Any Ponders in Arizona?

[landey1230]

I know there are a few here.  My question is: How many times do you top off your pond?  Do you lose water?  If so, how many inches?  I shouldn't be losing so much water, but every pond I've built I seem to lose water. 

Thanks.

[packerfan]

I am in Arizona, but I am wayyyyyy to new to have any input, just now finishing up our first pond build in the backyard.  With the dry conditions here, and some tests, a lot seems to be lost to evaporation, even with no water movement.

[landey1230]

How much do you lose?

[Julles]

If you're loosing water to evaporation, be careful topping it off.  When water evaporates, the other stuff in it does not, so you end up with higher and higher concentrations of amonia, nitrates, bacteria, and other bad stuff. 

Of course, everyone has to top off a pond from time to time.  But make sure that, once in a while, you also remove some of the water before you top off, to get rid of accumulated toxins.

If Joyce pops in here, she know a lot more about this subject.  There has been a thread about it some time ago.

[casey]

Landley,

Sorry we can't help even though we have the ex-swimming pool pond in Tucson.  We have an auto fill so don't know how much it runs.  We don't regularly replace our water except when we vacuum it and thus pump water out. 

Casey

[landey1230]

Julles- That makes sense.  I have been good about water changes with my new pond.  Before, I would think of the evaporation as the water change.  I've learned otherwise.

casey- Your pond must be huge.  My next step is to install a float valve.  I just want to make sure weather my water loss is normal or not.  Is your water bill above normal?  Not sure how that can be measured, unless you compare to other neighbors.

Thanks for the info.  Keep it coming.

[miguynmkoi]

Here in SoCal I have a water drip system filling the ponds during warm weather.  On scorchers I have to hose fill filtered water for more rapid evaporation.  So far during the past ten years I haven't purposely changed the water in my ponds.  Not on purpose I've had water shooting out of the pond because of a hose falling off the bio-filter, twice.  The pump basically did it's job to move the water    Luckily no casualties.

My water bill if there are no major refills are no higher than the neighbors - all do not have pond.  I also lost the water sucking lawn a few years ago!   

[casey]

Landey,

Yes, our pond is huge; 5,500 gallons.  We did cover half the pool with a deck but the surface area is actually 14' x 28'.  The part under the deck is 15" deep while the rest is 3' deep.  We have so many things, waterwise, going on that it would be hard to tell about our water bill.  We did have a pool before so that part really hasn't changed.  We also had an above ground exercise pool until last summer when we sold it.    We also are doing tropical liliy propagation for our non-profit watergardeners group's May plant sale and that uses 3 kiddie pools and has evaporation.  We also seem to be a free Bed & Breakfast for tons of people (in the last 3 weeks a visit of one, a visit of 2 and a visit of 10, all multiple nights) so what our bill would be if it was just my DH and I for a period is anyone's guess!   

Casey

[landey1230]

Thanks for your input casey and annette.  I'm going to continue my investigation.