Water evaporation

[Maggie 25]

I have just established a new pond with fish, a lily and one other plant, all is good but I have noticed that the water level drops a little each day, its not a leak. I have topped up with tap water but the water quality is not good so what treatment can I add to keep the water clean whilst having to top up the water levels with tap water?

 

[sissy]

do you have city water as that will change the chemistry of the water .They add chemicals to city water to kill bacteria and that kills the good bacteria in the pond .With heat and humidity I can loose sometimes 6 inch's or more in my 5000 gallon pond a day and have to add well water .Humidity and heat suck water out of the pond along with splashing and what the plants use up

 

[Lisak1]

Welcome @Maggie 25 ! We're happy you're here!

Generally the thing people are concerned about in city water is chlorine or chloramines - very common water treatment and harmful to fish in large quantities. There are products called dechlorinators that will remove the chlorine from the water and keep your fish safe.

Are there other things in your water you are concerned about?

Tell us more about your pond - how big, how many fish, what kind of filtration do you use, do you have aeration and/or a waterfall? Post some pictures - we love pictures!

 

[Mmathis]

@Maggie 25 Hello and welcome! I am a “Maggie,” as well. Actually, it’s my nickname, but is what I go by.

 

[herzausstahl]

Welcome @Maggie 25 ! We're happy you're here!

Generally the thing people are concerned about in city water is chlorine or chloramines - very common water treatment and harmful to fish in large quantities. There are products called dechlorinators that will remove the chlorine from the water and keep your fish safe.

Are there other things in your water you are concerned about?

Tell us more about your pond - how big, how many fish, what kind of filtration do you use, do you have aeration and/or a waterfall? Post some pictures - we love pictures!

I'll be honest I rarely use the decolonizators as I feel I have enough running water & add a small enough percentage vs the whole to worry about it. But it completely depends on your set up

 

[sissy]

can also depend on the size of the fish and overstocking pond and feeding .I have people coming to day as no one told them about city water and for 4 years the fish they got all died .They have a nice pond and an automatic fill and Danville city water has a bad wrap as people cannot even stand to drink it .I wouldn't drink it .The couple are moving out to my area and I meant them out in the garden center and since they sold the other house and bought the new one on a well they want to start fresh .They took the other pond apart because new owners do not want it .As long as the cats do not kill the baby fish I will give them some .Once they get started .The hubby dug the new hole already

 

[Lisak1]

I'll be honest I rarely use the decolonizators as I feel I have enough running water & add a small enough percentage vs the whole to worry about it.

Same here - I rarely add more than a few hundred gallons at a time - I figure it's less than 5% of my total pond volume - so I don't worry about it.

 

[carolinaguy]

Hard to buy evaporation at 6 inches. Our pond drops about 3/4 to 1 1/2 inches a day but I know there are a couple of leaks in our 4 waterfalls. Does someone know how estimate evaporation, maybe as a table of values based on
Square footage and water temperature at different humidity levels? It’s probably a calculus equation, but a set of tables would work.

 

[sissy]

you would need to add in wind and splash factor and what plants absorb ,so really no factor that any one could figure out .Then you add in how much sun is on the pond during the day

 

[Gordo33]

@MitchM has a thread with some formulas to estimate evaporation and heat loss

https://www.gardenpondforum.com/threads/evaporation-and-heat-loss-of-your-pond.21500/

 

[Lisak1]

I remember Meyer Jordan sharing information about pan evaporation rates as well - but there are so many varying factors. Wind, splash, surface area, plants, rocks... We have a small patio pond that we used as a measuring stick of sorts. We know it doesn't leak, so when it needs two or three inches of water added it makes sense that the pond has lost that much water, too. Now our standard joke is "pond needs filling? Must be a leak!"

I think the best thing a pond owner can do is to observe and learn what is normal for YOUR pond.

 

[sissy]

also water temperature can add to water lose

 

[Lisak1]

also water temperature can add to water lose

Yup - missed that in my list! And we've found that cold, dry air contributes to water loss as much - and sometimes even more - as heat.

 

[Mmathis]

I'll be honest I rarely use the decolonizators as I feel I have enough running water & add a small enough percentage vs the whole to worry about it. But it completely depends on your set up

I’m sure you meant to say “dechlorinator.” I always keep some on hand in case of an emergency! We have chlorine and chloramines in our water. When I add water, I spray it in so that the chlorine can dissipate, but the chloramines are still there.

 

[sissy]

here nights were in the 50's for 4 days and days near or above 90 degrees and I lost over 8 inch's of water every 2 days .I would see a fog coming off the pond