out through a wide stream and is an absolute powerhouse of a filter that I only need to clean out twice a year. My pond water is always crystal clear, all the fish are healthier, and tons of native frogs populate the bog during springtime and breed in its shallow waters.
That’s so cool to hear 👍
I am planning to make a pond for my 3 year old, thinking of making 2 parts one for 5-6 fishes and another for him to play inside , thank you for all your support ❤
I’m sure you’ll create something awesome 👍
Thank you so much, Kev. I’ve just discovered you & although I have a small pond system, it wasn’t working well. I’ve been scratching to find a solution Brilliant, now I know which way to go. So grateful for your generous sharing of I formation. Torquay/Vic.
This popped up in my feed, so thought I'd have a squint at it.
Glad I did, as I've learnt something new.
I live in a tenement building, in a city, however, if I ever win the lottery I'll buy somewhere out in the country and create a crystal clear pond, now I have the knowhow.
😂😂😂
Thanks for uploading!
I hope you do win the lotto 🤞
i encourage you to go have a look at prices in small villages around 600 people or so. away from cities. you might be shocked at the prices and be able to stop dreaming and start doing.
I miss the city life sometimes, but then just today, i set up my pond for the year. so theres that
Thanks matey. Clear, concise and with the ability to diy. Very much appreciated.❤
There's a large run-off pond on my parents' property, and duckweed takes over every year. I hope to manage it a bit this year, and finding your video was very helpful.
Thank you. It is such a wonderful video and your pond is truly so clear! I don’t have a pond and I wasn’t even interested but YT recommended your video. I’m happy I watched it. Your voice and explanations were so clear and soothing as well. One day if I have a chance to build a pond, I’ll do what you said here. Thank you again.
Thanks for your kind words. I wonder why TH-cam recommended it to you. Hopefully one day you do get a pond, mine bring me lots of joy.
Your videos are always helpful and simple to understand and makes total sense especially in these often complicated times we live in these days
Thanks, that’s very kind of you.
Commenting so the matrix puts the video infront of more people, superb video as always chap. Soon I will have all the fittings to make my mk2 bog filter, my test bog filter made the world of difference - thanks to you and your channel.
Legend! Can’t wait to hear how the improved model goes 👍
Thanks Kev , another great video . I really appreciate your diagrams of the bog filters. 😊❤ Your fish are very sweet.
The cormorant came back😞. The fish in this video have left us. At least some of them. There might be a few still hiding but I haven’t seen any for a few days.
😢😢😢
Thanks great info I had never heard before. Usually it is someone showing you what you need to buy.
Instant subscription! Thank you so much for this (and I'm assuming all your other videos too).
This is exactly what I've been looking for.
I'm so happy I found you!
I’m happy you did too 😊👍
Glad I found your channel mate. Thanks for shaping
This is an amazing channel as is your web site - full of information, suggestions, guides. Thank you very much.
Glad you like them. I was hoping it would help people. 👍
Having a bog filter for 1 year now and wow, just amazed by results. I have around 10 koi and now the water is crystal clear, I'm still amazed. I used to clean the barrel filter ever 2 weeks and never had water quality even close to what it is now, hell I could barely see my koi.
Great to hear 👍
I love looking at your creations.
Thanks again.
Now I'm off to tap the thumbs up 👍 button to feed the algorithm monsters.
I believe you meant "off to tickle the thumbs up button" cuz kev.
@@lugnutt7375
Yes....
Noted.
Champion 👍👍
😂👍
Very helpful..thank you from the green mountains!
This is beautiful! Amazing pond
Excellent well explained video. Thanks from the very wet Lake District in England.
your pond is stunning
Great Video on easy ways to create a clear pond. Thank you for sharing
You bet 👍
Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Another awesome update. Thanks Kev. ❤
Glad you enjoyed it 🍻
Excellent video and the pond water looks amazing! Thank you
Glad you enjoyed it👍
That's gold information here, thanks!
Very well explained, I have a Aquaponic greenhouse I built a fluidized sand bed to give nitrifying bacteria a home, it works great.
I think I will set up a bog filter for my pond soon,
Thanks for your informative video, cheers 🍻
Sounds great!👍
So beautiful.❤ My cat likes listening to these videos 😄
😂
I think of the bog filter as part of the pond. Yours are just as lovely as the pond itself, and that is my goal - to make my bog filter a beautiful functional plant growing part of the pond. I'm trying out a couple different plants this year, I've got hydrocotyle tripartita, bacopa, water sprite, and rotala. I hope the hydrocotyle will take off and shade the top of the bog a little, plus it is so interesting to look at. I haven't had much luck with water sprite in the bog, but it grows like crazy in baskets in the pond, maybe I will have better luck with it this year.
