Apr. 14, 2025
Geomembranes, in particular, are challenging to choose correctly. Other geosynthetics feature obvious visual differences, but almost all geomembranes tend to be either black or white, smooth, and solid. Often the amount of reflection and specific surface texture is the only visible difference between various products. Yet the construction and material makeup of the geomembrane varies greatly from product to product. Choosing a membrane at random can leave you chasing leaks and dealing with cracks that form from wrinkles. Make sure you’re selecting the best geomembrane for your liner with these helpful hints.
Almost all geomembranes are extruded and non-woven to avoid small openings that would let water flow through. Geotextiles are often woven, which is one easy way to tell the difference between these two geosynthetics. A woven or even matted fibrous material will almost never offer enough impermeability to qualify as a geomembrane liner, especially for ponds and related structures. If water containment or vapor blocking is a secondary or primary goal, stick with a non-woven product. Woven geomembranes are too permeable to function well for these purposes.
Various forms of polyethylene tend to offer the best results when used for making geomembranes. High density polyethylene (HDPE) is commonly used, but it’s often too thick and inflexible for demanding lining applications. Low density polyethylene (LDPE) offers better flexibility, but at the cost of durability and strength. Reinforced polyethylene (RPE) from BTL Liners offers the best of both materials by combining them into a single impermeable sheet. The addition of a reinforcement mesh boosts tear resistance dramatically. RPE is also chemical resistant, comes in food and fish safe formulations, and is thinner than other materials used for geomembranes without sacrificing strength. This makes it the easiest liner material to install on large commercial projects.
PVC is one of the most widely available polymers used for geomembranes. It’s a highly flexible and relatively strong material, but it still has many downsides when used specifically as a liner. First, it’s not very chemical resistant. If the liner is installed in an exposed design, PVC tends to break down faster than other polymers due to weathering and UV degradation. It’s also prone to becoming damaged by both high and low temperature extremes, making it a poor choice for lining roadways in practically any climate. Finally, PVC seams are also trickier to seal on site than RPE and other polyethylene products. Getting tight seams is essential for a leak-proof pond or containment area, so avoid PVC for these projects.
Polypropylene geomembranes, often marked as fPP since there are rigid forms as well, are not as widely used as PVC or RPE liners. This material is easily fabricated in large sizes in the factory to reduce seams. However, this feature is balanced out by the material’s weakness towards chlorine and other chemical additives in water. It’s particularly reactive to hydrocarbons, making it a poor choice for lining refinery and mining holding and processing ponds. fPP is generally only used for ponds and some roadway projects, and it’s not even the best choice for these uses in most cases.
CSPE is a modern, rubber polymer formula designed to overcome many of the limitations of PVC and other materials. It’s specifically designed to resist damage from chemical reactions and corrosive mixtures, allowing it to directly contain hazardous compounds over years without breaking down. This material is also highly resistant to damage from ozone and sunlight, making it a good choice for exposed installation.
Yet, it also has many drawbacks that make it a poor choice for demanding projects. First, oils and solvents still react with the material to break it down. Second, it can’t handle extreme temperatures very well. Third, installers can only thermally weld the seams on the material when it’s still freshly manufactured. After an aging period, specific to the particular formula, the material becomes resistant to thermal welding. Since this is both the fastest and most reliable method for on-site assembly, installation of CSPE is far more difficult than with RPE liners. This greatly limits its applications in real world situations.
Polyester is not as commonly used for impermeable geomembranes as the materials listed above. Yet it is still used at times, in conjunction with thicker geotextiles, as a finished layer on top for a smoother surface. If a ribbed or dotted geomembrane needs a barrier to prevent sediment from filling in its drainage surface, a thin layer of polyester liner may be used to separate the soil. Polyester breaks down more quickly than other materials, especially when installed in an exposed way, so it’s best avoided except for temporary stabilization purposes. This material is more versatile in a geotextile form than as an impermeable geomembrane.
