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We moved house a few months ago and we have a small pond at the top of the garden. It's about 6ft square and around 2ft deep.
The pump/filter thingy was blocked today so I cleaned it out and popped it back in. The fountain was back up to pressure and the waterfall was working again but I think I've managed to cause a leak somewhere behind the water fall as the pond level has started to drop.
I'm hoping I can get away with disconnecting the feed to the waterfall and just have the fountain thingy running to stop the leak but I still need to top the pond up. I read somewhere you aren't supposed to use tap water as the chlorine in it can kill fish? There is a water butt at the side of the house that is full of rain water but whether that is better than tap water or not I do not know.
I also have a load of pissed off looking frogs wondering why they can't get out of the pond anymore, I suppose I could ask Quirrel to top it up?
Build them a little seat at the side to hop up onto. Sort of like a toad stool.
Use water from your butt.
Standing or sitting? 🙂
Tap water will be fine if the balance of the water in the pond is natural.
And does it matter that my butt is full of larvae? (Something I never imagined I'd ask).
Water butt water is rain water from your roof. The same stuff that tops it up during the winter when it's raining. It's also free, unlike the treated stuff from the tap.
The fish will eat the larvae which is a good thing.
Win win!
Thanks.
Will I be ok to disconnect the feed to the water fall and have that straight back into the pond? It's one of these if it helps: http://www.pondkeeper.co.uk/-hozelock-easyclear-9000-free-hose-clips-and-bulb/p994?gclid=CM3W1sT7p8wCFdUW0wodXdkMIQ
Get Quirrel round. He doesn't mind where he pisses...
I did ask in my original post.
Sorry, tired and missed that...
Had exactly the same problem.
Don't keep topping it up with tap water.
We did and everything died.
If you do have to use tap water because nothing else is available, follow the instructions and use 'Tapsafe'.
If you empty the butt you can fill he butt from the tap and leave it for a few days with the lid off. Give it a stir every now and again. We've not had problems, even during the drought when we had to keep doing this to top the pond up.
Adjusting the plumbing should be fine, there's probably a valve somewhere to allow it.
We've been topping up our pond with tap water for 20 years with no ill-effects, it still has (one) fish, newts, frogs and lots of insects etc in it.
So use tap water.
Drink beer. Pee in pond.
For the long term I have a butt near the pond with a buried hose to the pond. The but has an overflow near the top so any excess goes straight to the pond, the pond has a soak away system for if it gets too full. I have a cheap air pump on the butt so it stops it stagnating, and have daphnia in the butt. Never need to top the pond up and infinite live food for the fish.
Sounds like a nice set-up, would love something I could leave alone.
What's best for cleaning it out?
It doesn't look like it has been done for a long time, there's algae clinging to the sides/pump etc but the water/surface is nice and clear (until I pulled the pump out.
Check the hose to the waterfall for leaks? There's probably a valve so you can adjust the flow to the waterfall which you can turn off. You can get barley straw to put in the pond to help with the algae.
If you've got a combined pump / filter be prepared to clean it more often than seems sensible. In the end we got a solid handling pump and monster sized box filter.
Another vote for tapsafe if using the mains to top up.
In some areas it may be overkill but quality and other factors vary a lot with area.
I suppose I could ask Quirrel to top it up?
Tell him to put some bloody clothes on
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It's stopped now but it's slammed it down with rain here for weeks. I'd recommend mailing your pond to Lancashire for a fortnight.
If there are any marathons in your area you could pick up some free pure water after the runners have gone by.