Liner question

[Mmathis]

[again, from the box turtle pond-builder ]

Having trouble deciding what kind of liner would be best. Would kind of like to use the flexible liner stuff, but have some turtle-pond specific concerns.

1 -- box turtles are diggers and are pretty strong little guys, though mine are still small. I'm worried that they will dig under any rocks I use to anchor the liner and undermine this. Their digging would only be outside of and not inside the pond itself.

2 -- I will be installing a false-bottom, so guess would build in a shelf along the inside perimeter for it to sit on. How do you keep things inside the pond from punching or wearning holes in the liner material? My false-bottom will likely be made out of the "honeycomb" light difuser panels which would potentially have hard edges.

 

[fishin4cars]

use 45 mil liner for sure, I would think using some of the liner that you trim and placing a second layer (with the trim pieces) where your going to have sharp edges against the primary liner will help, That liner is tough but those little claws are sharp. I would consider using a good layer of smooth gravel, river rock, or similar to put down where you think the turtle might dig through to the liner. Also give them a place to more easily dig close by. having a spot for them to dig in may keep them from wanting to dig as bad around the liner since that's normally not where they would be digging anyway. Most of the time they dig near shady spots to find refuge from the heat in the cool ground. when we kept them out side we had little boxes we placed under shade trees away from the fencing for them to go in, they would dig shallow depressions under the boxes and that's where we would find them when they weren't roaming around.
Don't know how you have them fenced in but I had to dig a 18" deep channel all around the area I was fencing in for them and poured cement in it so the couldn't dig out. If I was doing it again I would consider actually cementing the fencing into the canal too. They aren't shy about digging a hole to get out. and if you think Box Turtles can dig, try a gopher Tortoise, not suppose to keep them but they can be found in your area, they are the coolest and friendliest of all the US turtles. But they can dig a hole 3' down in a single day. NO PROBLEM