I noticed this afternoon that the water level in my pond had fallen dramatically.

It's a 1000litre pond but it must have been down to at least 1/3 of it's depth.

I did notice recently that it was lower than usual but we have had nothing but rain recently.

The 9 fish (3 goldfish and 6 orfes) are doin ok, I've topped it up and turned off the pump and filter to see how things go.

My plan being that there can only be two reasons for the lack of water. Either I have a hole somewhere in my pond (solid plastic type) or the pump / filter is chucking out the water elsewhere.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Alec

If your pond stops going down before you have to pull your fish, you
might add about 1/4" of water and then begin dropping drops of milk
around the edge. Where the milk goes through the side is the lowest
leak. There could be several. Continue around the pond.

Patch the leak and either fill the pond or go up as high as you would
like next to check. See if it goes down. If so and if it stops,
repeat the leak check with milk.

If your problem is the pump, you should notice 300+ litres of wetness
near it!

Good luck.

Jim

Please let us know what you find and how you find it.

Jim

On Sun, 23 Mar 2008 00:00:22 EDT, AlecTPR
wrote:

My plan being that there can only be two reasons for the lack of water.
Either I have a hole somewhere in my pond (solid plastic type) or the
pump / filter is chucking out the water elsewhere.

I can't imagine a leak/hole just showing up in a preformed plastic
liner like the one I've been using for about 10 years, but if it
happens I have a good tip for you. 3M 5200 marine sealant, unless you
can weld plastics. It does have a 7 day cure time, but is permanent
once cured.
--
Hal Middle Georgia, Zone 8
http://tinyurl.com/2fxzcb

Do you have a water fall? Every spring, in my bio falls planted with mint,
etc., I have to watch very carefully as the mint "explodes" and diverts the
water over the edge of the falls and out of the pond. I have to pull
handfuls out and throw in the mulch pile.


"AlecTPR" wrote in message
...

I noticed this afternoon that the water level in my pond had fallen
dramatically.

It's a 1000litre pond but it must have been down to at least 1/3 of
it's depth.

I did notice recently that it was lower than usual but we have had
nothing but rain recently.

The 9 fish (3 goldfish and 6 orfes) are doin ok, I've topped it up and
turned off the pump and filter to see how things go.

My plan being that there can only be two reasons for the lack of water.
Either I have a hole somewhere in my pond (solid plastic type) or the
pump / filter is chucking out the water elsewhere.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.




--
AlecTPR

AlecTPR wrote:


I noticed this afternoon that the water level in my pond had fallen
dramatically.

It's a 1000litre pond but it must have been down to at least 1/3 of
it's depth.

I did notice recently that it was lower than usual but we have had
nothing but rain recently.

The 9 fish (3 goldfish and 6 orfes) are doin ok, I've topped it up and
turned off the pump and filter to see how things go.

My plan being that there can only be two reasons for the lack of water.
Either I have a hole somewhere in my pond (solid plastic type) or the
pump / filter is chucking out the water elsewhere.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.



What I have found, is that the liner is very rarely the culprit. When I see
a drop in water I check:

1. The water fall. Sometimes things shift about or plants grow. If I don't
regularly clean out the water hyacinth, they sometimes grow over the edge
and water wicks out that way.

2. The connections on pumps and valves. Sometimes a valve will get opened
slightly and drip out of my "empty the pond line".

3. Where the liner meets the edge of the pond. Sometimes plants or dogs push
the liner down, allowing a small trickle.

Two years ago I had an issue with loosing water. I looked for weeks and
couldn't figure it out. I finally thought the connection at the skimmer was
bad, so I redid it. No better. Long story short, but we finally discovered a
small crack in bottom corner of the skimmer.


San Diego Joe
4,000 - 5,000 Gallons.
Koi, Goldfish, and RES named Colombo.

I noticed this afternoon that the water level in my pond had fallen
dramatically.

It's a 1000litre pond but it must have been down to at least 1/3 of
it's depth.

