Post by Alistair on Oct 9, 2005 21:44:54 GMT
I have always used plastic or rubber. This can cause problems:
1. Newts and salamanders inevitably creep underneath and as it can get very dry under this material, they can dehydrate and die - I have lost some in this way, as they do not always leave to get into the pool as one would expect.
2. It is difficult to achieve the right shape.
3. it is difficult to provide a rim to stop water from the surrounding ground seeping in to discolour the water and enrich it with nutrients promoting algal growth.
4. The black material hampers one's view of black frog and toad tadpoles.
I have recently made a pond in an outdoor vivarium out of cement. There is a deeper area linked by a channel to a shallow strip, so that water will enter when it rains (there is usually plenty here in the north west of Ireland) This shallow area contains liverwort, moss and some large pieces of bark for cover.
The vivarium contains two pairs of marbled salamanders, put in recently. Pieces of wood provide cover and there is plenty of moss. It is kept damp with watering if necessary.
Marbled salamanders lay their eggs in the Autumn in depressions and the female keeps guard. When the rain comes to fill the depression the eggs are supposed to hatch, so I am hoping that they will lay the eggs in the shallow strip at the edge of the main pond. If not this year, perhaps next.
It was easy to make a rim all round and under the deeper part under the soil I put a piece of rubber lining, just in case a crack ever develops, to stop the pond entirely emptying. A possible drawback with cement is that the water will tend to be alkaline especially at first, but this should lessen after some weeks.
Does anyone else have experience with cement ponds?
1. Newts and salamanders inevitably creep underneath and as it can get very dry under this material, they can dehydrate and die - I have lost some in this way, as they do not always leave to get into the pool as one would expect.
2. It is difficult to achieve the right shape.
3. it is difficult to provide a rim to stop water from the surrounding ground seeping in to discolour the water and enrich it with nutrients promoting algal growth.
4. The black material hampers one's view of black frog and toad tadpoles.
I have recently made a pond in an outdoor vivarium out of cement. There is a deeper area linked by a channel to a shallow strip, so that water will enter when it rains (there is usually plenty here in the north west of Ireland) This shallow area contains liverwort, moss and some large pieces of bark for cover.
The vivarium contains two pairs of marbled salamanders, put in recently. Pieces of wood provide cover and there is plenty of moss. It is kept damp with watering if necessary.
Marbled salamanders lay their eggs in the Autumn in depressions and the female keeps guard. When the rain comes to fill the depression the eggs are supposed to hatch, so I am hoping that they will lay the eggs in the shallow strip at the edge of the main pond. If not this year, perhaps next.
It was easy to make a rim all round and under the deeper part under the soil I put a piece of rubber lining, just in case a crack ever develops, to stop the pond entirely emptying. A possible drawback with cement is that the water will tend to be alkaline especially at first, but this should lessen after some weeks.
Does anyone else have experience with cement ponds?