So I have a plastic pond liner pond which is about 4 feet wide and 2 feet deep. Recently it has been losing water all of a sudden. We had it for around 10 years and it started happening all of a sudden. And right next to it is an even smaller circular shaped pond which gives the water fall to the bigger pond. We use a 80 gph pump and connect a tube so the water comes out from there. We have 4 small comets in there and recently I put in a water lettuce. Its after a couple weeks after I put in the water lettuce the pond started losing water. Every couple days it loses like 2 inches of water so I keep having to add more water in it. What could be the cause? The pond is in shade all day and gets absolutely no sun btw.
Pond losing water
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Ruben Miranda
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Hi
A pic would help.
If I understand
You run the water from the lower pond to the prefab pond and it water falls back to the lower pond ?
Is the water lettuce in the flow of the water fall causing a back up and water over flow over the edges of the pre fab. ?
Did you check the tube or water line from the pump for cracks or leaks.
Also the leak could be also in the lower pond also.
I would disconnect the pump from circulating and watch got see if the leak is truly at,the top or lower pond.
Years back I had a prefab and it crack at the bottom.
So I drained it put a cheep liner in it and refill. And saved for a bigger pond.
G l
Ruben
A pic would help.
If I understand
You run the water from the lower pond to the prefab pond and it water falls back to the lower pond ?
Is the water lettuce in the flow of the water fall causing a back up and water over flow over the edges of the pre fab. ?
Did you check the tube or water line from the pump for cracks or leaks.
Also the leak could be also in the lower pond also.
I would disconnect the pump from circulating and watch got see if the leak is truly at,the top or lower pond.
Years back I had a prefab and it crack at the bottom.
So I drained it put a cheep liner in it and refill. And saved for a bigger pond.
G l
Ruben
Well this is all I have now in my phone. You can't see it but the small pond that is giving the water fall is on the right.
So if if there is a crack in the bottom of the pond, is there a way to fix that? Or would I have to replace with a new liner. Because I don't think any place sells the exact size of the pond liner we have now and its in such a tight space I can't dig any further.
So if if there is a crack in the bottom of the pond, is there a way to fix that? Or would I have to replace with a new liner. Because I don't think any place sells the exact size of the pond liner we have now and its in such a tight space I can't dig any further.
Mmathis
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Plants can soak up a lot of water, esp is you are having a hot, dry spell.
Ruben Miranda
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Hi
Yes hard to tell from that pic, are those big plants in pots in the water or are they in dirt behind the pond ?
I only see one water lettuce so I doubt it is causeing any problem at all.
What I was saying is about relining the prefab pond
Drain it dry the best you can leave it right there do not remove.
Get a what ever size you would need of liner and put it in the prefab you already have. Then refil with water and trim off the excess liner.
Let it run fora day or two and if you can keep your filter running and not lose your bio, you can put your fish back in with little to no stress to them.
But to be safe keep a eye on then and the water chemistry to be safe.
I hope I am explaining myself right.
Ruben
Yes hard to tell from that pic, are those big plants in pots in the water or are they in dirt behind the pond ?
I only see one water lettuce so I doubt it is causeing any problem at all.
What I was saying is about relining the prefab pond
Drain it dry the best you can leave it right there do not remove.
Get a what ever size you would need of liner and put it in the prefab you already have. Then refil with water and trim off the excess liner.
Let it run fora day or two and if you can keep your filter running and not lose your bio, you can put your fish back in with little to no stress to them.
But to be safe keep a eye on then and the water chemistry to be safe.
I hope I am explaining myself right.
Ruben
Mmathis
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Sounds like a great idea!
They are hostas and they are in dirt behind the pond. Not in the water. And what do you mean by prefab and relining?
sissy
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could mean end of it's life span for those preforms most times .sorry but most only last that long .Better to take it out and get epdm liner
Mmathis
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A prefab is the plastic formed pond that you have. What @Ruben Miranda means is to leave your pond in place, leak and all, and get some pond liner [EPDM] to put down over the prefab. Or, if you wanted to and have the room, you could yank the prefab, dig your hole a little larger then put down a liner.
Ruben Miranda
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Exactly right.
