Ok need some QUICK EMERGENCY HELP!

[addy1]

My hot tub pond, been there since 2016, the 3F temps we had with minus wind chill killed it. Some line somewhere in the massive amount of hard foam is leaking.

The pond still had 3 inches of ice on it, I am adding water to get it up some, down prob by 8-12 inches right now. We are warming to 60 by the weekend.

In the pond the fan tails (12) most likely, my best lilies and a ton of snails.

What is the best ideas of all of you. I could catch them and put in 1000 gallon pond, they will be snake bait, in the spring. But the water temps will be the same. IE cold. I would need to melt some ice on the 1000 gallon pond to get them into it. I can cover that pond with deer fencing, might keep the fat snakes out. Or door screening. Won't be a easy task.

I have no tank, no pool, no tubs.

Any suggestions are welcome, the water is a steady flow out. I pulled all the sides no way to find the leak, totally covered with a real dense hard foam.

I could do a emergency stock tank order. Have a nice stock tank there lol. Maybe tractor supply has some. But we have no vehicle to haul it in. Our subie baja had a clutch failure that took out the engine and transmission.

Maybe they will deliver...............

 

[addy1]

heading to tractor supply says a 300 gallon one is there, maybe even a bigger one. My neighbor has a suv we can tie it on top if it won't fit in the back.

Still need suggestions ie ice moving the fish etc etc etc have a trickle of water going in to compensate for that going out.

 

[mrsclem]

If you can catch the fish and move them to the 1000 gallon pond, that may be the best option. Spring is a way off and by the time the snakes are active, you could have something else set up. Not sure you can keep a 300 tank from freezing solid if you get another cold snap.

 

[j.w]

I have no help for you but sure hope you can figure something out to save all your fish and plants! I think you could add some kind of heater to the 300 if needed and only use it when temps are way down. I think others here have done that.

 

[addy1]

Thanks need to melt a hole in it.

 

[mrsclem]

Pan of hot water, hair dryer, propane torch.

 

[combatwombat]

Think I'd try putting a drop or two of food coloring in the hot tub next to each jet/return/penetration and see if you can find the leak that way. Pretty likely to be at a penetration. Then you'd just need to drain far enough to smother the leak with with PL and imagine that would hold you over until spring.

 

[Mgessert]

Bathtub?

 

[Tula]

If you get the 300 gallon stock tank, I'd put what little water remains in the hot tub pond, into the stock tank. I'd then add small amounts of water, allowing it to get to the outside temperature.

I've seen a simple filter with two boards holding a bucket of media over a stock tank and trickling water over the bucket of media, into the stock tank. For media maybe you could use some items from the stock tank pond ? If it's too cold to do this, maybe a small air stone, or deicer.

Keep us posted.

 

[addy1]

Thanks all, now back. What a chore.

Think I'd try putting a drop or two of food coloring in the hot tub next to each jet/return/penetration and see if you can find the leak that way. Pretty likely to be at a penetration. Then you'd just need to drain far enough to smother the leak with with PL and imagine that would hold you over until spring.

The tank has so much algae growth, muck, etc it would be a nightmare to find. It drained down 1/4 of the way just in the time I was getting the tank, 40 minutes and still draining.

If you can catch the fish and move them to the 1000 gallon pond, that may be the best option. Spring is a way off and by the time the snakes are active, you could have something else set up. Not sure you can keep a 300 tank from freezing solid if you get another cold snap.

The ice was 3 inches thick on the hot tub. The 1000 gallon pond, if the fish were put in there, I would prob never be able to catch them. To many plants.

Bathtub?

lol don't have one, all bathtubs were taken out before we bought the house.


I picked up a 300 gallon stock tank, rubbermaid. My neighbor used her new subie to help me get it, we tied it on the roof, had to buy ratchet straps, could not find mine in a hurry.

