I've been using the information I learned from you for over a year, and my water is crystal clear here in Washington state. Dont argue with Kev... just do what he says!! You won't be disappointed... unless you like the "split pea soup look" 😋
Set up a 55 gallon pond 2 months ago and had crazy algea... made an internal "filter" w a bunch of lava rock 2 weeks ago and today the water was crystal clear.. this channel helped me alot through the building the pond process
Hey Kev, Thought I would provide a quick update here: 1. Rain gutters have been installed 2. Addressed the slow drainage issues in the backyard after a hard rain (it was more than likely contributing to the water getting under the liner) 3. I installed a 3inch drain pipe that runs under the pond liner and uses the hydrostatic pressure that builds up to force any water that may collect under the liner - I found a pond installer on CZcams who had a video on it) 4. It poured down rain 2 days ago (gutters worked great) and it was actually a blessing as I got to see exactly where and how the water was getting in. I have taken some video that I will post when I have the pond all back together. Thanks again for all of your help.
Currently working on making a bog filter out of a half whiskey barrel for my above ground "pond". Trying to figure out/decide what media to use in it so this was very helpful. Tickle tickle tickle
I commented something similar the other day on a different Oz video while sharing my many thanks for how amazing the bog system works. Love it! Right now I clipped about 50 marigold cuttings, put them in notches (sliced up pool noodles quarter inch thick) to propogate them in my small bog. I do this with other plants too, basil, other reedy perennials that do not mind the water, and will help filter. You can do some serious landscape changes using this method (even peanuts will grow in water folks!). Next step is a small hydroponic system outside of the pond that will eventually grow strawberries, kale, cabbage, that feeds ourselves, and the chickens. It all starts with the small pond I have, and marigolds :) Great keys to a really healthy farm/garden.
Did you try watercress? I am told it is a kind of spicy leaf salad (cropped as baby leaves) that specifically grows in water. I had thought about growing THAT vegetable in the bog but I didn’t think of growing the whole kitchen garden in it, lol. Thanks for the suggestion. 👍
Great timing as I am gathering my supplies to try my first small above ground pond and bog filter. I live where the land is low and swampy and rock is something that has to be purchased. I've been struggling with how to incorporate the cost of the rock into my plans. You have given me some additional avenues of exploration to hopefully come up with a solution. Thanks - I've really been enjoying your videos.
Our bog filter, which I built in may, is doing its job very well. Water gets clearer and clearer every week even while having high temperatures here. I'm looking forward to the water quality in winter. Must be crystal clear. I used a big flower pot, a layer of kitchen sponges and small and medium sized stones. Water has to work it's way up. The overflow makes nice sounds and adds oxygen to our 1200L pond. Also our pump has a UV lamp and an own small filter with sponge and stones, which wasn't enough. Thank you for your help!
great video, lots of options listed - and just an addition from my experience using many different filter media over the years - it might be a little bit of an expensive alternative but I believe the best filter media is: Seachem Matrix
My pond and barrel were both green for about a month. I don't know if it was the unusually warm weather or the fact I didn't have the floating plants yet. I've now got water hyacinth and frog bit, and the water is 90% better. The barrel is unfiltered. Just has rice fish and plants. The pond is filtered and I think my bog is close to 10% of the pond volume. Anyway, thanks for your videos. I have ponds thanks your educational content. Cheers!
Probably the lack of plants. *Something* has to suck up the nitrogen, and if you don't have plants then algae will do that job. If you're 90% better now,. it's probably nothing to worry about further. The plants should grow a bit more and manage that final 10% on their own without you having to do any more about it.
@@bobprivate8575 this year has been particularly interesting because this is my third summer having the pond and I haven't changed anything about it, but I've really struggled with the water clarity this year. The previous two summers it's been crystal clear. And even the first summer I didn't have the floating pond plants though I did have some other plants. I do still have shore plants, some kind of Iris type things that are in the pond and in the bog filter. So there are some taking the nitrogen out but the floating plants will help a lot.
