Looking for a pond expert

[Zeb]

Hi, apologies if this is in the wrong place but I have looked and this seems the best place to post my little problem.

I've just taken over control of the garden pond as my mum wanted to fill it in as it was causing her too much time and effort which she can't cope with any longer mainly because of her medical condition and she just collected her bus pass...

I recently cleaned it out (I believe its a 1,000 litre pond) and within about half a week the water level dropped from about 1 inch below the top to this:

http://www.zeboliver.co.uk/pondpics/pond1.jpg

Its been losing water somehow for a few weeks now and in an attempt to eliminate as much as possible I replaced the small pipe on the left. This takes the water from the pump to the bio box filter (which was also cleaned out). What we can't figure out is that it can go for a couple weeks and lose nothing then it slowly empties itself. We often get birds bathing in the water feature so I've just removed the top tier and am now using a pipe to carry water from the bio box into the bottom tier:

http://www.zeboliver.co.uk/pondpics/pond2.jpg

Before removing the top tier I noticed a couple of the sides were wet where water had spilt over the edge even though there is an edge of about 1 inch - something had been in there, presumably a bird splashing around which is why I've covered what I can of the bottom tier with slabs to keep the birds off.

I've just checked it again and about 2 hours later it looks like its lost half an inch of water. I know the problem has got to be somewhere out of the pond because if we turn the pump off nothing is lost. I've checked the connections on both the inlet and outlet of the bio box and both are dry. I've even wondered it could be because mother has allowed the garden to spill over into the gulley around the inside edge of the pond but from the first picture you can see the water level has gone down below this.

Please, any help would be really appreciated. We're both pulling our hair out over this as we can't figure out what is going on!

[glsammy]

If you absolutely certain it's not leaking when the pump is off, it simply must be the feed to or from the pump or bio box. The ends may be dry but what about the pipe runs? Is the pump an external type? That area near the pipe in the second picture looks very wet to me...

[Zeb]

Both pipes are brand new and the wet area in the second picture is where I spilt some water removing the top tier.

The pump is submersed. We've had the pump turned off for a few months during the winter and no water is lost - it only loses when its turned on and even then sometimes it holds.

[Tursiops]

Hi Zeb
What a baffling problem! I'm no expert on pond construction but, as glsammy says, a leak within the pumping system would seem to be the obvious culprit. If you're sure that's not the case, and if no-one here can solve the problem, I suggest you try posting to this forum: http://www.gardenerscorner.co.uk/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi
There are some very knowledgeable people there. I'd like to know the answer myself, so be sure and report back

ATB
Tursiops

[pxl8]

The photos don't show the connections for the pump and filter so this is a guess but it could be a poor seal on those that weakens depending on the weather/temps allow water to escape. Also you need to check the filter box isn't getting clogged up and is sitting level or it could easily overflow.

If you've got fish in the pond also make sure the pump is raised off the floor so even if it pumps out some water will stay below the pump level and keep the fish alive.

[Zeb]

I'll go outside now and take a couple snaps of all connectors.

The pump is sat on four bricks located at the bottom of the pond. You'll be able to see when I post the pictures that the piping is held on using wire jubilee clips, not the flat type. Thought these would be best as the piping is corrugated - can't find any flat piping even from the garden centre nearby.

[Zeb]

Inlet:

http://www.zeboliver.co.uk/pondpics/pond6.jpg

Outlet:

http://www.zeboliver.co.uk/pondpics/pond7.jpg

Both are dry although the second looks a bit wet - again thats to do with the removal of the upper tier. I tipped the filter box back a bit so I could dry the outlet pipe so I could use duct tape on it.

When I have duct tape on I don't lose any water. I've checked the flow of water out of the filter box into the top tier and it pours in nicely. I believe its animals/birds bathing in the top tier but mother doesn't think that its possible to lose that much water that way.

[fbcpmike]

The black corrugated pipe is in fact flexible electrical conduit, we use enough if the stuff on our systems !, it's used in this context because it can be buried without squashing the pipe, ordinary pvc pipe would colapse.

Originally Posted by Zeb

When I have duct tape on I don't lose any water.

As in photo 7, yes ?. The problem is with the clips, the wire type do not grip the conduit in the right way leaving a very small leakage gap and in a pressurised system that leak can be quite big. Use the flat jubilee type clips, they completley surround the pipe, and tighten it down tight. Try to get at least one complete 'turn' of the pipe under the clip, it may help to warm the pipe in boiling water and squashing it lengthwise to bring the 'turns' closer together.


I had exactly the same problem a couple of years back and had to go to the flat type, problem cured.

[nightshade]

Hello Zeb,ponds can be a real pain,in the filter box is everything in the right order?could anything float around inside and block the outlet then move away and unblock it,letting the box overflow or because the flow is better could it be going over the back of the lower tier occasionally

[Zeb]

I'll give the flat jubilee clips a go, thanks for that advice. I have noticed in the past that underneath it was wet but couldn't see any drips.

As for the bio box, the exit pipe doesn't have a bend going down but is instead cut at an angle and points horizontally into the box. The contents have been noted to float but the top layer is a sheet of foam and I have observed this and never seen it close to blocking the pipe but will, however, monitor it more just to be sure.

I have checked the back of the first tier and its high enough for nothing to flow back over it.

Looking at the pond earlier I was thinking maybe we're losing water when its windy as I noticed behind the waterfall its wet!