Garden Pond

My other half is in hospital and I have been left 'holding the baby' in the form of our garden pond. It seems to me that the level has been going down at an abnormal rate and, with 15 fish in there, I find that worrying. With no rain, the water butts are empty but I have been filling them with tap water to which I have added the requisite amount of chemical before emptying them into the pond. My aim is to keep doing it until the pond has regained its 'normal' level. What I don't know is whether during the winter months this is what happens or whether it is likely there is a leak in the pond lining. Hubby not in a position to ask. Help!!

 

Afraid it does sound like a leak. You're doing the right thing about the water, though. The difficulty is how to find where the leak is, particularly in such awfully cold weather. I think in your position I'd be inclined to carry on as you're doing, and monitor the level of the water with some form of marker, so you know if there's really a loss or it's just your imagination, and hope the weather improves soon, for anything to be actually done. Good Luck, and hope your husband is ok soon.

 

Have you been running a waterfall, fountain or filter pump? If so, the leak could be in this system & easier to trace. :confused:

 

I have had a pond for many years and you always lose water during the summer but this winter my water levels dropped considerably and i feared the worst ie.leaky liner, so i turned off my pump for 2 weeks and no leak. The leak was in the pipe work from pump to waterfall.I was lucky this time ,hope you are to,thats assuming you have a pump.BEST WISHES TO YOUR HUBBY........

 

If its any consolation, I always top my pond up with ordinary tap water, I've only got goldfish, but they dont seem to mind.
Must add that I never have to top up in winter though.
Would like to say that we have a hosepipe ban on, but as I understand it, its still OK to use a hosepipe to top up a garden pond.

 

Thank you to everyone who replied to my plea for help. I've taken all your advice on board and am very grateful for it. The pond is now topped up and looking good so I shall monitor it and keep fingers and toes crossed. The pump is relatively new and I am reluctant to turn it off as, with this cold snap, the fountain and waterfall are helping to keep the pond from freezing. I've learned that much so there's hope for me yet!
Thank you again, Chrissie

 

There are useful things for keeping an open bit in a frozen pond if you have to turn things off - a polystyrene igloo thing with a weight. It really works. Worth keeping an eye open for, I'd say. Good luck

 

I turn my pump off in the winter because I believe it moves the warmer bottom water to the surface, thereby making the whole of the water colder, and you lose that effect of warm water on the bottom for the fish, I know the movement stops it freezing.
I dont bother about the surface freezing unless it freezes over for a number of days, which hasn't happened for about ten years now.

 

If your pond did freeze could it damage a pool liner?
We have a preformed pool at the moment but are putting in a new bigger pool soon with a liner.
A few years ago the pond froze and the expanding ice cracked the edge of the preformed pool a tiny bit.
I leave the pump on now all the time so the pool dosen't all freeze over.

 

You`ll find most ponds slope slightly at the sides,so the ice sheet formed can lift as it freezes.
Ice forming in a pond with perfectly straight sides could push into the liner and damage it,but liner is quite tough stuff.

As regards the pump, if you have fish, it`s best to turn it off as Dave2255 says you will cool the deeper water,which is warmer (depending on how deep the pond is) and the reason why fish head for the bottom in cold weather

In the winter temperatures the filter bacteria are also dormant and the fish aren`t feeding anyway, so the pump isn`t needed for that.
You should drain the pipework to prevent damage until spring.

 

I always leave my pump running in winter,the water seems to go slightly stagnent if not, and its no longer a problem to keep the water clear come springtime, it seems much healthier for me..I know every pond is different ,but us ponders need everything we can going for us.Roll on the summertime

 

If a pond freezes over and you have fish in it don't be tempted to break the ice with a hammer. It will send a shockwave through the water which can stun or kill fish that are on a low (winter) metabalisim.

An average pump will normally add sufficient heat and circulation to keep a portion of the pond free if you disconnect any fountains. If you don't want to run a pump then a sturdy frame covered with steel mesh and a piece of old carpet is also a good way to help keep a pond clear of snow and ice. Set it up on bricks or wooden battens to allow some air circulation underneath.