@8:20 re: relationship between rock size and surface area Smaller rocks/pebbles will have more surface area relative to their mass. Volume, which combined with composition determine mass, increases to the cube where surface area increases to the square. If you take a fist-size rock and crack it in half like an egg, the total mass of rock remains the same,. but the surface area increases across the break. Irregular shapes will also increase surface area- a pitted rock, will have more surface area than a same-sized one that is smooth and polished. Unfortunately this means marbles, which would look really cool as a top layer in a filter, wouldn't be very good as a filter medium.
hi Kev, great work as usual. i have a question. i recently just built the all in one mech/bog filter for my above grund pond. the question is, what are you thoughts on growing garlic in the bog filter? i was looking through the fridge on stuff that needs to be thrown and we had some. i hear that garlic is good for fish when consumed, not sure if it would be suitbale to grow and give any benefit.
I think you would need to have a flood and drain system like in aquaponics. I think the garlic bulb would root if in a constantly submerged state. But I could be wrong. One way to find out, give it a try.
Sometimes I forget Australia has that Nazi state down south. Sorry you can't keep Koi Kev. Unfortunately that's what happens when the majority are idiots and don't understand you can't release pet fish into waterways. As with everything in this country the minority rules the majority. Keep up the great work mate your channel is awesome and when I leave for Canada it's coming with me.
Unfortunately there are idiots who release pet fish into waterways. Many Australian fresh waterways are sadly dominated by introduced and invasive fish species decimating the native species and ruining the waterway. It is a serious problem here.
by any chance is there a video on nano species that you would recommend for out door ponds? I live in the central Med, where temperatures range from 40C in summer and potentially higher for short periods, and as low as 2 and 5 C in winter in winter evenings. Keep it up and thank you for the videos.
Great video as always Kev! Question for you, what's the best solution for slowing a pump down if you feel its too powerful? Currently, I'd like to slow my waterfall a little but I'm hearing confusing advice. Some say to use a flow reducer (basically a ball valve on the pump outflow) but some say this puts extra strain on the pump. I've seen others suggest using a T-piece to send some of the excess water back into the pond before it gets to the filter/ waterfall. What's your advice? Thanks!
@@andrewdark3126 Thanks guys, could you explain a bit more about creating a useful current? Keen to learn as I'll likely be doing this sometime this weekend, cheers
It’s very hard to test everything. But anything with a surface area will grow bacteria. You just might need more of certain materials to create the same surface area.
I stuck 15kg of alfagrog in the filter of a 3000l pond. The water was seriously green at the start. 10 days later it was clear. I did soak the stones in the detritus for 2 days before too though.
Hi i have a bog filter that i copied from your youtube video its worked fine for 15 months but recently ive noticed water coming out of the pipe thats used to prevent syphon incase of power cuts i have no idea why please help .
If nothing's changed sense you made the pond (like new stronger pumps) than the filter might just need a clean. Water will come out of the "anti syphon hole" when it has problems going out the bottom, or when a lot of water is going though at once.
It’s possible that the bog filter is clogged by build up of sediment. Kev’s videos always recommend to build the bog (be it a barrel or bigger) with pipes for cleaning. I think at least once or twice a year. You should go back to the bog video and check the instructions. It’s also possible that you “think” you copied but missed a detail that now is giving you the problem. Good luck! 👍
I have a question about the oxygen in the water. When my kois swim up to the surface by the waterfall and gulping up the bubbles, this is a sign of the lack of oxygen in the pond. Besides the fish needing oxygen, what else in the pond uses oxygen. Friendly bacteria, do they consume oxygen? If they need oxygen to live and do their work, is it possible over dosing the pond with friendly bacteria could cause the drop in oxygen then therefore endanger the fish? Thanks in advance.
@@OzpondsThe pumps broke last season, i waited for winter be over to get better pumps. My goal is to have clear and clean water in the pond for my fish. Currently, the water is greenish, probably a foot of visibility. As part of the goal, I decided to dose the pool of bacteria. On the day after dosing, the weather turned much warmer. There was no sign of activity on the surface during the day. In the evening, the fish gathered around the cascading water and gulping. They didn’t have an appetite. The following day, I bought another pump, 2000 GPH, hoping it would help the situation. I ran the pump as is without a filter hoping the faster, more powerful cascade of water would produce more oxygen. It didn’t dawn on me the oxygen was also consumed by the bacteria, but it was too late. During the day, I used leaf blower to move the surface and to create air bubbles. At night, they still came up, gulping. Some had gotten back their appetite and came for the feeding. Overnight the circuit breaker where the pumps were running from tripped, it shut down the pumps. I got the pumps back on but I couldn’t save every one. Sadly I watched seven bodies floating to the surface. Two were saved. Ten years ago, they were tiny eggs. Each day we would meet by the side of the pond, and a feeding frenzy takes place. I watched them maturing and having babies themselves.