Mmathis
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I would say that you would/should drain it first. Is there a problem with draining it? I mean, you could try, but you might find it's not as easy as you'd think.
Ruben Miranda
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Hello
I would not recommend doing that
I know it sounds easy enough
You will end up with a a floating liner with water in between and bumps.
Very bad creases and then you will get fungus and other stuff growing and then the smells will start.
You can do this in a day or less and at a low cost.
Material needed
Liner (big enough to cover the whole pond)
One very clean plastic trash can barrow 2 if you can do it or have them on hand. If they are old and might have leaks.
Get real big trash bags. To line the trash cans.
Declor and stress coat
Ok here we go
Get the trash cans ready, if new wash out very well (do not use soap or any other cleaner) if they are used cans then line them with the trash bags and avoid contaminating the pond water.
Take your or a pond pump and pump half of so of the pond water in to the barrow at this point net your fish and.put them in the barrow.
Now pump the rest of the water in to the narrows as much as you can save.
If the bottom of the pond is reall Muckey/dirty do not pump that in to the barrows. Pump that stuff in to the yard.
If you can run your filter where your fish are and put your plants in.
And put some stress coat in to or three cap fills should be fine.
Now remove the remaining pond water and muck and dry it with towels the best you.
Spread out new liner push down and do the creases as you go around
Leaving over lap across the top. Now take a clean rag and wet it and wipe down the liner.
Get your house out and put some water in with some decor maybe a couple gallons or so, pump some of you pond water out of the narrows enough to get your filter going and circulating.
Put a little more pond water and decor and dress coat.
Go have a snack letting the pond circulate a bit.
Put some more pond water in and your fish and plants back in.
With the pond full and liner streched you can now trim the excess liner around the top and cover with rocks or what ever you have there now.
Keep a eye on fish over the next few days and feed very little in till you see that they are no longer stressed and everything is doing well.
Sounds like a lot but it really is not.
Hope I did not miss any thing
Good luck
Ruben
I would not recommend doing that
I know it sounds easy enough
You will end up with a a floating liner with water in between and bumps.
Very bad creases and then you will get fungus and other stuff growing and then the smells will start.
You can do this in a day or less and at a low cost.
Material needed
Liner (big enough to cover the whole pond)
One very clean plastic trash can barrow 2 if you can do it or have them on hand. If they are old and might have leaks.
Get real big trash bags. To line the trash cans.
Declor and stress coat
Ok here we go
Get the trash cans ready, if new wash out very well (do not use soap or any other cleaner) if they are used cans then line them with the trash bags and avoid contaminating the pond water.
Take your or a pond pump and pump half of so of the pond water in to the barrow at this point net your fish and.put them in the barrow.
Now pump the rest of the water in to the narrows as much as you can save.
If the bottom of the pond is reall Muckey/dirty do not pump that in to the barrows. Pump that stuff in to the yard.
If you can run your filter where your fish are and put your plants in.
And put some stress coat in to or three cap fills should be fine.
Now remove the remaining pond water and muck and dry it with towels the best you.
Spread out new liner push down and do the creases as you go around
Leaving over lap across the top. Now take a clean rag and wet it and wipe down the liner.
Get your house out and put some water in with some decor maybe a couple gallons or so, pump some of you pond water out of the narrows enough to get your filter going and circulating.
Put a little more pond water and decor and dress coat.
Go have a snack letting the pond circulate a bit.
Put some more pond water in and your fish and plants back in.
With the pond full and liner streched you can now trim the excess liner around the top and cover with rocks or what ever you have there now.
Keep a eye on fish over the next few days and feed very little in till you see that they are no longer stressed and everything is doing well.
Sounds like a lot but it really is not.
Hope I did not miss any thing
Good luck
Ruben
Mmathis
TurtleMommy
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@Ruben Miranda Excellent! But I wouldn't trim the liner, except the parts that are super excessive.
Ruben Miranda, thanks that is a great advice. But what is a decor and stress coat used for? If its some cleaning device, I already have beneficial bacteria for sludges. And would you recommend putting back the same water in the new pond from the barrel or should I fill the new pond with new water from the hose?