Sometimes the water level in your fish pond will drop. In most cases, it’s just evaporation as a result from summer heat or sunlight. There are specific calculations and some science behind figuring out exactly how much water will evaporate from water features, but we aren’t going to get into that here. We can expect 3 inches of water loss per week in normal conditions. If you DO have a leak, adding water daily or weekly can be a daunting task on you and your livestock. We can handle it for you, or we can walk you through finding the leak yourself. Let’s talk about what to do if you think you have a leak and want to DIY.
First, let’s find the leak. We can diagnose the location of leaks in water features with a couple of tests. If your system leaks when everything is turned off, you have a leak in the basin or reservoir. Let the pond leak down until it stops in order to find the leak a little quicker. If your pond leaks only when water is circulating, then maybe it is in the waterfall or plumbing. Check for water spilling over the edge of the liner, or maybe a waterfall is dammed up a little. Corrugated or kink-free flex tubing will dry rot over time and is a common problem.
Now that we know where it’s leaking, let’s think about repair. It may be necessary to remove fish and livestock from the water feature to keep them stress-free while you work. We have holding tanks that we use, so your loved ones have a little spa day while we work.
A fish pond repair needs to be done using appropriate methods. Sometimes just pulling the liner up will take care of it. Replacing plumbing lines should be done with non-toxic materials. We run across some pretty unique fixes, BUT spray adhesive is never a good idea. We can patch EPDM liners quickly with materials that are fish safe. Call us if you need help! 423-788-9985
Finally, once you finish the repair, you will want to test it. Keep an eye on your livestock and water levels for a couple of days to ensure everything went well.
TIP: If refilling your koi pond with tap water, set a timer on your phone. We have heard LOTS of horror stories from local fish hobbyists. Koi and goldfish do not like chlorine, and it will hurt and often kill them. When adding water, set a timer to remind you to turn the water off. We have had massive fish kills from people leaving the spigot running overnight, so keep an eye on it.
If this seems like too much to handle, give us a call. We design, repair, maintain and install custom water features all over east Tennessee and would LOVE to help you.