Activated charcoal is very common as a mechanical filtering media, helps remove impurities. I haven’t seen it used as the sole biological media. When used as mechanical filter it needs constant replacement. I’d love to hear from folks who use it as a biological media.
@@Ozponds I was wanting to use the pond to activate biochar. Biochar is great for the garden but needs to be loaded with beneficial bacteria first. Using biochar it to filter the pond at the same time would be bonus.
No additions, corrections, or questions. I'm just feeding the algorithm monsters before tickling the thumbs up 👍 button.
Thanks Kev.
Legend 😊👍
Algorithm HUNGRY. I should probably add more words so YoutTube things it is a real comment
@@eulerizeit
Kev has cool ponds, good clips, and ALWAYS answers my questions. It's a small effort to help.
Watched Kev’s vids for awhile and decided to go from pressure filter to bog filter for my 500 g pond. Water has never been more clear.
Great to hear 😊👍
That's exactly what I did on my 4000L pond! It's a great way keep the water Cristal clear and very low maintenance 👌
That's crazy... who would have thought. Sounds good.
@@gillgiebens8837cool!
I've been using the information I learned from you for over a year, and my water is crystal clear here in Washington state. Dont argue with Kev... just do what he says!! You won't be disappointed... unless you like the "split pea soup look" 😋
🤣 thanks mate 👍
Set up a 55 gallon pond 2 months ago and had crazy algea... made an internal "filter" w a bunch of lava rock 2 weeks ago and today the water was crystal clear.. this channel helped me alot through the building the pond process
Great to hear 👍
Hey Kev, Thought I would provide a quick update here:
1. Rain gutters have been installed
2. Addressed the slow drainage issues in the backyard after a hard rain (it was more than likely contributing to the water getting under the liner)
3. I installed a 3inch drain pipe that runs under the pond liner and uses the hydrostatic pressure that builds up to force any water that may collect under the liner - I found a pond installer on CZcams who had a video on it)
4. It poured down rain 2 days ago (gutters worked great) and it was actually a blessing as I got to see exactly where and how the water was getting in.
I have taken some video that I will post when I have the pond all back together. Thanks again for all of your help.
That’s great to hear mate👍. I knew you’d get it sorted.
Currently working on making a bog filter out of a half whiskey barrel for my above ground "pond". Trying to figure out/decide what media to use in it so this was very helpful.
Tickle tickle tickle
The thumbs up button is feeling good 😉
Me too, I chose large rock then lava Rock then pee pebbles.
Another great video Kev. ❤
Thanks again! 😊👍
I commented something similar the other day on a different Oz video while sharing my many thanks for how amazing the bog system works. Love it! Right now I clipped about 50 marigold cuttings, put them in notches (sliced up pool noodles quarter inch thick) to propogate them in my small bog. I do this with other plants too, basil, other reedy perennials that do not mind the water, and will help filter. You can do some serious landscape changes using this method (even peanuts will grow in water folks!). Next step is a small hydroponic system outside of the pond that will eventually grow strawberries, kale, cabbage, that feeds ourselves, and the chickens. It all starts with the small pond I have, and marigolds :) Great keys to a really healthy farm/garden.
Did you try watercress? I am told it is a kind of spicy leaf salad (cropped as baby leaves) that specifically grows in water. I had thought about growing THAT vegetable in the bog but I didn’t think of growing the whole kitchen garden in it, lol. Thanks for the suggestion. 👍
Really cool 👍
Great timing as I am gathering my supplies to try my first small above ground pond and bog filter. I live where the land is low and swampy and rock is something that has to be purchased. I've been struggling with how to incorporate the cost of the rock into my plans. You have given me some additional avenues of exploration to hopefully come up with a solution. Thanks - I've really been enjoying your videos.
I’m glad it was helpful. Good luck with your project 👍
Our bog filter, which I built in may, is doing its job very well. Water gets clearer and clearer every week even while having high temperatures here. I'm looking forward to the water quality in winter. Must be crystal clear. I used a big flower pot, a layer of kitchen sponges and small and medium sized stones. Water has to work it's way up. The overflow makes nice sounds and adds oxygen to our 1200L pond. Also our pump has a UV lamp and an own small filter with sponge and stones, which wasn't enough.
