my pond disaster from hell......

[Ethan25]

I experienced the worst pond weekend I've ever had....
The pond disaster from hell
by Ethan Beckler


I at least feel like it is….bear with me....

Friday night I told my wife I was going to take care of the filtration upgrade. I explained to her what needed to be done. It was 8:15. Our daughter had just gone to bed.

I hopped into the filter pit. I moved a barrel into the pit and began working. Suddenly, the Fernco fitting BEFORE the 4” ball valve on my Bottom drain line gave and water began to gush into the pit at what seemed to be 10,000 gph or more.

Two things:

I had electricity live in the pit (where I was) going to the water and air pumps. Water and electricity don't mix.


I also had the new pump I just bought sitting in the pit as well. I rushed to get the new pump off the block it was on….


Check.


Then, how do I stop the water? Wait, I need to get out of here before I get electrocuted! I jump out and as I do, the GFI circuit trips and all electricity is shut off. I run into garage looking for a solution. I can’t just put my finger in the pipe to plug it….it’s a 4” line!

I find another fernco, but it’s a 4” cap. I get into the pit, which is now waist deep in water. I find the 4” pipe, pray that God gives me the strength of Samson, and try pushing the cap on. It was tough, but I eventually got it on. Ever try tightening a fernco while waste deep in water with a screwdriver? Not something I’d recommend for ya….

I get all the electricity out of the pit, and begin pumping water out. Good, pit dry.....Meanwhile I go inside.

I have to tell the wife.

She looks at me and said “so, did you fall in again”. As I tell her what happened, she gets the giggles and says, “well, Happy Father’s Day….”.

I go outside. Where's my new pump? I look into the pit and it's lying on the floor, having fallen 2 feet. The back end where the fan is is dented really deep. I plug it in and it rattles so loud....the fan is hitting the metal inside the pump. I open it up, take off that metal grating that covers the fan but allows air in, and have to spend an hour pounding out the huge dent. However, of the three screws for it, one of them was so damaged I couldn't get it off. So I had to snap the metal cap off in order to get it. So it now is on with only two screws, which seems to be working for now. I got this pump from a member here for an amazing deal (she was so sweet to help me out, and now this.

To replace this pump would cost me $500+. I get it running with no problems, except the ugly back end and lack of one screw.

I had to run to Home Depot. The plumbing guy convinces me that I can do nothing until I drain the pond so that I can get dry fittings and glue everything. I put up the Intex swimming pool, pump the pond water to it, set up a temporary filter, and find the fish and put them in. I don’t have a net for it, because this past winter it had broke. I think, they won’t jump out….they know better. It is now midnight.

I work till 3 a.m. on Saturday morning, and am absolutely dead tired. I figure I’ll just take care of the rest tomorrow.

I go in, shower, and fall asleep. The next morning, I go out with my daughter to check on the fish. I open the door to the garage and step on Striker, our large butterfly koi. Stiff as a rock. I freak. How many have committed suicide!?

From what I can tell, she’s the only one. The water is green to the point where I can’t really even see the fish.

My wife was so sad. This was one of the first koi we had ever bought….part of the “Triplets”….they had grown to around 2 feet long with fins in the 4 years we had them. She was devastated.

Later that afternoon, while my daughter was napping, I decided to get an early start on the upgrade/pond disaster fix. I walked into the garage, and our nice yellow yamabuki ogon was stiff as a board under the table. I had looked to no avail for any net here in town….I knew I had to get going, otherwise I might lose them all.

Basically, I was up Saturday night into Sunday morning till 3 a.m. again….but I got almost everything done. I drained the pool back into the pond and put the fish in so they wouldn’t go to see their Creator anymore….

In hindsight, the upgrade was a heckuva lot easier because of the pit filling up. I was able to re-route the 4” pipe coming into the pit against the one wall, which allowed for a lot more room. I was able to make a “shelf” to put the two airpumps on. I was able to fit the two barrels side by side instead of far from each other. But I lost two really important fish (not necessarily to me, but to my wife). I lost sleep, which I now believe is overrated.

It was crazy. I have never worked so hard in my life. I was able to relax a bit yesterday, only having to put in around 2 hours during the afternoon to install the K1 boiling barrel.

When I woke up this morning, I went out and checked on the pond. I came back inside and told my wife “something is definitely wrong”. She sat up, saying “what now?”. I replied “well, everything seems to be working the way it is supposed to…..it feels funny….”


Here's the two fish that died. Most of you will be glad, because you won't see pictures of this ugly specklegoi anymore....but it was a wife favorite.....so I am sad for her.

thanks for listening! It can only get better, right????!

[carrie1964]

Oh Ethan...................what a nightmare!!!!

As much as will miss the pics of your longfin and am genuinly sorry you lost two fish.What a shame.

[Lomaponder]

I'm sorry for your loss of fish. I wish you better days and encounters from now on.

[CarolinaGirl]

Oh Ethan....that is so sad. Losing any fish is hard, but always harder when it's a favorite. But there is some good to this too.....you didn't get electocuted, your pump still works, and you got your upgrades done. Not a fun way to do it, but it could have been so much worse.

[schildkoi]

Ethan, we often learn the toughest lessons due to disasters. I will make one suggestion for you. Go back to Home Depot and tell the guy that he needs further education. Then walk over to the drain plugs in the plumbing section and pick up a 4" expandable plug. Explain to him that you could have taken a dive into the pond (you were going to get wet anyway) and removed the drain dome and slipped that plug into the 4" line and with a couple of twists of the wing nut expanded the plug and stopped the flooding of your pit./

All of this assuming that it was in fact a bottom drin 4" line that the Fernco let loose on in your pit.

Oh, for those that ever have to do this, please make sure that you refill the dry side before attemptig to remove that plug.

Steve

[Ethan25]

It definitely could have been worse.....

I did think about the 4" expanding plug....and considered it.....

I decided that I wouldn't mind draining the pond and just re-routing the incoming BD line. I also didn't feel like getting even more wet! But that would work....I think I will pick up a 4" expansion plug to have as an immediate backup. Thanks!

Ethan

[kingkong]

Hard as a rock, stiff as a board. You got it right. Sorry. You and I need to get together. We will only missing one more dude.

[Christie210]

Quote: Originally Posted by Ethan25 It definitely could have been worse..... I did think about the 4" expanding plug....and considered it..... I decided that I wouldn't mind draining the pond and just re-routing the incoming BD line. I also didn't feel like getting even more wet! But that would work....I think I will pick up a 4" expansion plug to have as an immediate backup. Thanks! Ethan

So sorry to hear this. Just went through losing all three of mine that I had for 12 years. The first two died and then the 3rd jumped out of a new facility. So sorry to hear this.

[yahtah]

Ugh.. nerve wrecking...... i lost 3 14-17in kohaku & sanke in one week before too, it's devastating.

[CarolinaGirl]

Ethan, I did try that 4" expandable plug once on my pond when I needed to move a drain line. I could not get it to work. Probably because it's really hard to stay submerged while trying to get the darn thing in the line and then expanded. What did end up working for me was to use a scrap piece of liner as a gasket. then I pulled the dome off the drain and flipped it upside down on the opening, with the scrap liner between the drain opening and the dome cover. Then I set a nice heavy rock on the top to hold it. Once I opened the 4" valve, the water remaining in the line rushed out and pulled a vacuum on my temproary plug. I had only a very small trickle of water flowing and was able to cut the 4" drain line loose and reroute it. Then I used the blue "rain 'n shine" glue to reassemble everything and dove again to replace the dome cover.