| Hi my name is Michelle
and I live in Plainfield, IL.T his winter year I am having a problem with too
much water evaporation in my pond. It's wierd! I have a 7ftx 3ft approx 1500gal
pond with a de-icer and all pumps/filters off. 75% of the pond is frozen over
except around the de-icer and it's only 5 inches of water. What the heck? Why
is this happening? I put some water in it but it seems to evaporate again. What
else should I be doing so that my fish won't die? I know we're having some frigid
air lately but could this be my problem? I was thinking of putting a tarp over
the pond and still keep the de-icer, so it creates a "warming house" effect.
Sincerely,
Michelle from Plainfield
Hi
Michelle,
I'm afraid that you have a leak somewhere. The amount of open
water you've got would not cause that much evaporative loss, even with the air
as dry as it is. You are not going to be able to look for the leak until things
warm up some, but be suspiucious of anywhere you have exposed pipes, rocks, sharp
objects pressed up against the liner, or places where the liner has shifted. Look
for soggy or soft areas around the edges of the pond, or for "bubbles" under the
liner and soft spots in the sides or bottom of your pond.
If you suspect
that the leak is somewhere around the sides, you can let the water level recede
until stable, then concentrate your search at that level.
Pipe runs and
connections, especially those exposed to freezing weather, are prime locations
for water loss.
Covering your pond in this climate is always a good idea,
but a tarp will not help much, since it will not prevent evaporative loss (if
any) and will not help with sunlight-induced UV warming. You'll be better off
with a small greenhouse structure and greenhouse-weight transparent or translucent
plastic sheeting. Kits are available from Midwest Trading in St. Charles, IL.
Bob |