Thank you for your help!
Great to hear 😊👍
Very helpful, thanks for sharing as I am setting up my new pond and using homemade filters with most of those medias mentioned. Great info always!
Glad it was helpful 👍
Another good job Kevin. Heading over to your website now for your pdf.
Hope it helps 👍
Excellent.
Thanks!
Well done mate!
great video, lots of options listed - and just an addition from my experience using many different filter media over the years - it might be a little bit of an expensive alternative but I believe the best filter media is: Seachem Matrix
Thanks for your input 👍
My pond and barrel were both green for about a month. I don't know if it was the unusually warm weather or the fact I didn't have the floating plants yet. I've now got water hyacinth and frog bit, and the water is 90% better. The barrel is unfiltered. Just has rice fish and plants. The pond is filtered and I think my bog is close to 10% of the pond volume. Anyway, thanks for your videos. I have ponds thanks your educational content. Cheers!
Probably the lack of plants. *Something* has to suck up the nitrogen, and if you don't have plants then algae will do that job. If you're 90% better now,. it's probably nothing to worry about further. The plants should grow a bit more and manage that final 10% on their own without you having to do any more about it.
@@bobprivate8575 this year has been particularly interesting because this is my third summer having the pond and I haven't changed anything about it, but I've really struggled with the water clarity this year. The previous two summers it's been crystal clear. And even the first summer I didn't have the floating pond plants though I did have some other plants. I do still have shore plants, some kind of Iris type things that are in the pond and in the bog filter. So there are some taking the nitrogen out but the floating plants will help a lot.
Life’s better with a pond or 8 😉
@@Ozponds yeah! I might build another one next summer
@@MarvinBowen 😂 you will. It gets contagious.
@8:20 re: relationship between rock size and surface area
Smaller rocks/pebbles will have more surface area relative to their mass.
Volume, which combined with composition determine mass, increases to the cube where surface area increases to the square.
If you take a fist-size rock and crack it in half like an egg, the total mass of rock remains the same,. but the surface area increases across the break.
Irregular shapes will also increase surface area- a pitted rock, will have more surface area than a same-sized one that is smooth and polished. Unfortunately this means marbles, which would look really cool as a top layer in a filter, wouldn't be very good as a filter medium.
That makes perfect sense. Thanks for sharing 👍
Aquascape provided a measure once of the aqua balls. The surface area was 5x at least the area of pebbles.
I think that was comparing a smooth river stone about 3/4 inch in size. I'd like to know how it compares to a piece of lava rock that size.
hi Kev, great work as usual.
i have a question. i recently just built the all in one mech/bog filter for my above grund pond. the question is, what are you thoughts on growing garlic in the bog filter?
i was looking through the fridge on stuff that needs to be thrown and we had some. i hear that garlic is good for fish when consumed, not sure if it would be suitbale to grow and give any benefit.
I think you would need to have a flood and drain system like in aquaponics. I think the garlic bulb would root if in a constantly submerged state. But I could be wrong. One way to find out, give it a try.
Sometimes I forget Australia has that Nazi state down south. Sorry you can't keep Koi Kev. Unfortunately that's what happens when the majority are idiots and don't understand you can't release pet fish into waterways. As with everything in this country the minority rules the majority. Keep up the great work mate your channel is awesome and when I leave for Canada it's coming with me.
I’d love to keep some koi.
Unfortunately there are idiots who release pet fish into waterways. Many Australian fresh waterways are sadly dominated by introduced and invasive fish species decimating the native species and ruining the waterway. It is a serious problem here.
by any chance is there a video on nano species that you would recommend for out door ponds?
I live in the central Med, where temperatures range from 40C in summer and potentially higher for short periods, and as low as 2 and 5 C in winter in winter evenings.
Keep it up and thank you for the videos.
There is but it’s more focused on Australian fish.
Great video as always Kev! Question for you, what's the best solution for slowing a pump down if you feel its too powerful? Currently, I'd like to slow my waterfall a little but I'm hearing confusing advice. Some say to use a flow reducer (basically a ball valve on the pump outflow) but some say this puts extra strain on the pump. I've seen others suggest using a T-piece to send some of the excess water back into the pond before it gets to the filter/ waterfall. What's your advice? Thanks!
T off n use excess water to create useful current in pond.
Yes. I like to the divert the excess water.
