What happened to my waterfall?!?

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Hi There! I'm a newbie to all things fish & ponds... when my father in law passed we elected to take his beloved koi. We had his pond guy lay the liner and set up the aerator, filter, uv, pump, and waterfall- and all was well for about 2 weeks and now my waterfall is an absolute disgrace- theres barely any water flowing out of it! Do I need another pump just for the waterfall??
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We are using the same system that my father in law used- the pond guy unhooked everything from his house and brought it to ours- I've attached a pic of the equipment set up and of the pond and waterfall... I think that due to settling, the bottom ledge of the falls got tilted, I moved some rocks around to see if I could improve the flow, but nada... and in the past month, the water spilling over has diminished probably 90%...
My job was done in a hurry, we dug the hole and 2 days later he laid the liner and set up the equipment and the next day we brought the fish... The fish are happy and healthy (11 koi, from 2-8yrs old) and I will be too once I get this all done, aesthetically speaking!
I spent the past few days removing all the rocks I placed around the edge, added sandbags under the liner to create a berm, and I'm almost done replacing the rocks to hide the liner... next up, getting the waterfall back to a beautiful flow! I'm going to take the who lmk e thing apart, put concrete pavers down as a footing for each of the spillway rocks and then build up the rock hill again, this time using foam to secure and prevent water running behind the stones- Do I need another pump for the falls?? What's the deal here? At first water was cascading beautifully down each of the levels, it looked and sounded awesome- now it's a trickle... Please Help!! TIA =)
 

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I'll double check... forgive my ignorance- I'm trying to learn a whole lot right now lol... in the black waterfall box, there are 2 filter sponges that I hose out, should there be a pump just for the waterfall or something else in there though?
I'm guessing our pond is about 2500 gals and I posted the pic of the pump/filter/uv system above...I guess I'm just wondering if that seems adequate... our pond is roughly the same size as my father in laws was...
I'll double check the valves and I read to try a soap test to make sure theres no air leaking out of any of the connections, so I'll check that too... it's just so strange that it was fine for 2 weeks and then the water pressure/flow just disappeared! -we even took the filter apart and cleaned the 2million little plastic filter media, but it didnt help...
 
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Welcome MommaD and bless you for taking in your recently passed FIL's koi.

If the water level in the pond is remaining where it should , I think it points more to water restriction.....if the water level is dropping, you could have loose connections, water back flowing behind the water fall, cracked line etc.

Water restriction could be caused by a blockage in the lines or the filter is dirty and needs back washing. What is the flow pattern for the water from the pump to waterfall?

I don't have experience with an external pump, so others like @addy1 will chime in. I use submersible pumps and have one dedicated to the waterfall. Since you said it was flowing fine and now is not that points to either water restriction or water being directed from the waterfall due to disconnection, something isn't level, line break etc.....but the pond level would be dropping over time.

Hope this helps :)
 

addy1

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Welcome to our group!

I would check the pump impellers. Some debris may have gotten into them and causing turn issues. Take the leaf basket off and see if it spins smoothly. Also make sure none have been damaged.

I assume you have checked the leaf basket. Make sure it is clean. Make sure the lid is on tight I have had a air leak, years ago, that slowed the flow, it was a non tight lid.

With a new install, and it working,then not working, I agree with above something leaking, plugged. loose. Call the guy that installed it, ask him for help also.
 
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@MommaD - kudos to you for taking your FILs koi. As a pond owner, I know I would be very happy to know my fish went to a good home if anything were to happen to me!

I second the advice to ask the pond guy for help with this - I'm guessing you paid him to set it all up for you. He should be able to at least give you some verbal advice over the phone as to what may be impeding the water flow.

Good luck! We look forward to seeing your pond up and running as it should!
 
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If that is a sand filter, it’s a bad idea for a koi pond. They clog like concrete. Your submersible pump input needs screening to keep from clogging. Addy1 has the right idea. Restricted inflow on an external pump is bad for the pump. A waterfall width dictates the required size of the pump. At 17 inches wide, our last pond waterfall required about 3500 gph.
 
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Thanks All, that big external filter is filled w those little plastic wheels (polyethylene bio media) and we took it all apart and emptied it last week, rinsed all the filler pieces clean and it didnt help. We dont have a submerged pump at all, just an aerator in the pond... I guess I should give the pond guy a call, Theres just sooo much to learn here & I didnt have the time to do my research prior (I hate feeling so unprepared!)
 
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You should never clean the bio-material. You can backwash, that's OK. But by cleaning the bio-material you are getting rid of the beneficial bacteria the helps with the natural cycle which keeps your pond balanced and clean. By cleaning, you are effectively starting over from day one.
 
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addy1

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What does your water intake (that feeds your pump) look like? Is it just a hose stuck in the water? Does it have any pre-filter or foam on the end?
I didn't think of that. That could be the issue, what is covering the intake of the pipe in the pond.

Mine has a 5 gallon bucket on the end of the pvc intake pipe. Full of drilled holes. To reduce the draw on any one specific hole.
 

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