Polyurethane was once the most widely used geomembrane material, but it’s largely fallen out of favor for more modern polymers. It’s also unique in its ability to offer spray installation. Installers spray a thick layer of liquid PUR polymer over a fabric backing to conform exactly to the shape of the ground. While this was once necessary for some projects, today’s flexible RPE liners can offer nearly as much conformity without the extra labor for installation. Each of the benefits of polyurethane, such as chemical resistance or good flexibility, is matched or exceeded by the features of RPE liners. Unless you’re planning a highly reactive chemical storage project that specifies polyurethane as the only option, consider RPE instead for a wider range of exposed installation options.
Every aquaculture pond liners’ initial role is to maintain the water in your pond. Meanwhile, manufacturers make the flexible liners usually called geomembranes by engineers, with various materials, each of the liners has pros and cons depending on the aquaculture ponds’ design, the aquaculture pond liners need to be temperature stable and keep good performance in the hottest and coldest weather your place is to meet, what’s more, it should not snag, puncture, or tear due to objects underground, fish farming ponds based on a large scale are usually exposed to the sun, which will need high and long-term UV resistance, chemical resistance, flexibility, cost, and toxicity to fish can all vary as well. Many aquaculture geomembranes are designed for large lakes or landfills or mining plants etc, and as a result, they may not perform as well in smaller backyard ponds. For these reasons, it pays to know a little about how to tell different liner materials before you invest in one.
HDPE Geomembranes for Aquaculture
HDPE geomembrane as a new material in the aquaculture industry has been more and more used, if you are doing fish, shrimp, or crab farming, then it is important to choose the right aquaculture geomembranes. HDPE geomembrane, also called fish pond liners, is designed for fish tanks and planting lotus root users. With the advantages of long service life, no pollution, easy to clean, and easy installation, aquaculture pond liners can replace the traditional farming ponds made with concrete or soil, it’s a popular choice for modern farmers.
LLDPE Geomembranes for Aquaculture
Suppose that the LLDPE geomembranes are made from the same plastic resins, it’s not hard to know that linear low-density polyethylene and HDPE aquaculture geomembrane liners are common in several things. These two liner types are almost the same inexpensive price, both of the pond liners need to be welded from different sheets in the field by some professional workers. The problem with these two materials is not easy to be custom fabricated in the factory with the heavyweight and poor flexibility. Similar to HDPE, LLDPE is also weldable, nontoxic to fish, and functions well in the regular pond water temperatures, no matter landfill to contain the waste or chemicals, or the artificial lake to hold the water for irrigation.
One major advantage of the LLDPE over the HDPE, is we need to know, is that since LLDPE is not as dense as the HDPE, thus makes the LLDPE softer, more flexible. LLDPE liners are much easier to install, also when mold around the corners and tight nooks and crannies. LLDPE’s flexibility means that the pond liner made by it can form fewer wrinkles in the laying and installation. Because it’s softer, LLDPE is also somewhat less prone to stress cracking than HDPE. Although the LLDPE softness comes at the price, meanwhile, in the tensile strength aspect, is it less tensile strength than HDPE liners, they can be more flexible when meeting the length-wise and tears on the land. Aquaculture geomembranes made from LLDPE are not quite as resistant to UV rays, aging time, and chemicals as those HDPE liners.
So, LLDPE liners may not be as durable when exposed to the sun and soil (when recommended as the pond liners, LLDPE liners may last up to 35 years).
It is important to buy aquaculture geomembrane made by virgin new materials, meanwhile, in the market, there are too many factories using recycled granules to save the production cost. The sources of recycled materials can be waste machine oil drums, waste mineral water bottles, waste greenhouse films, beer bottles, and even medical waste. So, let’s see the disadvantages of them:
The pond liners can’t be used for a long time. 1 or 2 months, 2-4 years, which will lead to unnecessary costs and installation on issues when on a large scale farming.
Unstable quality. Release harmful items to the environment and the ponds.
Aquaculture geomembrane is usually UV and age resistant, if made by recycled materials, it can’t be used for a long time for outdoor usage. Then the anti-seepage function is lost.
