2) Drain, then fit a pond liner into the nice neat hole
2) sounds better but I am worried about placing liner in a cement-lined
hole. I once saw rain get between liner and the wall of the pond.

The best solution would be to fix the leak, but how you go about finding the
leak I haven't got a clue.

Having said that though, I remember the local water authority used to put
fluroscene die (not sure on the spelling) into water to trace leaks. It is
an
extremely strong die, just a teaspoon full would colour an entire Olympic
sized swimming pool! I don't think it is toxic - but I'd check before using
it anywhere near Koi! Just a small amount of it in water turns it into a
blue/green colour. It is then a case of looking for the coloured water.
Perhaps a few small bore holes at strategic places around the pond?

Perhaps this technique could be put into reverse? If you completely drained
the pond and put died water all around it, you may get tell tale marks
appearing as the water/die leaked INTO the pond?

I agree with you on point 2. When I had a slow leak in an old liner I went
out to get a
replacement and had the intention of placing the new one in the old one.
Luckily I bought the liner from an aquatic centre with experts at hand. They
told me NOT to do that otherwise I'd just end up with a waterbed as water
got between the two liners and forced them apart. However, I could put the
new liner into the old provided I slashed plenty of holes in the old liner.
In your case I guess this would mean smashing the bottom of the existing
pond in a number of places to ensure free drainage. It should then be
possible to put a new liner in.

--
Drakanthus.


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