I did notice recently that it was lower than usual but we have had
nothing but rain recently.

The 9 fish (3 goldfish and 6 orfes) are doin ok, I've topped it up and
turned off the pump and filter to see how things go.

You've started with best suggestion, top off and turn off.

Is the filter separate from the pond, so you can tell if the leak might be
there?

As JB mentioned, I've always found the majority of my water losses due to
streams/waterfalls. This winter though, on slow flow, and only one small
waterfall in operation, I was losing more than I'd ever noticed in summer
with full flow and hot weather. I turned everything off, and isolated the
filter from the pond. Neither pond lost water, but the ~ 140 gallons of
filter (in winter mode) had lost over an inch in an hour!

In my case I turned everything back on, and considered it my easy way of
doing a water change for winter. We figure bulkheads need to be re-silicon
as soon as weather & time permit. DYI filter is in it's eleventh year.
~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us

Well, After turning off the pump and filter since my original post, the water has stayed the same level since I topped it up (although we've just had an unusual drop of snow).

The picture aren't recent but it shows the waterfall.




I think the best thing I can do now it follow all the tubes coming from the pump in the pond out to the filter and then up to the waterfall.

Thanks for all the advice.

And this is something that I had thought about and there is no water of this quantity around. This is making me think the problem could be with the waterfall.

On Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:24:40 EDT, AlecTPR
wrote:


Well, After turning off the pump and filter since my original post, the
water has stayed the same level since I topped it up (although we've
just had an unusual drop of snow).

The picture aren't recent but it shows the waterfall.
[image: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3.../Dscf0706.jpg]

[image:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...062007001.jpg]

I think the best thing I can do now it follow all the tubes coming from
the pump in the pond out to the filter and then up to the waterfall.

Thanks for all the advice.

Is any of that ivy growing into the waterfall? ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us

On Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:24:40 EDT, AlecTPR
wrote:

The picture aren't recent but it shows the waterfall.
[image: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3.../Dscf0706.jpg]

Neat pond Alec! Is that two lights on the waterfall?

It looks good, but falls are notorious for pond leaks.
--
Hal Middle Georgia, Zone 8
http://tinyurl.com/2fxzcb

AlecTPR wrote:
Well, After turning off the pump and filter since my original post, the
water has stayed the same level since I topped it up (although we've
just had an unusual drop of snow).

The picture aren't recent but it shows the waterfall.
[image: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3.../Dscf0706.jpg]

[image:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...062007001.jpg]

I think the best thing I can do now it follow all the tubes coming from
the pump in the pond out to the filter and then up to the waterfall.

Thanks for all the advice.




Is that a mouse or rodent at the bottom of the waterfall ?

Again, the weather is not being kind to the north west English pond users....

Yes, there is ivy starting to covering all the back wall, but it's only just touching the waterfall now so I can't see this being the major issue.

The rodent mentioned in a previous post is in fact a stone rabbit, it seems to move around a little around the pond.

I've booked off a few days this coming week so I'd like some sun and then I'll investigate. I'm going to start with the pipework that is all behind the ivy as this might be the best culprit....

I know that it's not the tidiest of ponds, but it's my pond....

On Fri, 28 Mar 2008 18:57:02 EDT, AlecTPR
wrote:


Again, the weather is not being kind to the north west English pond
users....

Yes, there is ivy starting to covering all the back wall, but it's only
just touching the waterfall now so I can't see this being the major
issue.

What you see touching, could just be the beginning. It can be amazing what
will grow into and under the water stream (especially ivy) and it doesn't
take much to wick water out, not just drink it. Water tends to follow the
stem(s) back to the ground source of the plant and the ground sucks it up.

You'll have to let us know what the problem was once you get a chance to
investigate. Good luck with it. ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us

I know that it's not the tidiest of ponds, but it's my pond....


Alec,

I think we all have that sentiment. If I had to be tidy...well...I
couldn't.

Jim