Thanks Mandy. I’m quite sure your bog and pond are incredibly beautiful. Thanks for always commenting and supporting my efforts 😊. Good luck with the new plants. It’s always trial and error 👍
Great job sir. I just followed ur instruction and made one, I will know tomorrow how well it works.
Best of luck!🤞
Why would anyone dislike this video ? The information, like with all your videos, is excellent.
Clearly rivals are jealous 🤣
Theres always a few people with a bee in their bonnet. That’s their problem 👍
It's the Aquascape guys who want to regularly sell bacteria to people
Just found your channel. Excellent.
With love from Kerala, India.
Welcome aboard 😊👍
Thanks, I've heard of Zeolite before, never knew how it was used.
That was easy to understand and I am going to give it a go… thankyou for your help.
😊👍
Hi Ozpond! I've been using this same concept to clean grey water from homes! Loving nature
That’s how I started my water filtration journey 👍
You're my first subscribe ever! Live in the Mojave Desert, gonna make this happen! I'm so excited!👍😆
Wow! That’s a pretty big honor. I wish you success 🤞
Kev this was an excellent explanation of the nitrogen cycle. No math to scare off new-be's. They can delve into the math once they get the concept. Again, well done.
I remember how confused I was at the start. Still learning 👍
I have been saved by small stock in my ponds. Just as you said, the water was always crystal clear. This worked with my old 5m x 4m x1m large backyard pond to my new 3m x 1m x .4m one. My small pond has no mechanical agitation but a healthy ratio of surface area compared to depth, and a couple of hand fulls of frog friendly fish with plenty of plants and snails have produced the same results. Next to no maintenance and beautiful water quality. Love it ✅️
Perfect 👍
Awesome thank you great teaching information greatly appreciated thank you
Thanks for the post my smurfy friend!
I’m putting together a video on 3yrs since building the dream pond. I was going back over the old footage…Man it was blue!
very helpful thank you. Building my first pond as I type
Don't get dirt in your laptop...😋
Great to hear. 👍
@@crushlogic😂
@@Ozponds Pond is now fully finished, had fish in for 2 weeks now and water is still crystal clear, although I'm expecting a few changes as the pond gets established. Just wanted to say a huge thank you for your videos and website, my project was 80% made from information from you, and was built for about 10% of the cost someone would have quoted me. Thank you!
@@bogglesbiggins1101 great to hear. Just remember there’s probably an ugly stage coming.
Lovely information.
great vid mate thanks, very informative UK
Thank you for your clear and considered explanation. I am wondering how big my bog filter needs to be, to help make my dam water clear. 😂
Where I live dams are more muddy than green. A bog won’t really prevent muddy water.
I built an awesome bog filter after watching ozponds.....
🍻👍
Great stuff!
Bravo. So great to learn there is a solution against having a scum pond.
Brilliant!
Kev is a pond legend
There is another way to have clear water I use. I go to local stream which is overflowing with invasive pond weed, pull out large amounts and throw them in water and they filter it. These need to be changed once pond gets cloudy. Your way is by far superior though.
It’s always good to have multiple options 👍
Nice one 👍🏼
awesome video!!
Thank you sir
Love this
Thank You.
Thank you.
It would have been an idea to show how to make one!
Brilliant buddy
🍻
Thank you
nice video keep them coming
Thanks, will do!👍
Just subscribed!
Have you ever explored any Viktor Schauberger inspired water restructuring devices? Truly miraculous results.
I haven’t, now I’m intrigued.
Fascinating. I wish I had some Australian property to try it out on! I'm guessing you are not in a major city.
No. I’m about 1 hr outside Melbourne.
@@Ozponds With the traffic as I remember it there that probably puts you in about Dandenong 🤣 Too much water here in rural scotland - especially after the snow. I will try to build a pond here.
I think I’ll be making one of these this year. I want a mini waterfall anyway.
Hi Kev. Great videos. I have a solar pump, like most, and was wondering if this is enough to provide enough water for a bog filter? The pond is quite small, I'm not great at DIY which is why I've been looking at those ceramic pot filters with charcoal etc....the ones made quite easily, but a bog filter and the idea of the beneficial bacteria really appeals to me. Thanks 👍🏼
All ponds are a bit different. My next video explains more about what to do if solar is the only option.
My bog filter has canna lilies but the problem is the rooting system is very invasive thereby restricting upward flow from the manifold piping. Still working but flow is bit slower
Yes the canna is great at consuming nutrient but those roots! Boy oh boy do they get thick. Here canna go dormant in winter that’s the time to dig it up.
I used to use mechanical filters and the water was always green. I switched to a Bog filter years ago. Crystal clear water ever since
Awesome 👍
5:38 i made something similar with 5 gallon bucket of lava rock (for a small pond), works great. no flush valve necessary.
who would have thought keeping the water crystal clear is so easy? no need for expensive filter media or a UV filter. thanks kev.
