Post by phil on Jan 18, 2006 22:24:20 GMT
due to the problems some salamanders and newts (and their young) have in exiting plastic or butyl lined ponds,the best, easiest and most versatile answer is perhaps a concrete lined pool. it is cheap and very easy to construct a natural looking and more importantly easy to escape pool. for small pools to go inside an enclosure for amphibians, all you need do is form or dig a suitably sized and contoured pit 3 inches deeper and wider than the finished pool needs to be. Then get a piece of 1" square mesh or chicken wire. Place the piece in the pre-dug hole and bend it to fit the contours of the hole. Then mix a concrete mix which consists of 1 part cement to 3 parts building sand and 5 parts aggregate or pea gravel. Mix this to a consistency whereby when it is mixed it does not slump. Fill the hole and the sides to a depth of 2 1/2 - 3" making sure that the mesh is well bedded into the concrete, smooth it off with a trowel or a pointing trowel and leave for an hour or two until it begins to set. Once it is semi-dry take a piece of wet sponge and smooth any imperfections in the surface and then leave to set for a couple of days. If this job is undertaken in the warmer months it may be neccessary to cover the concrete with some wet hessian otherwise it may crack if it dries too soon. Once set the quickest way to make it suitable for the inhabitants to use is to purchase a substance called silglaze which is available from garden centres. Follow the instructions on the tub and it should be ready to be filled in a day or two. Alternatively it can be painted with a commercial waterproof paint.