Pond pond or pond liner | 10 arguments for a pond with rubber liner.

It could just be that you've been dreaming about a pond in your backyard for years. A large natural pond if you live spaciously, or a modest small pond in a city garden. In the latter case, the question is: will you go for a pre-formed pond container or will you dig out a pond and cover it with pond liner? At Van der Velde Aquatic Plants, we prefer to go for the most natural route. Hence, a pond with pond liner is the best option. We give you ten good reasons.

What is a preformed pond tank?

You undoubtedly know them: the stacked, large black tubs at the garden center. There are larger and smaller pond tubs, deep and shallow, mostly executed in a natural (kidney) shape. And almost all of them are made of black, hard plastic. You can just pick them up and take them home. Once you get home, it's a matter of digging a very deep hole into which your purchased preformed pond container fits exactly. Sounds easy, yet such a pond basin is not what Simon recommends to his customers. You get a more natural pond by building one out of rubber liner(we recommend EPDM liner).

1. The shape of the pond is up to you

Anyone who designs their own pond has complete influence on how it will look. So you can also decide what shape your pond will be. A modest oval shape will suit a small garden, but perhaps you like sleekness and prefer a square pond that matches the design of your garden. This also allows you to determine the zones - the different bottom heights under water where the plants will be placed. Do you want a modest ledge or rather a large zone where you can place lots of marsh plants? It's up to you!

2. You can make the pond as big as you like

It's a given with any preformed pond container you choose: the size is fixed. There are ones from 100 to 10,000 liters, but even larger is rare. In dimensions, this amounts to a maximum of 3 or 4 m long. Moreover, you then usually get either a square or a round one. If you build your own pond, however, you can decide for yourself how big, long or wide it should be. You are not stuck with what a manufacturer has thought out for you, but can let your imagination run free.

3. A pond tank is relatively expensive

EPDM pond liner is not only durable and easy to use, it is also cheaper to purchase than a ready-made pond liner. For a 10,000-liter polyester pond liner, you'll soon pay between €4,000 and €5,000. If you use a rubber EPDM liner 0.8 mm thick (the thickness needed for a solid pond bottom), this is available for the same 10,000 liters from about € 500.

4. A natural finish is tricky with a pond basin

An in-ground pond container always has a hard, black edge on the surface. It is smooth and often rounded material, which is difficult to deal with. Plants do not grow over it and stones do not stay well. This is different with a pond made of pond liner. The edge of the pond (liner) can be excellently hidden. Choose a nice flatstone or other natural stone and drape it quasi casually over the edges of your pond. Complete the look with a few full-growing marsh plants and soon the natural transition is a fact.

5. Create a gradually sloping bank

Speaking of banks. You have another advantage with that when you build your own pond. Pond banks are standard and actually always have a raised edge, followed by a somewhat deeper or shallower zone. That edge does not slope gradually, but straight down. That makes it tricky when you want to add pond substrate. It slides down and you keep looking at the black walls. If you lay foil, you can let the pond slope down at the edges in a much more subtle and gradual way. Tip: Don't dig a super-tight, even bottom in this area, but let it naturally bulge a bit here and there (just make sure sharp protrusions are removed). This is perfect for then adding pond substrate (and possibly pond plants) that will stay in place just fine.

7. A pond made of foil is more pleasant for animal life

A foil pond that you decorate naturally with lots of pond plants in and around the pond not only looks much more natural, it also pleases the animals. Because the marsh area is larger and/or shallower than in a pre-formed pond, it is more accessible. Think frogs and salamanders that can warm up in shallow water or birds that come to drink or want to take a bath. Thanks to a wetland full of plants, many insects and other small animals will be able to find a safe place.

8. There is room for a plant filter

Unlike a pre-formed pond, a foil pond lends itself perfectly to a plant filter. After all, you design your own pond and so it is possible to create, as it were, two ponds glued together, screened underwater with shoring. In one part you place many pond plants that together form the plant filter of your pond. In the other part - if your garden is big enough - you can even create a plant-free swimming area. Read more about a swimming pond in the garden.

9. A pond tank is too shallow as a koi pond

Are you aspiring to a koi pond? Then pre-formed pond containers are not suitable. Koi require at least 1.5 m depth, and this is a depth that is rarely seen in pond liners. So a pond made of EPDM liner is necessary if you want to build a beautiful and healthy koi pond. See more tips on how to build a koi pond.

10. It is easier to get rid of equipment

Do you want a filter, waterfall or fountain in your pond? In a pond basin it is difficult to conceal these in a subtle and natural way. The edge of the pond does not yield, so the hoses and cords have to go over the edge. And that, in turn, can be difficult to finish off (see #4). This is different if you use EPDM liner. Then you can make a notch, mound or trench exactly at the places you want, so that the technical parts of your pond can be concealed very neatly.