CW's Back Yard Water Garden Begins!

[bagsmom]

I am hoping that you can get most of the leaks fixed. If there are a few small, slowly leaking spots, maybe all that rain you guys get in the Pacific NW will help keep it topped off, so it won't be a big deal!

 

[combatwombat]

I emailed American Tilapia last night, and they replied today:

Hello
Please be aware evaporation is about 2-4 inches per day and condensation causes humidity in the outside walls dripping on the floor while temperatures even between water and environment.
All seams are computer tested. Liner is autoseal. Even if it has micro pin holes they will seal by themselves with mineral build up caused by the static on the membrane.There may be a smashing hole from the rocks. Please send a picture of the defect on welding. We have no claims this year on 3 million feet printed, therefore it can not be the material.
Sincerely
William
Americantilapia

Didn't send them any pictures yet. No videos. No accusations. Just a request for a call to discuss solutions when liner replacement is not possible. And that's the response I got. Immediately defensive. They've made lots of liners and no one has complained (yeah right...) so it can't be their fault!

And evaporation is 2-4" per day? Yeah right! Not even in the most arid climates. And I'm in Washington in Spring...

But I hope he's right about the mineral build up.

 

[combatwombat]

Okay, if I'm really only losing 100 gallons per day now (still unconfirmed) AND the formula for evaporation in this article is credible, then about 60 of those gallons are from evaporation, and only 40 are remaining due to leakage. That seems okay-ish @ about 3% water loss per week. And if those 40 gallons are coming mostly from a bunch of micro leaks that I can either plug or will plug themselves, then maybe things will be okay.

I am skeptical about that formula for evaporation and am looking forward to doing an actual test.

 

[bagsmom]

I am really keeping my fingers crossed for you on all this! You have a pond team, cheering you on and sending good vibes that all of this comes together: that there is evaporation going on and that the leaks will self-repair!

 

[jgrandmont]

"We have no claims this year on 3 million feet printed, therefore it can not be the material."

So their logic is since it hasn't happened yet, it can't possibly happen at all?

 

[j.w]

What a lousy response from them! Well guess they now have one complaint eh? I sure am hoping and praying all this works out for you and that those holes fill up somehow and that there are no big holes that you can't find. Too bad you didn't take a photo of that seam rip you had and fixed. I am living right here in the same area where you live @combatwombat and no way we are getting that much evaporation per day. I get free fill ups all the time now, I mean this Spring has been the coldest, wettest one we've had in a long time!

 

[JBViper4]

@combatwombat

I haven't been online since 2020 and I expanded my pond and built a bog. I had the same worries - leaks, algae, etc. Granted, my pond is only 900USg and my bog is built in a stock tank. This forum really helped me with advice (some great, most good, some well....) and mostly with support from fellow backyard ponders. It looks like you built an amazing pond, and with some patience and extra work, I think you're going to be ok. Your wife, maybe not so much until you kick back and enjoy your awesome pond. Best wishes for continued learning and success. I'd like to see a vid of you and your family relaxing pond-side when you finish this chapter of your saga.

 

[Tula]

Somehow, I didn't know all this was going on. I'm so sorry for the stress you're experiencing and am hoping the leaks are fixable.

 

[combatwombat]

Thanks again, everyone. The last week has been a real roller coaster of emotions. Think I'm headed back uphill now. Tomorrow is patching day. It will actually probably take a couple days to get them all, but that's what's on the agenda. Trying to figure out how to squeeze some patio building and final boulder placement in this week as well.

Feels like "big work" with Barney is always getting held up by little details that need to be sorted out before I can start steam rolling.

 

[j.w]

Sure hoping all this hard work w/patching will work for you and you can get back to finishing the pond @combatwombat

 

[combatwombat]

Alrighty, quick update:

1. Water loss is pretty dialed in. Rain stopped and sun came out for a few days. I'm now measuring a very consistent 100 gallons of loss per day. That's down from 250/day before patching a little gushing leak. Think as much as half of that could be evaporation, which means either all the other little leaks add up to 50 gallons or there's another, undiscovered mini-gusher. For now, I think I'll just finish the pond and continue to monitor.

2. I gave up on marking leaks. There are more than are worth counting, and some of them really do seem to disappear as quickly as I find them. One minute there's a drip coming through the liner. The next minute it's dry and dripping from somewhere else. Others are more permanent and heavier leaks. I'll plan to patch those.

3. Barney threw up. Blew a low-pressure hydraulic hose while carrying a rock into the back yard. Probably lost a gallon of fluid before I figured out what was going on and shut it down. Needs a 26mm hose. NO ONE sells metric hoses. Could do just fine with 1-1/8" hose. NO ONE sells 1-1/8" hose. Even tried calling a shop that sells genuine Komatsu parts. They couldn't figure out what hose to sell me and said it would be weeks before it arrived anyway.

Tried my luck today with a 1" hose, a heat gun, and every ounce of forearm strength I've built since puberty. Could not get it on the barbed fitting. Going to try a 1-1/4" hose and double up the hose clamps tomorrow.

4. What can I do about these frogs? My neighbors are going to lose their minds. I'm almost losing mine. I think they're multiplying by the day. There are SO MANY FROGS and they are SO LOUD and they go ALL NIGHT. I swear they were hiding in the bushes just waiting for me to turn the pump on. I just bought a 12-pack of decoy snakes. Will put them around the bank and maybe that will quiet them down? Animals are smart—probably won't work!

 

[combatwombat]

Oh, and water is clearing up. I can see the bottom again. Never went full pea soup green. Should I expect it to go through a pea soup phase before things settle out for good?

 

[addy1]

Oh, and water is clearing up. I can see the bottom again. Never went full pea soup green. Should I expect it to go through a pea soup phase before things settle out for good?

Mine didn't never had a green pond, just went clear.

 

[addy1]

What can I do about these frogs

They calm down after mating season. I like the noise , so do my neighbor, but I have no one real close.

 

[combatwombat]

They calm down after mating season. I like the noise , so do my neighbor, but I have no one real close.

I know this to be true. But the state fish and wildlife site says their mating season is November to July! They are cute, though. And I'm flattered they feel I've built a pond worthy of their presence.