Likely, you have not connected your pump to the top of the fountain. If you don't connect a hose, the water will likely not leave your bucket. You will need to use flexible hosing to do this. The hose connects to the pump and then travels upward to the top of the fountain (where you want the water to splash). You can watch my how-to video to follow along with how I did it. If this isn't the problem, it's possible that your hose is leaking or that the connection point where it secures onto the pump has come undone, is loose, or there's an actual hole or leak in the hose. Try using a hose clamp to secure the connection of the tube to the pump.