Perfect 👍
Have to agree, I use red lava rock in my canister filters for several of my aquariums, cheap and effect with plenty of surface area for the bacteria.
Try some limestone. It raises the pH and helps sedimentation.
Looks beautiful, and nice & simple. Can this be scaled up for a farm dam at all?
It could. There’s a few issues though. One is you have no control over the quality and quantity of water coming into the dam. Two it becomes ridiculously expensive as everything is much bigger, pumps, filter, aerator, liner, etc. Three the filters and pumps will need maintenance every now and then and because everything is so big it would be a real chore. Better ways to spend money in my opinion.
@@Ozponds Thanks for your input, I appreciate it. Would love to have a healthy dam for swimming in, at some stage (need the farm first tho! 😊)
@@s-c.. you should do some research into it. I think that when you go up to a certain size nature reaches a balance by itself. I remember the swamp not far from the house I grew up in had always crystal clear water we could see every detail of the mud in the bottom. It was a swamp fed by rainwater with no water change to speak of and had lots of waterfowl and fish in it. I guess it was all the reeds and underwater vegetation that helped balance the system.
Btw good luck with getting your farm! 😊
@@pansepot1490 Thanks & thanks : )
I’m planning to plant lots of marginals & aquatics, if just for an experiment - at the least it will hopefully look nice! We all used to swim in my friend’s dam when we were growing up, & lived to tell the tale, but I’m a lot softer now!
Gday Kev, great videos I've just subbbed to your channel, quick question I'm up in central qld coast, planning a rather large stone waterfall with multiple cascades and small pocket pools on the way down with plantings of water based plants along the entire length (3-4mts) do you see any issues with me using a concrete and lime based mortar for my stonework for the bulk of my construction, will the lime in the mortar affect the water ph much ? I will have a liner in the large fish pond at the bottom with a sump and looking at a 100lt bog pond 1.5mts off the ground as the head waters of the falls. Any thoughts on this, I'm looking at a 6-8 month build with approx 4+ tonne of rock conservatively
I can’t really give a definitive answer as I’ve never used concrete myself. Actually that’s not fully true. I have a concrete stock trough, no issues there.
I like too know more about ponds we have a small pond in our yard and it's ugly because of the pond LG be great for fish but we have a lot of frogs in the pond just like too now what I can do to get it clear pond instead of it being gross and green
Great quality!
What about posphates?
I usually only have an issue if it’s in the tap water. In summer I need to top the pond with city water. Tends to encourage string algae for me, not so much green water.
Great advice... how do bog filters work where it freezes in the winter where we have to shut pumps off ?
I have no first hand experience in this. My assumption is that it’s perfectly fine as the biological activity in the pond over winter is also dormant. In spring start it all up again and off you go.
If you search for “how to winterize a pond” you will get great explanation. From what I found most northern ponds will get a clean in spring to manually remove string algea, they are active when the bacterias are not yet, and then as soon as the water temperature rises to around 10c the beneficial bacterias will be active again.
Thank you for your tips. Was also wondering what plants to go for; given that the filters top area will be a feature to enjoy.
I was going to try to keep it uncomplicated or natural and have two Iris with a little cress in patches. I know the Iris will do well in
a clay soil, but will the clay be a bad idea for the top. Of course I have to leave open shingle?
I was also wanting to pump the water from the bottom of a "Skimmer" yet that will have to somehow dictate the water level.
I think that I will have to raise the bog up a little, so that it can run back to the pond.
Will the filter work better with less pressure and if so, should I use a smaller pump from the pond directly. Then have the main pump at the bottom
of the skimmer run water to the waterfall and stream?
What do you think?
p.s. Oh one last Q. Do you think a wall/barrier made of cement blocks, maybe home made ones, then rendered with strong cement will be waterproof enough?
If you watch more of my vids, I’m pretty sure all your questions will be answered much more effectively than I can in the comments 👍
Does it freeze where you are at? This kind of filter looks perfect for my dad’s pond, but we are in Michigan and I think it would be tough to keep running in the winter.
@@EmInMI80 turn it off in cold periods
Oh I would love to try this on our dam … would you be able to turn on and off the filter? Say over a hot dry summer. Would the big filter come back to life or just become a sludge pit. I suspect the latter.
Just worried that there may be too much evaporation at some points of the year.
Yeah it needs to run continuously.
Hello, Kev. I have been wanting to build a water feature for a while now and may be able to do this in the near future. I live in Texas and during the summers, I definitely would have to top it off occasionally. I would probably have to create a drum container to mix the water. My biggest question is about all the leaves that would certainly accumulate. I keep planted fish tanks and use natural things in them,but certainly not a bottom full of leaves! And suggestions as to where to find information on building a small pond right the first time would be appreciated. Thanks.
I did a video about a year ago on designing and building a pond. I think it’s a two part video. It will certainly contain plenty of useful information for you.
