Ideas for waterfall rebuild please

[GBBUDD]

Thanks for the link. I will check it out as soon as I figure out where the dang leak is. Any ideas on how to find it? I’m pretty sure I’ve got it narrowed down to that bog but just when I think it’s there for sure it seems like the leak stops. I’m guessing that the level that the leak must be right where the bogs water level has stabilized since I’ve got it bypassed now as well and it isn’t going down it must be coincidentally, right at the level I want it to stay at but when water is still going through it I start losing water so I bypassed it and it stopped losing water but the level stayed the same. It’s a head scratcher for me. I guess the only thing to do is somehow try to see a tiny hole or cut at the water line. Anybody know an easy way to do that?

DON'T forget to check your plumbing to that area. DARK, SOFT,AND MOIST AREAS. SHUT EVERYTHING DOWN ADD air to the pond for the fish and see what drops and when it stops your leak is at the level somewhere

 

[Pond skipper]

Thank you, yes I actually really thought the problem was in the plumbing at first so I dug up all the hoses and ran it for a few days and there were no leaks there. (Except a small crack in the filter (garbage can) so I replaced that and have no more leaks there. So I put both my hoses from the pumps to empty into the bog instead of bypassing it. The main pond started going down after several hours but the bog stayed full.. took me a minute to realize that it meant that the big is definitely the problem because the water is getting sucked out of the main pond and keeping the god full while it slowly drained the pond. Guys I’m just going to have to go around the bog with a magnifying glass to find the hole.. or just empty it out and put a whole new layer of liner over the old

 

[Pond skipper]

What do you all think of the idea of using a line of silicone sealant /caulking under each stone slab/rock so like put a thick bead of it on the first slab/rock and then set the next one on top of it, then maybe some waterfall foam around the outside edge to direct the water. The idea is that since the foam isn’t water tight whatever water gets through it will be stopped by the silicone so I stop losing water that way. Any thoughts or comments?

 

[GBBUDD]

I prefer silicone on the foam toward the water not let the water in to the foam. But the foam acts more like it was a backer rod

 

[GBBUDD]

Not sure if this was mentioned to you yet . The folds of the liner can act like a straw. It can actually whick /suck water up to two inches above the water line with no energy needed at all so check your folds

 

[Pond skipper]

You’re right That would probably be better. What’s the best silicon for ponds that is fish safe? I think I read somewhere that as long as it’s pure silicon if that’s right?

 

[GBBUDD]

i actually hate silicone, it peals away as it ages and dries. Polyurethane caulks and butyl caulking are far superior. goe tech 4500 is good stuff .as is Loctite pl s30 is as well. available at home depot but it takes7hours to dry

 

[Pond skipper]

That’s awesome thanks. I will look for that stuff, hopefully we have it in Canada. Some stuff I’ve looked for is only available in the states.. I’m not stuck on silicone I just couldn’t think what else to use. As long as it’s fish safe and Jerod the water going where I want it to go.

 

[Pond skipper]

Is the goe tech 4500 a roof sealant that seems to be all I can see. Also do you happen to know would PL premium be safe for fish

 

[GBBUDD]

YES THATS IT. if you can get vgeo 4500 go with that. i have it in my pond. TO BE HONEST I BELIVE many caulking are ok i belive its more in aquarium use a small confined space that it matters the most.

 

[bagsmom]

There was a great video segment that talked about folding liner properly. I am trying to remember which one it was. @GBBUDD, maybe you can help.
It was an Aquascape video - a sandbox showcase one - inside the big building at Aqualand. (Maybe the trout stream?) April from Atlantis Water Gardens was featured - doing edge treatment (which I think must be her specialty. Her demonstration of the best way to fold edges was EXCELLENT. They discussed the whole issue of water-wicking and how her folding method prevents it.

 

[Lisak1]

Here's one piece of advice - your waterfall should be solid and secure WITHOUT foam. Foam serves one purpose - filling gaps between and behind rocks to keep water flowing over and not between and behind. If you have to use foam - or anything for that matter - to hold waterfall rocks in place you're not going to be happy with the results. You should be able to run your waterfall without foaming anything and not actually lose any water - whatever goes behind or under the rocks should still end up back in the pond. Visually you will "lose" it, in that you won't see it flowing as much, but it's still gotta flow into the pond, if that makes sense.

In short - foam won't stop leaks.

 

[Pond skipper]

YES THATS IT. if you can get vgeo 4500 go with that. i have it in my pond. TO BE HONEST I BELIVE many caulking are ok i belive its more in aquarium use a small confined space that it matters the most.

Thanks, I can’t seem to find it around me but I’ll spend a bit more time looking. I saw it on line but it was sold by the case and I will only need a tube out maybe 2

 

[Pond skipper]

There was a great video segment that talked about folding liner properly. I am trying to remember which one it was. @GBBUDD, maybe you can help.
It was an Aquascape video - a sandbox showcase one - inside the big building at Aqualand. (Maybe the trout stream?) April from Atlantis Water Gardens was featured - doing edge treatment (which I think must be her specialty. Her demonstration of the best way to fold edges was EXCELLENT. They discussed the whole issue of water-wicking and how her folding method prevents it.

I know what water wicking is in general, how does it apply to pond liner? I will look for that video thank you

 

[Pond skipper]

Here's one piece of advice - your waterfall should be solid and secure WITHOUT foam. Foam serves one purpose - filling gaps between and behind rocks to keep water flowing over and not between and behind. If you have to use foam - or anything for that matter - to hold waterfall rocks in place you're not going to be happy with the results. You should be able to run your waterfall without foaming anything and not actually lose any water - whatever goes behind or under the rocks should still end up back in the pond. Visually you will "lose" it, in that you won't see it flowing as much, but it's still gotta flow into the pond, if that makes sense.

In short - foam won't stop leaks.

Yea it will be solid without foam. I just feel it was a mistake last time when I built the whole waterfall with no sealant or anything. It took me so long to figure out where all the leaks and little trickles of back flow were. I decided to try the pond and waterfall foam after the fact and I really had a hard time getting the foam into the places it needed to be. I feel like I wasted a can at least lol .. figured I’d just over build this one right from the start