Sand bottom before liner? - Aquarium Advice

jamal-188 · 04-22-2004, 08:06 PM

I"m guess I shoud lay a couple inches of sand on the bottom of my hole before the liner, what about the sides. Some people said to use burlap bags or old carpet/blankets. Are the sides really necessary?

04-23-2004, 10:02 AM

It depends on your soil, but better safe than sorry. Repairing leaks is a HUGE pita!!!
If you have a lot of rocks, tree roots, anything that could present a hazard to your liner, you want an underlay. PA, I obviously don't know what part, but I'll bet you have at least some rocks in your soil. I sure do in MD. You prolly already did this, but check the sides and bottom very carefully for rocks and roots that you exposed while digging. remove all hazards that you can.

I went to the fabric store, bought sveral rolls of quilt batting. It's basically sheets of polyfiber, nice and cushy, and pretty dern cheap. I put that under all of my liner, bottom and sides.

jamal-188 · 04-24-2004, 12:33 AM

Yeah there are a ton of roots, a pear tree was right next to the pond but we did a pretty good job of removing the roots. I think I'll try to get some fabric like you suggested.

Thanks
Chris

tjfarms · 04-28-2004, 11:56 AM

i went to homedepo and got a piece of cheap thick carpet laid it on the bottom and put 1 inch foam on the sides mine is a 6+12 above ground 4 feet deep good luck tim

tjfarms · 04-28-2004, 11:56 AM

i went to homedepo and got a piece of cheap thick carpet laid it on the bottom and put 1 inch foam on the sides mine is a 6+12 above ground 4 feet deep good luck tim

Mad Mech Master · 05-01-2004, 01:07 AM

I used an old king sized, foam mattress topper, cut up to fit without bunching.

crookedantler · 05-05-2004, 03:38 PM

I used a couple layers of old carpet instead of sand,5 years and [acronym:03d72d079c="Normal Output Fluorescents"]NO[/acronym:03d72d079c] leaks yet!

fishstixs05 · 05-11-2004, 08:30 PM

I got a coulpe of bags of sand and covered the bottom. Then, I wetted down somea plastered the sides of the pond. To hold that in place I took some of that landscaping fabric and wrapped the whole pond.

SquishyFish · 06-01-2004, 09:20 PM

I have also heard that wet news paper is a good way to go.

krap101 · 06-01-2004, 10:52 PM

lol wet newspaper? wont that decompose? or was that a joke. i think sand is a good idea. and so are all the others. because we didnt put anything under outs cept dirt. because dirt can compact and make things uneven but sand is big enough to stay in place

04-22-2004, 08:06 PM	#1
jamal-188 Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: PA Posts: 1,809 Images: 9	Sand bottom before liner? I"m guess I shoud lay a couple inches of sand on the bottom of my hole before the liner, what about the sides. Some people said to use burlap bags or old carpet/blankets. Are the sides really necessary?

06-01-2004, 09:20 PM	#9
SquishyFish Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Dallas Posts: 1,116 Images: 5	I have also heard that wet news paper is a good way to go. __________________ http://www.reef-aquarium.net 175gallon reef 5,100 [acronym:0d8cf742af="Gallon"]gal[/acronym:0d8cf742af] pond Fish are people too!

06-01-2004, 10:52 PM	#10
krap101 Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Roscoe, IL Posts: 3,824 Images: 12	lol wet newspaper? wont that decompose? or was that a joke. i think sand is a good idea. and so are all the others. because we didnt put anything under outs cept dirt. because dirt can compact and make things uneven but sand is big enough to stay in place __________________ Wizards first rule-People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true. Wizards second rule-The greatest harm can result from the best intentions. Wizards third rule-Passion rules reason. Wizards fourth rule-There is magic in forgiveness the magic to heal! In the forgiveness you grant, and more so in the forgiveness you receive. Wizards fifth rule-Mind what people do, not only what they say, for deeds will betray a lie. Wizards sixth rule-The only sovereign you can allow to rule you is reason. Wizards seventh rule-Life is the future, not the past Wizards eighth rule-Deserve victory. Wizards ninth rule-Contradictions don't exist, in whole or in part.

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04-23-2004, 10:02 AM	#2
Guest Posts: n/a	It depends on your soil, but better safe than sorry. Repairing leaks is a HUGE pita!!! If you have a lot of rocks, tree roots, anything that could present a hazard to your liner, you want an underlay. PA, I obviously don't know what part, but I'll bet you have at least some rocks in your soil. I sure do in MD. You prolly already did this, but check the sides and bottom very carefully for rocks and roots that you exposed while digging. remove all hazards that you can. I went to the fabric store, bought sveral rolls of quilt batting. It's basically sheets of polyfiber, nice and cushy, and pretty dern cheap. I put that under all of my liner, bottom and sides.

04-24-2004, 12:33 AM	#3
jamal-188 Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: PA Posts: 1,809 Images: 9	Yeah there are a ton of roots, a pear tree was right next to the pond but we did a pretty good job of removing the roots. I think I'll try to get some fabric like you suggested. Thanks Chris

04-28-2004, 11:56 AM	#4
tjfarms Aquarium Advice Apprentice Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: swansea mass Posts: 24	i went to homedepo and got a piece of cheap thick carpet laid it on the bottom and put 1 inch foam on the sides mine is a 6+12 above ground 4 feet deep good luck tim

05-01-2004, 01:07 AM	#6
Mad Mech Master Aquarium Advice Apprentice Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Park Forest, Il Posts: 15	I used an old king sized, foam mattress topper, cut up to fit without bunching.

05-05-2004, 03:38 PM	#7
crookedantler Aquarium Advice Newbie Join Date: May 2004 Location: Bedford,PA Posts: 3	I used a couple layers of old carpet instead of sand,5 years and [acronym:03d72d079c="Normal Output Fluorescents"]NO[/acronym:03d72d079c] leaks yet!

05-11-2004, 08:30 PM	#8
fishstixs05 Aquarium Advice Freak Join Date: May 2003 Location: El Dorado Hills, CA Posts: 458 Images: 14	I got a coulpe of bags of sand and covered the bottom. Then, I wetted down somea plastered the sides of the pond. To hold that in place I took some of that landscaping fabric and wrapped the whole pond.