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Pond Plants
I haven't seen much discussion of fish ponds here but maybe somebody
will be able to help. I am an appartment dweller who can't sit idley by
so I have constructed a green house in my back patio area (demensions=
8'x7'x8'). All the plants (tropicals) are planted directly in the
ground. In this green house live two parakeets, 5 hyla sp. (tree frogs),
4 rough skinned newts, 3 apple snails, and some danios. The fish and
snails live in two ponds connected by a stream. A Pond Master 1350 is
pumping around 350 G.P.H. from the lower pond to the upper pond. I have
2 taro, 4 lizzards tail, parrots feather, 1 umbrella palm, and 1 purple
pickeral living in the ponds.
Now the question. Because I live in an appartment and will move when I
graduate (or when I get a real job and can afford a house), I haven't
wanted to spend a lot of money on the pond or make it to permanent.
Right now the ponds and stream are lined with two layers of continous
6mm black polyurathane plastic. The problem is that I keep developing
leaks. I have to add new water every other day now. I amwondering if the
plants roots are penatrating the plastic. I have considered cement but
its to permanent. To use professional grade pond liners would be very
expensive since I need to use 1 continous sheet to avoid seems between
the ponds and the stream.
Since people have been talking so much about clay I thought I would see
what you thought of this. What if I were to remove the plastic and
completly cover every surface with a thick layer of clay. Would this
reatian the water well enough? Would the plant roots penetrate it
causing leeks or would it stay sealed? What kind of clay, if any, would
be best for this kind of application?
I would appreciate any input I could get or any completly new ideas.
Thanks
Jeremy Adams
Oregon State University