and also does the cement have an affect on the water quality, such as ph, hardness...etc?and also if i do build it out of cement, do i still have to put down a pond liner?and also does anyone have any advice, or info on building a pond out of cement?THANK YOU
rubber roof liners work muck better and are cheaper than cement. Cement will give you lots of problems and the rubber last forever. I have one I built over seventeen years ago. The dogs, deer etc use it and it's still as solid as if it were built yesterday. You will need lots of help to place it as it is very heavy. I hope to enjoy mine for many more years. gail
One thought comes to mind when thinking of building a cement pond and not using a liner, earthquake fault zones. I live in the New Madrid Fault zone area and though we haven't had a major earthquake, in the years I've lived in Missouri, have noticed many cracks in the cement of the driveway, in the soil and such. Would be such a shame to have an established pond and then get a leak. The pond liner is your best bet overall, and have it installed properly. I own an independent pet shop and we recommend a small amount of aquarium salt be added to pond water. Salt is damaging to concrete over time. Make sure your pond set up includes a UV sterilizer to keep away green water.
Cement-by which I presume you mean concrete, is fine for building a pond. It Will have an effect on the ph of the water. Cement is alkaline so the lime content would be very harmful to fish and aquatic life in the short term. Eventually it would become neutral but you would need to waterproof it with something anyrate which would keep the water away from contact with the cement. You can use bitumen which you paint on or a sheet of strong plastic is often enough.. Dig out the shape you want first and then shovel the concrete into it but if the sides are steep then you will have to make the concrete very dry to prevent the concrete running back into the bottom. You can always then give a thin coat of wetter cement to the sides later if you prefer
Concrete is brittle and cracks soon. These cracks are permanent and cannot be repaired. Use a liner. It's easier and much cheaper. Ant it lasts forever. And unless you seal concrete, the lime will leach into the water for years and make it so alkaline that plants cannot live in it.
