Pond dug, liner in...now pump/waterfall concerns

[Nepen]

look at the waterfall, see if any water run to any place you dont want to. then look at the splash, does it splash a lot? you can also lost water that way. is it a hot day?

You might have several small water losses through the waterfall runoff (water runs the wrong way) the splash, and the heat/wind and combined all might be a lot.

if you dont think any of these are causing all the water loss, let the water drop to the lowerst point it could to see where the leaks in the liner is.


sorry this happened

mine lost about an inch a day but stopped at about 3 inches below level, so mine just water loss through waterfall/ water splashing/ water whisking.

 

[sissy]

plants will absorb more water when it is hot also .I know i have plants in kitty litter in pots and they really absorb a lot of water when it is hot and dry .I was wondering just how much water so put a plant in a pot with kitty litter and then in a tote filled with 2 gallons of water and a ruler to check , 1 day and 2 inches lost ,3 days and I lost 8 inches of water and it went from 85 degrees up to 95 after the first day .A week and I had lost over 12 inches of water and I also kept it from getting rain water .Whenever it would rain I would move it under the front porch .It would still pick up some blown under the porch rain but not that much .By the end of week 2 there was no water left in the tote .I used one of my grasses in the tote .

 

[DMB21]

@Nepen, I plan to let it go for a few days to see if/where it stops. My gut says it's a hole, as I had no water level issues until now -- and we're looking at about 2 or 2 1/2 weeks of consistent water levels. It hasn't been hot here. In fact, the last few days have been quite cold (nights dropping to the mid-40's, which is about 25 degrees cooler than the norm). The waterfall drops out over the pond, and while there is some minimal splashing that causes some water leakage, it doesn't trickle down the rocks, so there's no water loss from that area. The other problem area is that tube that has a small leak -- but I have it set to run all water back into the pond. I suppose I'll have to pull that apart and work on a better fix there.

I'm assuming the leak is at the same spot as the hole I patched before putting the liner in the ground. I hope that's the case, as I don't know why I would have developed another hole.

@Sissy, this didn't seem to be a gradual water loss, as I was out in the yard to cut grass Monday evening and all was well. Yesterday I went out and the water level was quite low. Also, of significance is that we had some major downpours last week and another on Tuesday of this week. If anything, these downpours that brought at least an inch of rain per storm should have helped to bring the water level back up.

As always, thanks to both of you for responding!

 

[sissy]

I never trust those patches even if you think you seal them and they look tight I really wonder how they last .I put rubber roofing in since I got it so cheap and it is 45 mil and hope it lasts .No dogs ruining another liner .Is the patch you made on the side or on the bottom ,I would think shear pressure from water would make it tight .I know with my neighbors small hole near the top I patched both sides of it .I figured it could not hurt .I used that sealant in the yellow tube it was not cheap and had to order it online last year .Someone posted it on the pond forum and I saw it and decided it was worth the try .Not sure what the name of it was

 

[sissy]

looked and I wrote it down in my book it was called gold label and that is all I wrote and the date when we fixed the leak

 

[DMB21]

The patch was on the side about 8 inches from the bottom. I patched it originally 2 years ago when the pond was in its original location. I used a rubber "pond patch." It held well, but when I moved the pond I figured I'd reinforce the patch with Flex Seal on both the front and back. I can't see any other location where I might have a leak, but I can't imagine this opened up. Who knows.

 

[DMB21]

It's been a while since I've been around, but for those who helped me so frequently (and successfully) last summer, I thought I'd check back to update with a few photos! I originally had 10 goldfish in the pond, 6 died within a month, but the final four not only lasted through the summer, but survived the winter and are going strong. I added another 10 goldfish and 3 tadpoles last week. All are doing well. I've also added some vegetation and a second pump (a fountain) at the opposite end of the pond to help water flow -- which seems to have helped keep the water a bit clearer (does that seem logical?) Lastly, I finished the overall landscaping project surrounding the pond.

Thanks again to everyone who helped me so kindly last summer!

 

[Nepen]

I've been wondering Glad that your pond/fish are doing great. I love all the signs you got. The plants look good too.

Just my humble opinion that adding 10 goldfish in one time is going to strain your filter a bit. Normally I heard people suggested to add small amount at a time.

I added 4 container bog (planters filled with pea gravel, run water through them and water flow back to the pond, then added plants in the container) which helped clear up my water quite a lot. I also added a pre-filter (just a small container with lid, drilled holes in them, line with quilt batting and put the pump inside) that also helped with my pump getting clog too fast and clear the water too. just a thought.

What type of tads did you put in?

 

[DMB21]

I've been wondering Glad that your pond/fish are doing great. I love all the signs you got. The plants look good too.

Just my humble opinion that adding 10 goldfish in one time is going to strain your filter a bit. Normally I heard people suggested to add small amount at a time.

I added 4 container bog (planters filled with pea gravel, run water through them and water flow back to the pond, then added plants in the container) which helped clear up my water quite a lot. I also added a pre-filter (just a small container with lid, drilled holes in them, line with quilt batting and put the pump inside) that also helped with my pump getting clog too fast and clear the water too. just a thought.

What type of tads did you put in?

