- Joined
- Mar 26, 2022
- Messages
- 29
- Reaction score
- 21
- Location
- Silver Spring, MD
- Hardiness Zone
- 7a
- Country
I built my pond a little over a year ago and it was operating wonderfully. First frog moved in this summer, dragonflies love it, fish are healthy, and my first water lily exploded in blooms. All great.
One day, I found the hose circulating water had been pulled out. I have a low gph pump to just send water to my bog filter, so a few hours water loss wasn't much. I knew it was a raccoon.
I went away for a vacation and forgot to turn off the pump. I came to an empty pond, fish gone, plants torn up - somehow my pump had not burnt out which is a saving grace. The raccoon came back last night and removed the line again - i assume it's an easy way for him to drink - and drained what little water I had added back (just enough to keep water lily wet).
Pictures below show the set up. PVC pipe goes from top to bottom for water to flow up - water spills out into pond.
I'm debating just adding more pvc to protect the water line and prevent raccoon from pulling it out. Perhaps PVC all the way down to the ground, then burying the rest of the line with pebbles.
I'd prefer to not have to take apart the whole filter to try and have the line enter through the bottom - I am not confident that those seals hold and I don't want to remove plants right now. But if that's what has to happen, I'll consider it.
Any thoughts?
One day, I found the hose circulating water had been pulled out. I have a low gph pump to just send water to my bog filter, so a few hours water loss wasn't much. I knew it was a raccoon.
I went away for a vacation and forgot to turn off the pump. I came to an empty pond, fish gone, plants torn up - somehow my pump had not burnt out which is a saving grace. The raccoon came back last night and removed the line again - i assume it's an easy way for him to drink - and drained what little water I had added back (just enough to keep water lily wet).
Pictures below show the set up. PVC pipe goes from top to bottom for water to flow up - water spills out into pond.
I'm debating just adding more pvc to protect the water line and prevent raccoon from pulling it out. Perhaps PVC all the way down to the ground, then burying the rest of the line with pebbles.
I'd prefer to not have to take apart the whole filter to try and have the line enter through the bottom - I am not confident that those seals hold and I don't want to remove plants right now. But if that's what has to happen, I'll consider it.
Any thoughts?