Pond Liner
I'm just starting my outdoor pond.  The pond is built on cement floor and surrounded by cinder block wall as an extension of my planters.  What adhesive can I use to adhere the liner to the cinder block walls?
<Mmm... would be best to "capture" the loose edge under a cap if still possible... mortared over the edge with plastic cement, thin-set and Acrylmix... If you can't do this, please write back and we'll talk. BobF, leaving Houston>

Will blocks cut the pond liner  5/29/06
Bob,
We are building a pond using blocks.  The pond is 15 x 25.  Will the top of the blocks cut the liner over time? We will be using 42 mil liner then "topping" it with flag stone.  Thanks.
<You should be fine here... this sort and thickness of liner is VERY tough... I would first lay-in the liner (w/o mortar), fill the pond, place the flagstone... allow all to sit for a few days... see if this is about what you're looking for... remove the flagstone, trim the liner where it is overlapping over the outside of the flagstone... and re-place, mortar it in place... with or without reinforcing mesh (Leaving the cap non-mortared is too likely to lead to pieces falling in, this potentially puncturing the liner. Bob Fenner>

Cinder Block And Plaster Pond   4/7/06
Hi Robert,
<Renel>
We in the midst of building a four foot deep cinder block  pond...two feet in ground and two feet above ground.  It is eight feet wide  and twelve feet
long.  We poured the foundation with a bottom  drain, set the cinder blocks, and drilled the holes in the cinder blocks  for the returns to jets and skimmer.
Now we are back filling the outside  wall and getting ready to brown coat the interior and exterior walls.  At  this time we are also setting up the
plumbing system.  Next comes the  pebble finish... my neighbor has a pool plastering business and has  volunteered to do this as a favor.  My question is, what
next?
How do  I make the pond water safe for my Koi after the plastering/pebble finish?
<Mmm, please stop at the brown coating step... And make sure, absolutely sure that the basin is water proof. I would do a bit more here to assure this... perhaps a "between slab" waterproofing (there are a few approaches here), or at least a water proofing cementacious coating... At any length, do take the time (a week or more) to fill this pond up... fire the mechanicals over to also check re, and leave the basin filled (before back-filling if possible) and measure water depth daily... ahead of applying the (expensive) pebble coating on the inside. The epoxy, materials used in the pebble-coat are actually not hard to cure for biological use... can be lightly bleach/acid-washed per the manufacturer (a protocol is detailed on WWM), and am very sure your neighbor/installer will know of this. After filling, rinsing, re-filling, best to let the system operate a good while (month) or more, seed with beneficial microbes (from live plants, old fish-pond water, old/used filter media... also detailed on WWM for Establishing Cycling) to assure the system is ready for koi. Bob Fenner>
Please help.
Thank you.
Renel

Concrete block pond construction
I have read with great interest (and thanks) your section on building a pond with concrete block. The walls will be concrete block and I am going to use an EPDM liner. How does one attach the liner to the block under the coping?
<Basically, liner is underlain twixt the topmost course of block and whatever you're using as a cap (likely more cementatious material or rock, mortared in place. A good technique is to slowly fill the pond without this cap, pulling the liner in place to flatten out, leaving it almost all the way filled to assure a good fit while applying the cap. Bob Fenner>

Block Pond
Bob,
<John>
I am constructing a small (4'x3'x2'), above ground, block pond on top of
my concrete patio.  I read in an English pond book that I should coat
all interior surfaces with mortar containing fiberglass so that it would
stay flexible and be less prone to cracks as time goes by.  They then
recommend a final coating with a black tar like substance.
<Mmm, well, there are a few materials that might/can be used for such water-proofing. I am NOT a fan of those involving fiberglass... they're neither flexible, nor generally long-lasting... and toxic to apply and can be problematical when they ultimately delaminate... Short answer, I would use another technique>
I can not identify the fiberglass mortar here in the states and am not
sure exactly what the black stuff would be.
<The fiberglass is likely one of two possibilities, one is a "forti-fiber" that is added to a mortar slurry to give it strength and substance in application, the lesser probability is a chopped or cloth material added with resin>
Today I discovered your web
site (fantastic, as you already must know) and saw your recommendation
for plastic cement as mortar with a preference for plastic lining even
with my above ground block construction.
<Yes... If the patio is "stable" (cured/old, substantial... no broken bits/cracks...) and strong enough to handle the weight of the structure and water (should be for what you state), the plastic cement mortar (with a coloring agent if you wish) should "do it". This is the route I would go. Bob Fenner>

Pond construction question
     How Do I finish a Block contracted fountain / pond   2.5  block high
Depth / 20 inches high. What finish should I use on it ?  8' x 2' is the size of
the pond. very small.
     Front yard fountain / pond / aquatic plant garden. Please help ? I did
read on your site about sealers which should finish off the inside just fine.
What would you Suggest ?
<A few possibilities for sure... you could apply a scratch coat and then stucco the outside... with or w/o materials that would change the roughness, and with whatever artistic touches in using the hand tools in finishing... I encourage you to visit your local hardware store(s) and ask them what they have available however... it might even be that you'll settle on a course or two of tile or other decorative applique in addition to a coating for the outside. Bear in mind that about all such materials can be colored to match your plan, other elements about. Bob Fenner>                                                                               
            Morgan

Block and other construction methods for basement shark system
Hello Bob,
I was thinking about building a block pond in my basement i just have a
few questions about it. If its already on a concrete base in my basement
do i need any thing under it or do i just need to make sure that its all
even?
<It is very likely even (planar) enough... and strong>
Do I need a liner inside or no im not really sure becuase i cant
get this part of your site to open but i have crappy internet service.
<Please tell which "part" (name of file) this is... so I can check to see if there is a difficulty on this end)>
Well the size pond i am planning is only going to be 7 ft by 7ft on each
side and only 3 ft deep.
<Three feet... not likely all the way of water... maybe more like up to thirty inches in water depth. If your ground doesn't shake much (unlike ours here in Southern California) you can get by w/o a liner.>
Do you think this filtration would work a 75
gallon sump and a euro reef protein skimmer plus some other pumps and
power heads inside for more circulation. The only fish i want are 2 cat
sharks probably 1 epaulette and 1 coral cat shark also would a port
jackson shark work with these smaller ones or would they be eaten.
<Could all be housed together... given being about the same size... and stipulated the Port Jackson was a tropical species (not the Southern California Heterodonus francisci... a cool/coldwater animal). There is a need for good biological and mechanical filtration with these animals... And you might want to instead (if you can get it down there in the basement) a possibility of buying a gel-coated fiberglass tank of size (that you could retrofit a viewing panel, or buy one with... or even assemble a wood, fiberglass and resin tank of about this size (I'd size it to fit back out an opening to the basement...) instead of block and mortar.>
Then
i would just have one adult Angel fish and 3 or 4 other misc. fish that
wouldnt be no bigger than a foot or a foot and a half? Last Question is my
porcupine puffer has been having problems eating he looks hungry and even
goes forward trying to bite the food but cant get his moulth on it just
cant really tell because he is only around 2-3 inches. 
<Please read through the puffer FAQs pages on our WetWebMedia.com site here. This is a serious condition that is quite common.>
Sorry for so many
questions but there's a lot of info i cant find
Thanks for all the help you have given me in the past.
<Be chatting, planning and building my friend. Bob Fenner>