help! - trying to diagnose waterfall/pond leaking, not sure where
cow2215
8 years ago
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Need Pond Leaking Advice
Comments (4)When you're checking for leaks, when do you do it? I've got a smaller-than-that pond, but a very long stream & like chas045, what I've found is I lose water via slow overflows on the edge. But, for my stream, by the time I notice the water loss, there's not much wet earth to show for it--I think what's going on is as the water in the pond drops, the pump is pumping slightly less so it doesn't overflow the banks, so they dry up. I've found I need to check about 2-4 hours after refilling the pond. Do you have any control over the water going up? Can you divert it & run, say, half the stream--or 2 of the 3 waterfalls--just to try to see if you can get some idea where the leak is? Figuring that if adding a section to the non-leaking pond doesn't cause water loss, it doesn't have your leak in it. Good luck, your description sounds wonderful!...See MoreBuilding new pond with 2 small waterfalls - pump help
Comments (15)Hi Frank, The filter I have is the kind that the pump goes inside it. It comes with the filter media and some plastic things for the bacteria to live in. Just set the pump inside the filter box, place the plastic things on top, put in the media, and close the lid. Drop slowly into the pond. As I said earlier though, I cut a piece of pond underlayment to fit, and sandwiched it between the 2 filter pads it comes with. To me, the holes were just too big to filter out really fine silt. The pump will dictate the size of the hose. The hose on mine is 5/8'. It's black, and in the pond sections at the hardware stores. Comes in 20' sections. about $9.00. The link at the bottom is the Beckett page, and the filter I have is the 2nd one on the list, which comes with the 325 pump. I think I remember seeing the whole thing for about $119.00(HD). Lowe's has the same thing, under a different name though. Just make sure to match up the size of hoses while you're there, because the pump hose fittings are all different. I had the smaller pump/kit until I expanded my pond, and changed out the pump for the 325 gph. You could put a valve in, but I don't know if you will find that easily. But that would be great if you did. I had a hard time finding anything in 5/8' in black, but if yours will be hidden, it doesn't matter if it's black or not. My T is a 1/2', connected under water, with the 5/8' hose, very very tight, with a black cable tie. If you use a cable tie, make sure it's really tight, or water will leak out, and you will lose flow. You can use a metal hose clamp, but eventually they rust. I'm actually taking out one of the waterfalls this weekend, because I want to put in a bog shelf across one end of the pond. My pond is only about 3' wide, so I need to make the most of it. I consider my pond more of a water garden/water feature, so I have the water flow really scaled back, because it does splash out, and it's next to a cracked tiled patio, which has grout.(water splashes out-grout gets green) It's as big as it's ever going to get though, because it's wedged in a corner, in the ground, inside a 40X18' screened enclosure. Believe me, you will change/expand this no matter what, several times down the road, if you're able, because once you have a pond, you'll want it bigger. ;-0) Here is a link that might be useful: Pond filter...See MorePond leaking slowly--can't figure out problem
Comments (2)I would do the easiest first, which is check your plumbing to see if there is a leak to the drain. The valve may be leaking from trash in it, even though it is closed. Second, I would check for leaks in everything above ground. Just a drip would drop the pond that much. Then, I would physically separate everything above ground from the pond. That will tell you if it is the pond or the plumbing. Take the pump, etc, out of the pond and set the pump in a tub above ground and run all the system see if the water in the tub drops. If it is the pond, there has to be a hole somewhere. If it is the pond, look at the trouble spots, where connections are made or pots and rocks are set. I would then drop the water in the pond, say to half depth and see if the water still drops. That will tell you where to look for the leak. Be sure and look at the most simple, practical thing first....See MoreHow to diagnose my pond water issues?
Comments (4)Right off the bat I'd say your filtration is inadequate, and you may have a lot of dead plant material rotting in there, which is bad for water quality. Generally your turnover (amount of water going through filtration system) for 9K gallons should be at least 4500 g/hr. More is better. You need bottom drains and serious filtration for Koi. Koi are very dirty fish and even with no koi your pond doesn't sound very good right now. They are a big step up from goldies so get your pond right first and talk to koi people before getting even one koi. Filtration consists of: --mechanical (for fish poop, leaves, etc) --biological (a place for a large number of ammonia andnitrite eating microorganisms to grow and remove impurities from the water) --fines (a bead or sand/gravel--one for ponds, not a pool type--filter for removing tiny particles that the mechanical filter doesn't get, such as dead algae) --UV (to kill off floating algae that green up the water) Although some filters can provide more than one type of filtration, they are all best at one particular job. A separate mechanism for each phase is a good idea. In addition to filtration, plenty of aeration, especially in warm weather. Warm water holds less oxygen then cold. A foam fractionator is a plus, but if the mechanical filter is highly effective, a foam fractionator can be necessary. Start reading and researching. There's a lot of information out there, much of it contradictory! You have to keep reading and learning to know what is going to work for you. Joining a koi or pond club is also a great way to learn. You can meet some very experienced people who will not agree with each other on how to do things. But learning from them why they do what they do and what their knowledge is based on is enlightening. The more you know, the more satisfaction you'll get from your pond and the healthier it will be....See Morecow2215
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agocow2215
8 years agochas045
8 years agocow2215
8 years agocow2215
8 years ago
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