repairing of rubber matting in pond.

Question
Hi,I have recently purchased a property with a large pond which has a leak.I would like to know which product is environmentally safe to use to repair the damage which I assume is in the rubber matting liner.Is it also advisable to reuse some of the same water I will need to drain and how best is it to care for the tadpoles whilst they are out of the pond?I live in Tasmania and we are entering into Spring with a lot of rainfall and temperatures in the mid teens celsius is this the best time of year to be doing any of the above maintenance from the point of view of the wildlife?They currently appear to be doing alright in spite of the leek which appears to have stopped leaving around a foot of water in some areas.

Regards
Michael

Answer
Hi MIchael:  Now is always a good time to repair a leak... leaks tend to get worse when you have no time to deal with them.  Univeral makes a great repair kit that would probably work on your pond... You can get via the intenet as im not sure what is available to you in Tasmania... If possible I would diagnose the exact problem with the pond... and try to repair it... it will require draining the pond or at least that section that needs repair.  If you have a large tub you can put some of the water in there and keep the tadpoles in the tub or even a clean barrel may work... use lots of plants if you use the barrel.    Here is a link to a website that sells pond liner repair kits.... http://absoluteponds.com/repair-kits.htm  I hope this helps..... dave