I guess I'm too late with that! I suppose we'll see what kind of strain it puts on the pond, but so far so good -- the water is crystal clear and has been all summer. Hopefully I didn't just ruin that. For the record, I added filtration boxes like this to both pumps, so I'm hoping that will help keep the pond clear. As for the tadpoles, I have no idea. As stupid is this sounds, I didn't even think to ask. I got them at the local landscape/pond center ad told them it was for a 500 gallon pond and the gentleman (I believe he is the owner of the company) said they would be a good fit.

I have a few quick questions.

1. Some of my plants appear to be outgrowing their planters. Should I allow this to happen, or should I gradually be re-planting them in larger planters? Also, if they're to be fully submerged, should I simply plant them in pea gravel and call it a day, or should there be some dirt/sand in there as well?

2. I just was looking around at filters online and somehow came across someone selling small freshwater clams for ponds. One review was from a person in SW Pennsylvania, and he said they were a great purchase and did just fine over the winter for him. He didn't indicate pond size. I'm always looking for new life for my pond -- especially for the entertainment of my young daughter, who just loves watching the fish. Anyway, I realize clams wouldn't be anything to watch, but I also read they are a great at filtration and wondered if my small pond would be too small for a few of them? Is there anything else, aside from goldfish, koi, and tadpoles/frogs that I could put in the pond?

 

[Nepen]

lol, just keep testing water and do water change if you see ammonia spike the filter will keep up eventually but it might take a bit of time. Plants help too.

That's the pre-filter I'm talking about, mine is just DIY

I guess your tads are bullfrog tads, are they huge and greenish and spotted?

1. I think it depends on you. I think some people want to control their plant so they kept them in pot to easier maintain/cut back/fertilize if need be. I think for lilly, if you let them loose they might take over the pond easily lol. I have mine contain so i can move them and cut them if I want since my pond is small. If you want to plant them in the pond without pot, pea gravel or just stick them in between the rocks will be the most benefit for your pond (the roots take nutrient from water directly)

2. I have read about this on here a while back, that the clams can die and will pollute the water and the hardest part is to find which one died. may be you should search the forum for this

Anya

 

[DMB21]

lol, just keep testing water and do water change if you see ammonia spike the filter will keep up eventually but it might take a bit of time. Plants help too.

That's the pre-filter I'm talking about, mine is just DIY

I guess your tads are bullfrog tads, are they huge and greenish and spotted?

1. I think it depends on you. I think some people want to control their plant so they kept them in pot to easier maintain/cut back/fertilize if need be. I think for lilly, if you let them loose they might take over the pond easily lol. I have mine contain so i can move them and cut them if I want since my pond is small. If you want to plant them in the pond without pot, pea gravel or just stick them in between the rocks will be the most benefit for your pond (the roots take nutrient from water directly)

2. I have read about this on here a while back, that the clams can die and will pollute the water and the hardest part is to find which one died. may be you should search the forum for this

Anya

The tads are about an inch and a half -- maybe 2 inches -- long, greyish and not spotted (to my recollection). My guess is American Bullfrog tadpoles based on online images.

Thanks for the planter tips.

I'll have to search for the clam info! Thanks

 

[Nepen]

https://www.gardenpondforum.com/threads/freshwater-clams.14139/

this is the one I read a while ago

 

[DMB21]

https://www.gardenpondforum.com/threads/freshwater-clams.14139/

this is the one I read a while ago

Yep -- just found it and read it before you posted the link. Thanks for doing so, btw. I'm torn. I'd love to try it, and since my pond is relatively small, I would think i could find the dead clam if necessary. On the other hand, I'm afraid of messing up what appears to becoming a very good habitat. Are there any other forms of animal life I can put in the pond? I don't want koi and already have goldfish and tadpoles.

Also, should I have a substrate on the bottom of the pond? I never really thought of this until reading the clam thread. Right now, there's some chicken scratch, which I used to balance out the pH -- but certainly not enough to cover the bottom. Should I add sand or small river rock? If so, what is best and what is the process? And, with that being said, what is the benefit of having it as opposed to not having any substrate?

 

[Nepen]

I also think it depends on your preference. A lot of people here would suggest not to put anything in the bottom as it's easier to clean (which I agree). I have some rocks at the bottom and even though not covered the bottom, I can see how the part with bare liner is cleaner than the part with rocks. I'm about to take a lot of them out!

You can try turtle (they can escape so you need fence for this). Dragon fly normally come by themselves. snails? Shrimp or crayfish? crayfish can walk out of the pond though, so it'll need to be in the pond with straight wall. salamander?

I just added Watonai (a type of goldfish with Shubunkin body and fantail) to my pond (well, they are in QT at the moment) so may be you should look to that.. but you have a lot of new fish at the moment so may be wait a few weeks to see how it goes before adding anymore fish.

 

[DMB21]

Ahh, good point. When you clean the pond, do you just use a net and scoop out the leaves, debris, etc? Do you ever do a water change? Are there any other steps you take when cleaning?

We thought about a turtle, but a fence is not in the cards for my overall landscape design. Snails and crayfish have been on my mind. My wife is leery of snails, as we've seen them multiply drastically in a fish tank -- to the point of ridiculousness. They got to the point that they would just cover all of the walls, and no method of removal did the trick. Crayfish worry me, as I wonder if they would try to nip at/eat my fish? As for shrimp, what kind? I didn't realize there were fresh water shrimp -- and I wonder if they'd survive the winter?