@@Ozponds Thank you, Sir.
Hi Kevin, can you show us your filter and how you make it, thanks you kev
Did you check the playlist in the description?
There is an area of my local park where water always ends up. I want to take a mattock to it and maybe make it into a natural pond? How do you avoid pond liners? It might be just a seasonal pond?
You did a hole and let it fill with water. Large natural ponds are lined with clay.
I'm battling cloudy green water now😫. it's just so cloudy. It was crystal clear last week. It's getting really hot here in AZ now. So I'm hoping it's just trying to balance itself out.
Make sure you e got plenty of oxygen. Hot water holds less oxygen. Bacteria need oxygen.
@@OzpondsThank you. I just added a big matala aerator a few days ago. I hope it clears up soon because I REALLY miss that clear water😫. I don't know what else to do but patiently wait😢
can we switch of the pump of bog filter for some 5 to 6 hours in a day or it must run 24 hours please do reply
You could possibly do it in a timer where it runs 15minutes every hour. But your results might vary. Definitely don’t want it sitting there 18-19 hrs everyday without water flow.
@@Ozponds i am planing to have timer 5 hour off during peak power rate in our region when it expinsive 19 hours it keep running
You’ll need to let us know how it goes. It’s not something I’ve tried.
Hi! Can you please let me know how much the pond costs to maintain, like electric and water bills.
I made a video on such things. It’s called how much does it cost to run my ponds or something like that.
Is it possible to set up a reasonable bog filter or bio filter fir an above ground pond?
Yes. Very easy to do 👍
I live in central austraia and every pond or dam is like muddy brown water, would this work to clear the sediment that suspends in it? We have loads of native fish in there and seem to do well regardless, but unless you chuck a castnet in there you wouldnt know they where there.
Unlined dam is almost impossible to keep clear. The clay stays suspended in the water even with filtration. You can use flocculent but it would be expensive.
I have used straw in aquarium to reduce growth of algea.
Have you tried that and if so, what was your oppinion about it?
I’ve never tried it. If I were going to I’d probably just use the liquid extract. I don’t really like the idea of just leaving the bale to decompose inside the pond. Did it work for you?
@@Ozponds
Yes it did help but did not remove all algeas completely.
It was in a 300litre aquarium so I never used massive amounts of straw.
We used to put some under the sand and under a couple of stones.
And we also cleaned the aquarium sometimes.
Maybe try the liquid extract.
@@Ozponds
I didn’t even know there is an extract available.
We have sold the aquarium several years ago but I do want to build a pond in the garden.
Perhaps I could try there.
Bogs and wetlands are different ecosystems. A wetlands is oxygen rich, a bog is oxygen poor. This is not a bog filter, this is an artificial wetlands filter. A bog filter would low flow and create anaerobic conditions to remove nitrates. The way to make one is to divert a portion of the ponds water into a deep secondary area filled with organic matter, then run the very slow moving water over the top.
You are right. I’ve talked about the different oxygen zones in other videos.
So you don’t need any kind of bacteria starter kit to kick it off? And can it be used to clear a pond that’s already very green?
Yes. I recently did a video on a very green patio pond. I added a bog filter. I haven’t done the update video but I can tell you the water clarity has already improved significantly. No bacteria added.
How often should I flush out or clean the bog filter?
Every filter and pond is different. Usually once or twice a year is sufficient.
Will a bog filter prevent string algae? I can't seem to get rid of the algae in my water feature after trying numerous algaecides.
String algae is a funny unpredictable beast. I find it’s about pond maturity that makes the biggest difference. New ponds are like pimply teenagers. Old ponds are like Sean Connery.
@@Ozponds thank you for the reply, and I appreciate the analogy 😂
Does having freshwater clams helps you clear the water ?? Is it sustainable??
They say it does. It’s not something I’ve relied solely on. I have a few in a couple of my ponds.
So the bacteria will grow automatically in the pog filter or do we have to do something?
It will grow automatically.
Hello how large of a bog filter would I need for 2. 300 gallon tanks that have ducks swimming in them?
Depends on amount of ducks but 25% would be a good starting point.
I have a small outside pond plastic one that you get at the store, but my water is green and I have a small filter in it. Can you help me tell me what to do? It looks like algae and I have goldfish in it.
That’s what my videos are for. 👍
How do I keep the pump in the pond that feeds the biological filter from clogging up with dirt?
DIY skimmer or intake bay
Like Dan said or get a plant pot some course filter sponge and make a cover. It’s all about increasing the surface area that the pump can draw water from. There’s a recent video I made on this very topic 👍
It's safe for swimming or not? If we use submersible pump it can be dangerous... Tq
You can use external pumps or bubble pumps.
Man I wish I knew this 20 years ago. The pond got filled in because it was just a green slime filled mess and we could never get rid of the slime.
Bummer 😞