Ok, 1st- THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!
I took some time and got in my pond to do some investigating- bare with me, as I try to explain lol... Also, the skimmer basket thats on the pump really needed to be cleaned- doing so made a big difference and the waterfall flow has improved greatly- still not back to what it was, but I'd say about 75% back to full flow...
>>My new question/discovery: the submerged aeration device runs from a Laguna motor/pump, the aerator itself is large, I'd say about a foot wide, circular with a flexible cloth top and about 6/7" tall (I hosed it down but couldnt find a make and Google search hasn't helped to identify it)... I see the clear tube that brings air from the pump to the submerged aerator but it also has a large (2-3in) black tube connected to it... where does that tube run to? The lines are buried already so I cant tell- I'm thinking it's running to the skimmer basket/pump... the other 2-3" black tube in the system runs from the uv light (I believe directly to the waterfall) ...sooo, does this mean that the aerator is also responsible for returning the water to the system? Theres a large hole on the bottom of the aerator the part that sits on the pond floor- theres no mesh or anything covering it... is this right? My thought is that if in fact this hole on the bottom of the aerator is also the only thing bringing water to the skimmer basket on the pump, then there should a) be some sort of grate or screen on it to prevent clogs, and b) shouldnt it be sitting on a brick or something so that the liner doesnt get sucked up into that hole like a vacuum (if that hole is actually even an intake!) ...I wish I would've brought the aerator back up after I cleaned the skimmer basket to see if that hole had suction or not (prior to cleaning the skimmer basket it did not feel like there was)... I will if itll help us!
I've Google searched for so long and nothing shows 2 tubes running from an aerator... but i think the pond water must run from the aerator right to the skimmer on the pump, then to the pool filter, then to the uv light and then circulates back to the pond by way of the waterfall... we do not have a skimmer box in the pond... does this make sense?? There are no other tubes or devices... so I guess the major question is: does the aerator serve 2 purposes?? Brings air into the water and also suctions water out to the pump?? Or am I crazy? Lol
Thank you to any and all who read this and are trying to follow- I know that my descriptions and knowledge at this point are very elementary- so I really appreciate anyone who has kept with me thus far!