Bought a house with a pond...could use advice

[buckre]

Hello everyone, I just recently purchased a home that had a patio pond/waterfall and maybe some sort of stream feeding it. I used to maintain a saltwater reef tank, so certain things may make sense to me regarding pumps, filtration, etc. But this is quite a bit different than what I was expecting. I have been researching and cannot seem to find simple diagrams, or anything really to guide me. I was hoping I could post a few pictures in the outside chance that someone can help me piece this all together?

I am not sure what the big cannister is, but I am somewhat familiar with the handle that reminds me of an old pool waterfall we had. Beyond that, I am lost. It appears to me that I need a pump, and I was wondering if that would go on the cinder blocks and connect to the system there? Can anyone tell me what I am looking at or whether this should be fairly easy to get running again? Thanks in advance, and I will continue to check back in case anyone was additional pictures, or video, or further information in general!

Thanks in advance! I would really love to get this thing going, and hope I can figure out how to do so.

 

[sissy]

welcome and start with since it is cement you may need to seal it .Cleaning all the brush that is growing around the electrical and inspect it for damage and that looks like a pool type filter so must have beads in it and may need to be flushed well .I don't really know much about those type filters though

 

[buckre]

Thank you. I have checked the bottom and it doesn't appear to be cracked much, although there is a hairline crack running up one side. Is there a particular product that I should use to seal it? I filled the pond a few days ago, and as of last night it was about half empty. On a 90 degree day could this be typical evaporation, or should I be looking more closely for a leak? Also, it is safe to assume that a lot of water leaking into the ground could pose problems for my backyard in the long run?

 

[dieselplower]

My opinion would be that it is to large to have lost that much water to evaporation. I would say it is leaking and that is why it was not in use. I also don't think that pond is deep enough for your hot weather if you want to keep fish in it. If there is a ton of shade I suppose your easiest route would just be to buy a liner that will form to the shape of that pond. I personally would remove it and then put a liner in. As far as the pump goes, I have no idea what that is. Sorry.

 

[buckre]

Thank you, after doing a little research it appears to be a pressurized koi pond filter? That is my best guess at this point, although I agree this pond is too small for koi, and I'd likely not put any fish in at all I guess. I'd like to avoid breaking up all of the concrete and rock and starting over if I can avoid it, is there something I could use to try and seal it?

 

[sissy]

They have a paint on sealant but it is not cheap .You can google it because not sure what brand would be better .I only know a lot use it on concrete ponds

 

[brc]

Just from the pics, it's hard to tell what I'm looking at -- not just with the filter assembly, but the stream as well (if that was actually a stream at one time).

One thing that comes to mind is, if nothing else, you could always install a liner inside the cement pond. Doing that is as simple as laying it inside and tucking it under those rocks around the rim (the big rocks at the side might be a little bit tricky). That would make it instantly 100% watertight.

From there, you're free to do whatever you like. You could use another piece of liner to rebuild the stream, or just add a waterfall at the edge of the pond, etc. If the existing pipes are OK, you could add a bottom drain to the liner, and / or throw a submersible pump in there. Filters are also not hard to build / buy / set up if that canister doesn't turn out to be usable.

Basically, it looks like you've got yourself a fun project that can be as simple or complicated as you want it to be.

 

[JohnHuff]

That thing looks so old and decrepit, I'm not sure you'd want to use it even if you got it running. If you plan to set up a pond, it might be easier just to go all new.

 

[Dave 54]

I agree with John personally I would break up the pond dig it out double its size then put in a liner.
Test the Bead filter to see if its in working order (looking at the thing it looks old and knackered) but I think it will probbly still work gve it a spruce up and with your new larger pond you'd be ready to go .

rgrds

Dave

 

[Dave's pond Indiana]

You can use Flex Seal to seal your pond. It comes in a spray can. As for a pump you can use a self priming pump with a leaf basket. $289 from Foster Smith I am using 3 of these pumps with great results.

 

[sissy]

check out pondfilter.com for prices also .I used them to get a pump for the pond at my other house

 

[buckre]

So I am reporting back after finding the best ever. Anthony at Koi Enterprise came out to take a look at what I was working with. He felt that he could get it up and running again and drafted an estimate. He pressure washed the empty pond, then lined it with liquid rubber. After empting the filter, adding new bio media and installing a new pump, we let it run.

It turned out there were a few leaks and Anthony came back to reseal areas where there were leaks, and determined I had a leak from the filter to the waterfall, and from the waste valve. By the time I came home from work that day he had replaced the valve and ran a new line to the waterfall. He provided me some short video tutorials he filmed of how to operate my system, and perform the maintenance, as well as care instructions via email. All I can say is he did a amazing job, and went above and beyond by returning until the job was done. And all for way less than I had expected. You guys had me scared that I would need to start over! But here it is, and I'm glad I was able to work with the existing pond infrastruture to save some money.

 

[buckre]

Here is the website in case anyone is interested!

http://www.koienterprise.com/

 

[Tula]

Guess you're lucky you have a reputable pond expert near by Glad it's up and running.....what's next....some plants? Kim

 

[buckre]

Yes I think I'll start looking for some plants to add. Hopefully something hardy to start with?