I build ponds for cash. Im going to give you some free pointers ! I like the right liners, but Im sure that the waterbed ideas and stuff of that nature work wellfor smaller ponds. When you build a pond dig the hole, dig it a few inches deeper than you want the pond to be. Line that with sand, atleast a couple of inches. That is the greatest liner in the world. It molds to shape, doesnt have sharp anything that will puncture the liner... SAND and for most areas its cheap to free to get some. Carpet pads may provide some preotection but I cant see it working well as it would leave so many pockets of air to let things work in from the bottom and ruin the liner. If you want it to last a life time consider pouring cement over the top of the liner. Iv done several this way, that cement over a liner ? leaks are rare. If it doesnt look like yuo want it to, you can paint it. They make a special paint that you can have tinted in about any color you like, that is like a liquid rubber. The liner, the cement, the paint, all make a sturdy pond. I wont get into the plants and stuff as everyone likes different stuff and state laws regulatte alot of plants that while I can have here you may not be allowed there and vice versa. As for fish, I tossed some feeder gold fish (Rosey Barbs and basic gold fish) in the pond, after 5 years they were nearly the size of Koy. The roseys died off, and never got bigger than about 2 inches anyways and would of been fish food, probaly some were. Crayfish, atleast here are classified wierd. They are a game fish, if you have a fishing license you can catch and keep as many as you can haul. But none can be removed from thew water they were caught at alive. A single live crawdad in your stash will get you some serious trouble. I dont knwo about anyone elses location, but if I were you, I would look into local laws. Here in Utah, the abatment council will come take a lok at your pond, test water, a few times over about a month. If you can keep it up to standards you can get free misquito fish from them in an effort to control the population of the blood suckers. As to rocks... Building ponds is fun for me, alot of work but something I enjoy. Im much better at that than I am at typing, I promise you. If I were looking for rocks in an area that didnt have them, or had them only at great cost, Id google, or hop my butt on over to the hypertufa forum. If you use tha method to build yuor rocks and waterfalls remeber its a slow process to finish it and use it with fish. Your using cemement, its very alkalie and leeches into your water. The same goes for using a concrete liner for the pool. Think about swimming pools, all that plaster all that crap, thats why the required PH factor for humans to swim in a pool. Its the same with fish in a pond. You sue that and you need to control the PH. You can add acid, or yuo can use it with no fish for a year or so and let it naturally stop screwing stuff up for you. Personally, with a few water changes (Not a good idea for a large pond, but OK for smaller ones) I can get the ph stable and fine for fish. Add the acid, run it for a few days, change the water, start over. after 2 or 3 changes over a month of time, but a water test kit, check the water PH, wait a week adn check it again to make sure its not climbing. If yuor in a bigger hurry, you can but a water test kit and water maint. kit and add the acid on a regular basis and test daily to keep the PH in a decent shape for fish. All of this stuff is discussed, as well as how to make the mix, and how to build the rocks on the hypertufa forum, and numerous websites you can find from google. Ther are alot of recipes for the mud, none are wrong, just give a different texture at the end. Also look into "skins" a latex skin of rock textures that you press onto the hypertufa rock before its set to give it that rock texture. While its green you can carve it and add more definition. I like to run my pips for the pumps, set a base, then spray foam up onto a basic shape for the entire fall. after 24 hours I carve and sand and use my dremil to get teh look I want and cover it in a mesh and mud it and work it from there. You can get some really great effects with a bit of practice. I would start small, making rocks and boulders to be used outside before making an entire waterfall. Hope this post helps someone to do it right and save some money and heartache.

Mike- For the color I use Quikrete brand liquid cement color, I bought it at Home Depot for about $6 / 10 oz. It uses iron oxide pigments and can be diluted in water, I only bought the Terra Cotta color and the Black. There are more colors. I let my rock cure until solid but still green, depends on your hypertufa mix. Using aluminum pie tins I mixed the two colors in some and just used the original color alone in other tins, then diluted with water to about 1/4 cup. I ended up with a half dozen pie tins each with a different color and/or shade. Apply with a paint brush in a dabbing manner. I use the chip brushes you can buy at Wal-Mart for less than a dollar, they come in several sizes. Sometimes I'll even use old art brushes - the more beat up the better! Don't use too much color on the brush and use several of your mixed colors on each rock. I keep a bucket of water to rinse the brushes as I'm working so I don't end up with one color. Since the Tufa is still green it soaks the colors up; you can use a sealer after it has completly cured. For the striations, cracks and some of the shaping I use several different sizes of plastic puddy knives. I found for striations it is best to work with the beveled edge up and just poke at the rock. I'll tap over the striations with a rag or a gloved hand to remove that manufactured look

I think it's a marvalous idea! You are right by taking the time to think it out. If I were going to attempt this, I would build it on the site I wanted it, make the mesh form, use cement for the basin and seal it well. Yes be sure to put in a drain or two, then I would finish anything above water with hypertufa. As long as you can wrap it with some wet sheets, and cover with plastic, you can cure it well. Just a thought...if you want it on a patio, you could build a large platform dolly, and build on it. & Make it a permanent part of the structure. Plant hostas or other plants around it, or place some 'loose hypertufa rocks' around the base. Then drain and move it in winter and spring. Would be like a huge birdbath on wheels. lol You would be able to move it wherever you want, if you change your landscaping. (even take it with you if you move) lol How deep do you want to make this? Are you adding a fountain feature? Neat idea, keep us posted Marcia

One difference between regular concrete and hypertufa is its life. It depends a lot on your local conditions, but hypertufa is generally considered to only have a lifespan of about 10 years, if that. The main source of problems is the inclusion of organic materials like peat, which will rot away, leaving "worm holes" where water can migrate through the hypertufa and freeze, cracking and weakening the project. Your friend can probably give you some good advice on how to create what you have in mind, that will have a longer life, and I think he will probably recommend regular concrete. And keep in mind that regular concrete will also grow moss. In the beginning, the concrete will be alkaline, which will NOT grow moss. But if it is exposed to rain for a couple of weeks, or you hose it down quite a bit, or maybe even treat it with a baking soda solution, it will become more neutral. Then you can "paint" it with a mix of yogurt and crumbled moss, or buttermilk and crumbled moss, then just keep it moist. It will grow moss better if it is in the shade, too, but there are many mosses -- try growing ones that live around your area. Sue