She and I used 5 gallon buckets to move water from the tub to the tank. I can not use house water it is too acidic, would kill the fish. We drained what little was left, she netted the fish as she saw them I picked up trap door snails , moved the lilies to the tank, picked the tads out of the net muck. It took the two of us 4 hours to finish. The fish were hiding in the seats, etc.

I think we got all the fish, letting it settle then will go out and check, just a bit of water in the bottom.

Covered the tank with 3 inch insulation board, put in a tank heater. Only 21 tonight then up to 51, nights will be above 30 after the next two nights. I think it will be ok. I have bubble wrap (insulation type) will wrap the tank tomorrow.

Summer remove the hot tub (dumpster time) then need to drain the tank and move it. That will be a chore again. It is sort of in the way where I put it.

 

[addy1]

If you get the 300 gallon stock tank, I'd put what little water remains in the hot tub pond, into the stock tank. I'd then add small amounts of water, allowing it to get to the outside temperature.

I've seen a simple filter with two boards holding a bucket of media over a stock tank and trickling water over the bucket of media, into the stock tank. For media maybe you could use some items from the stock tank pond ? If it's too cold to do this, maybe a small air stone, or deicer.

Keep us posted.

We put a whole lot of the water from the pond into the tank. And our house water is as cold as the pond. Good old well water. Just darn acidic.
Filter not going to worry until spring. My most fav lilies are in the tank, I hope they survive this crash move. And my water hawthorn, need to raise it up, growing nicely but right now totally under water. a foot plus deeper than before.


Thanks all for the help! Sure was not on my list of things to do today.

 

[GBBUDD]

Sorry to join in late , Glad to see you worked it out . Thank god for warmer weather. would have been a complete nightmare if not loss if it was still 3 degrees out there.

 

[Mgessert]

Well done! The things we do for our critters…

 

[addy1]

I don't think the heater is working, darn cold water no warmth.

So now going to buy a stock tank type heater, use when extreme cold coming.

So 300 gallon tank what size heater? I am thinking 750 watts .

 

[addy1]

Sorry to join in late , Glad to see you worked it out . Thank god for warmer weather. would have been a complete nightmare if not loss if it was still 3 degrees out there.

poor fish, hope they survive this yank and toss pond change over.

 

[j.w]

I don't think the heater is working, darn cold water no warmth.

So now going to buy a stock tank type heater, use when extreme cold coming.

So 300 gallon tank what size heater? I am thinking 750 watts .

This guy says 300 watts: https://helpusfish.com/50/heat-300-gallon-pond-heater.html
Maybe since yours is above ground it might need to be more watts like you said. You can always turn it off and on as you need it can't you?

 

[addy1]

Will look tomorrow, to darn tired to care right now.

 

[GBBUDD]

Not to worry the inhabitants are all in hibernation mode kinda like a long exposure and someone walking through the shot quickly . it happened but they are in slow motion and probably never knew it happened. look at them trying to eat when the tem0 drops there a bit out of it

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Yikes. Such a bummer but hopefully everything will work out.

 

[addy1]

Not to worry the inhabitants are all in hibernation mode kinda like a long exposure and someone walking through the shot quickly . it happened but they are in slow motion and probably never knew it happened. look at them trying to eat when the tem0 drops there a bit out of it

I found one of the fantails in the muck on a seat, only saw it because it flopped a bit. Grabbed it quick did a quick hold in hand swish in the water of the tank, it did swim away. After that Trish kept sweeping any water with the net I took my fingers and dug though the spilled kitty litter, muck etc looking for critters, snails, tads, fish. The hot tub seats were all full of muck.

I will be checking once the sun is up to hopefully not see any floaters.

Yikes. Such a bummer but hopefully everything will work out.

Thanks I sure did not want this! I did really enjoy the tub pond. The fish will have a nice pond sometime this summer, I have a ton of work to do to get the tub out, the tank re-emptied and moved. Then prepped for winter ie next winter. I am going to try and build up around the sides to insulate it. Also need to build up the downhill side, the pad is sloped away from the house.