If so have you noticed any negatives to the fish in the pond as in reduced nitrification or did you put fill on top of the liner?

I do have two lined ponds. Both are about 40 feet X 90 feet. (Actually I forgot the size right now).

Advantages are as follows:

1. Never a problem with rooted vegetation.
2. Water clarity is really good.
3. Virtually no water loss, except to evaporation.
4. Water quality, including nitrogen/ammonia buildup has been unnoticeable to this point, although I've only been feeding 1.5 years.
5. Easy to drain, seine, and walk around in.

Disadvantages are as follows:

1. Expense of the liner.
2. Difficult to landscape the periphery to make them look nice.
3. Potential danger to kids, especially if the edge gets icy.
4. THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE IS....I strongly recommend a size of pond that the liner does NOT
require seams. Seams suck. They are hard to make, they leak, they cost more money, they leak, they cost more money, more manpower. Did I mention that seams suck?

If you or anyone else wants to talk to me about my lined ponds, I'd be happy to talk on the cell phone. My number is (402) 429-2912

P.S. I didn't use any fill on top of the liner, but after 15 months I had several inches of sediiment/waste accumulated on the bottom. It had the smell and consistency of typical pond muck.

Bruce,

Thanks for the reply! Good advice on the seams! Just two more questions though. What kind of liner do you have? EPDM, PVC what? And what was the cost (ballpark) for one of those liners. The pond I may line is vertually Identical in dimensions to yours.

Thanks a million! Believe it or not I haven't forgotten those bluegills!

EPDM. It's called Firestone PondGard. I think it's like 40 or 50ml. I can check. I saw a HUGE variation in cost between internet sites. A lot of places wanted as much as 60 cents per square foot!!! Way too much. I did lots of research and found that a company called UnitLiner in Oklahoma had by far the best price at something like .34/sf. You should check with them. Their shipping rate was reasonable, too. See if you can find Unit Liner on the internet. Remember!, THEY WILL DEAL WITH YOU! They all promise the best price, so I made them beat one of their competitors. If any way possible try to make your pond so that the excavator makes the size so that one liner can be used with no seams. You won't be sorry. Ultimately if you do it right the cost of the liner may be less than what you save with water and seining costs. Definitely let me know if you have any more questions.

Bruce

Thanks Bruce! As usual you're a real sport when it comes to sharing information!

Pond is already in. Just may put a liner in it to stop seepage onto the neighbor's property if the barrier doesn't pan out. I may try one more thing. I may put in a seepage pipe to catch seepage and put it into a water garden size pond. Could kill two birds with one stone and use the pond for a fry pond. Water that is seeping is clear.

Lots of great information, Bruce. Virtually everything a potential lined pond owner would ever need to know. Just one question - what about seams? :p :p

We have 12 lined ponds on the farm here. A great benefit is the ability to pump the sediment out in between fish crops. This cuts down on parasite load and keeps the water quality up. We have booted standpipes also which can drain them down quickly. When we get close to the bottom, we use a 2 inch trash pump to suck sludge and a 5HP water pump to hose down the liner to the deep end. They are the EPDM rubber. Some have seams without any issues, although we are constantly putting water in and wouldn't notice any small leaks.
Robert