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Inherited pond

midnightvelvetmidnightvelvet Posts: 19
in Problem solving

.....having to top up pond every day or two!   I inherited a fish pond from the previous owners and I  love it, but  every day or so, I have to top it up because the level goes down so quickly.  I don't think there's a "leak" anywhere although obviously I can't be certain, and I appreciate that some of the water will evaporate, but is it normal to have to top it up this often and if not, how can I check if there is any damage to the liner?

Also, the water pump spray rarely works unless I use a toothbrush to unblock the holes from the algae that keeps right on coming back!!  Can anyone advise me please on the best way to deal with these issues as I've never had a pond before and now absolutely nothing about them image

Thanks in advance xxx

 

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Posts

  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,051

    if you're having to top up so often, I'd say you do have a leak.

    Devon.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 83,859

    Are you having to top it up all year round, or just in the summer?  It's surprising how much water evaporates in the summer, but it shouldn't get lower in the winter.


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • pansyfacepansyface Posts: 21,902

    Does the water go down at the same rate when the pump is turned off? If it only happens when the pump is on you may have a broken pipe in the pump.

    Apophthegm -  a big word for a small thought.
    If you live in Derbyshire, as I do.
  • KT53KT53 Posts: 8,038

    In order to determine the level of any leak you need to stop filling the pond up until it gets to the point when the level stops dropping.  If you are having to top up regularly during the winter months it is definitely a leak.  Even in the summer you shouldn't have to top up too often except in very hot and dry periods.

    Roughly what size is the pond?

  • midnightvelvetmidnightvelvet Posts: 19

    Thanks everyone!  I am not good at estimating size but it's quite large, I will try and post a pic of it.  I do have to top up during the winter months as well but not as much as in the warmer or windy weather.  Possibly 10ft long and 5ft wide at the widest point.

    Aww...the pic wouldn't upload :/

    If there is a leak, how do I repair or replace the liner as I have quite a few fish in there 

    Thanks again x

     

     

  • pansyfacepansyface Posts: 21,902
    Check first to see if the leak is as bad when the pump is off as when it is on. Replacing a liner is a major job. Replacing a pipe is a minor one.



    We had to reline our pond when a heron stabbed a hole in it. It's not just the fish you have to consider, it's all the other stuff living in there that makes up the ecosystem. We had about a dozen of those big builder's buckets filled with fish, spawn, crustaceans, arthropods, plants etc etc. It took a week to empty, drain, reline, refill and rebed the coping stones. And our pond is only about 8'x4'x3'.



    Check the pump first.
    Apophthegm -  a big word for a small thought.
    If you live in Derbyshire, as I do.
  • midnightvelvetmidnightvelvet Posts: 19

    Oh crikey!  The poor fish stuck in buckets all that time as well.

    I will check the pump and thanks everyone for your replies xxx

     

  • KT53KT53 Posts: 8,038

    Whether or not you can repair a leak will depend on what the pond is lined with.  If it's butyl rubber you can get repair kits.  You would need to get the water level down a couple of inches below the hole, clean thoroughly and apply the patch.  Full instructions would be provided.

    If it's a cheap plastic liner you would need to replace it.  Easiest way would be to remove the fish, drain the pond and lay a new liner over the old.  Quite time consuming but I would think a week is excessive.  When we moved into our current house there was a 30' x 9' pond, lined with builders polythene which had completely broken down.  I emptied the pond, shortened it by about 6' by backfilling with soil from the original excavation which had been made into a 'feature', fitted the new liner and refilled that within about 4 days.  It was hard work!

  • midnightvelvetmidnightvelvet Posts: 19

    There is no way I would be able to do that as I am disabled so can only manage simple and basic stuff.  I have no idea what the liner is made of so it looks like I will have to just go with it for a while and see what happens.  I am currently leaving the pump switched off to see how long it takes for the level to drop.

    Thank you everyone for your input...I'll let you know what happens in the end LOL 

     

  • midnightvelvetmidnightvelvet Posts: 19

     

    I am overjoyed to report that the pond pump has been off for 3 days so far and the water level has hardly gone down at all, so I just need to find out how to fix the pipe now...thanks so much for all your input image

     

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