@@andrewdark3126 Thanks guys, could you explain a bit more about creating a useful current? Keen to learn as I'll likely be doing this sometime this weekend, cheers
@@bogglesbiggins1101 Use excess water from T junction to create a current across bottom to slow any buildup of fallen debis.
Oh and Scoria Rock over anything is best. Bio balls are plastic and let's face is when possible don't use plastic.
Any input on DIY stuff? Scotch brite pads, plastic shower loofah. I've seen several videos of people using it... And i happen to access to lots of it.
It’s very hard to test everything. But anything with a surface area will grow bacteria. You just might need more of certain materials to create the same surface area.
I am convinced that lava rocks are magic!
Lava rock is light but the most unsuitable for this purpose.
I stuck 15kg of alfagrog in the filter of a 3000l pond. The water was seriously green at the start. 10 days later it was clear. I did soak the stones in the detritus for 2 days before too though.
@@ChrisShortyAllen My bog filter is mostly lava rock. Works great!
@@MandyJane123700 mine too
@@ChrisShortyAllen interested to hear your thoughts on why it's not suitable
Have you tried charcoal as a filter medium?
Not as a biological media only as a mechanical media.
Is 50% bog size to pond ratio ok?
I’ve got no problem with an oversized bog.
Hi i have a bog filter that i copied from your youtube video its worked fine for 15 months but recently ive noticed water coming out of the pipe thats used to prevent syphon incase of power cuts i have no idea why please help .
If nothing's changed sense you made the pond (like new stronger pumps) than the filter might just need a clean.
Water will come out of the "anti syphon hole" when it has problems going out the bottom, or when a lot of water is going though at once.
It’s possible that the bog filter is clogged by build up of sediment. Kev’s videos always recommend to build the bog (be it a barrel or bigger) with pipes for cleaning. I think at least once or twice a year.
You should go back to the bog video and check the instructions. It’s also possible that you “think” you copied but missed a detail that now is giving you the problem. Good luck! 👍
Sounds like you just need a drain and flush to un-clog it.
I have a question about the oxygen in the water. When my kois swim up to the surface by the waterfall and gulping up the bubbles, this is a sign of the lack of oxygen in the pond. Besides the fish needing oxygen, what else in the pond uses oxygen. Friendly bacteria, do they consume oxygen? If they need oxygen to live and do their work, is it possible over dosing the pond with friendly bacteria could cause the drop in oxygen then therefore endanger the fish? Thanks in advance.
Bacteria, tiny organisms, fish and even plants consume oxygen. I’ve done a couple of vids on oxygen.
@@OzpondsThe pumps broke last season, i waited for winter be over to get better pumps. My goal is to have clear and clean water in the pond for my fish. Currently, the water is greenish, probably a foot of visibility. As part of the goal, I decided to dose the pool of bacteria. On the day after dosing, the weather turned much warmer. There was no sign of activity on the surface during the day. In the evening, the fish gathered around the cascading water and gulping. They didn’t have an appetite. The following day, I bought another pump, 2000 GPH, hoping it would help the situation. I ran the pump as is without a filter hoping the faster, more powerful cascade of water would produce more oxygen. It didn’t dawn on me the oxygen was also consumed by the bacteria, but it was too late. During the day, I used leaf blower to move the surface and to create air bubbles. At night, they still came up, gulping. Some had gotten back their appetite and came for the feeding. Overnight the circuit breaker where the pumps were running from tripped, it shut down the pumps. I got the pumps back on but I couldn’t save every one. Sadly I watched seven bodies floating to the surface. Two were saved. Ten years ago, they were tiny eggs. Each day we would meet by the side of the pond, and a feeding frenzy takes place. I watched them maturing and having babies themselves.
@@MT-gk9vh very sad 😔
How about activated charcoal? Aren't those things supposed to have really high surface area? 1000m2/g says a quick google search
Activated charcoal is very common as a mechanical filtering media, helps remove impurities. I haven’t seen it used as the sole biological media. When used as mechanical filter it needs constant replacement. I’d love to hear from folks who use it as a biological media.
@@Ozponds I was wanting to use the pond to activate biochar. Biochar is great for the garden but needs to be loaded with beneficial bacteria first. Using biochar it to filter the pond at the same time would be bonus.
Rocks are the best affordable filter media.
Always great info
Where Pumice?😂
😂 I hate saying that word. I really struggle!