Ok Michael, going with your scenario with money not an object..... I'd
go
with a DragonKote ( http://www.mermaidhouse.com/ ) pond
installation. It's
a spray on pond liner system that is 100% polyurea. Mermaidhouse
know's what
their doing and what it takes to build a functioning koi pond.

Now I know you're going to ask why I'd choose this system over
liner or
concrete so here's why... As mentioned concrete can have issues. It
needs to
be sealed from time to time. If it develops even a hairline crack (and
you're in quake country!) it can be a real bugger to get it fixed.
Liner can
have issues as well, the biggie for me being wrinkles. Wrinkles trap
debris
and milm and even fish! Bottom drains are essential in koi ponds but
if
there are a lot of wrinkles they aren't very efficient (or good for
that
matter) at removing the mulm. A DragonKote pond gives the best of
both.
Depending on the soil conditions, local building codes etc. a
supporting
structure is built. Either a gunite like product is sprayed in/on the
hole
or block is used. Then the DragonKote is sprayed on the supporting
structure
with absolutely NO wrinkles and it can be sprayed right up to/on
skimmers,
bottom drains, etc to there will be no leaking issues. A DragonKote
pond can
be easily expanded as well as the polyurea can stick to itself. I
happen to
have 3 net-friends that have built DragonKote ponds, all are
beautiful,
highly functioning koi ponds. For me, I happen to think this is one of
the
best products out there right now. Out of curiosity you should post
this
question on the pond building forum at http://www.koiphen.com There
are
some professional pond builders in residence there that will gladly
advise
folks. They will help out with filtration designs as well as koi have
very
specific requirements. Even a beautiful looking pond can be a
nightmare if
the filtrations not up to the job and the fish start dying.
Janet in sunny Niagara Falls (posting through Google because for
some reason my replys aren't showing up)


(Michael Capone) wrote in message . com...
Hi Folks,

Been doing a lot of reading lately on the concrete vs. 45-mil liner
issue when setting up a fish pond. I'd like to ask the question in a
slightly different way:

Assume that money is no object (for the moment, at least; I'm sure
I'll come to my senses soon...) Also, assume that I don't have to set
it up myself (I have a competent fish pond installer who can go either
route, and is at this very moment sitting around waiting for me to
make up my mind on which direction to go). Given those two criteria,
I'd like to know, which pond bottom is best in the long run? Since
ease of installation is not a concern, I'd like to hear from people
who have had to live with one or the other for some time. Is
maintenance easier on one or the other? Is one "prettier" than the
other (highly subjective, I know). Does algae grow on concrete and
not come off?

I should mention that I live near San Jose, CA; earthquakes can
happen, although I'm not sure how big a deal this is. I don't get the
extreme temperatures, though (freezing nights are relatively rare,
though it can get up to 100 F on occasion). There are no tree roots
anywhere nearby that I have to worry about.

So, thoughts? Thanks in advance for any input. I've been tearing my
hair out over this crazy issue. Thanks!

Michael