There are different thickness aquaculture fish pond liners, usually from 0.3 mm to 1.0 mm, within this range, 0.5 mm and 0.75 mm are the most popular types. The aquaculture pond liners are made of 100% virgin materials, with UV resistance and aging resistance additives, they can last for 20-30 years exposed to the sun, if underground, they can even last for 30-50 years.
For aquaculture pond liners, black is the most used color. Since black is the most UV resistant then it can last for a long time. In the production, blue geomembrane or white colors geomembrane also can be customized as long as can reach the MOQ quantity.
When choosing aquaculture pond liners, the quality of pond liners produced by recycled resins is unstable, if it is used for some time since the liners contain a variety of harmful substances, thus will release unpredictable damaged items to both the environment and fry.
The cost of aquaculture geomembranes is much lower than concrete also much healthier than natural soil ponds. The pond liners of HDPE cost approx 0.8 USD per square meter for the thickness of 0.75 mm, although the material rolls cost less, you still need to pay extra cost for the installation work. If you don’t have any experience, finding a team to do the welding and laying of the geomembranes will make the total cost not so competitive comparing some other lighter materials like PVC. So actually the aquaculture geomembranes will seem more cost-effective for large-scale ponds.
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If you need to pay USD for a concrete fish pond, you may need to pay 200 USD for a geomembrane pond. The installation of the pond liners is easier for both small garden ponds and large-scale fish farms. Usually equipped with a team of 2-4 persons, a sqm of the fish pond could be finished in one day. So the geomembrane is the most cost-effective way to do in aquaculture.
There are lots of manufacturers of fish pond liners around the world. If we are looking for a stable or qualified supplier, then CE and ISO certification are the basic important standard in the industry. Since different materials make the different costs of the finished liners. Even if national standards can’t reach the high requirements for engineering projects. Since some national standards accept the recycled resins in the production, as long as they are doing the production within the limitation.
HDPE Aquaculture Geomembranes
High-density polyethylene (HDPE) is a stiff polymer, but it’s still flexible enough to use as a geomembrane. It’s tougher than PVC and much more tear-resistant, yet cold and freezing temperatures cause it to become brittle and crack. Most HDPE liners are somewhat fish or plant-safe, but not all offer this certification. All polyethylene-based liners, including HDPE, offer good UV and chemical resistance. HDPE is a better choice than PVC or EPDM.
LLDPE Aquaculture Geomembranes
Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) offers a lot of the same benefits as HDPE in a more flexible package. Unfortunately, that flexibility comes at the cost of some strength and tear resistance. Chemical resistance also varies in this range. While aquaculture systems don’t involve a lot of caustic or corrosive chemicals, the nutrients and byproducts in the water can still shorten the lifespan of these liners.
The impermeable aquaculture geomembranes can protect the slope of the pond and maintain the water capacity of the pond. At the same time, it can enhance the control of water quality and control the dissolved oxygen content. With quick and easy installation and laying of the geomembranes, the aquaculture pond liners can also reduce pumping costs and can prevent the escape of fish in the rainy season.
After using the anti-seepage aquaculture geomembranes for the fish pond, there will be no weeds at the bottom of the pond, and the salvage is quite fast, which can be fished. The fishing time will be reduced a lot, the vitality and freshness of fish and shrimp will be enhanced.
What’s more, the main function of the aquaculture fish pond liners is to avoid the direct contact of fish with the soil and water pollution from the land. It can prevent both waste accumulation in the soil and harmful substances such as entering the pond, which can reduce the risk of disease, protect and promote the growth of fish.
Thus you can see, in the aquaculture industry, the aquaculture pond liners place an important role in modern fish farming.
Then how to tell if the aquaculture pond liners are good or not.
1). From the surface, it is smooth and flat, the poorer the quality of recycled materials, the more bump dots it has on its surface.
2). The geomembrane of 100% virgin raw material doesn’t have any smell, but the recycled ones will smell pungent if you smell it. The worse the quality of the recycled material, the more pungent the smell. If it is impossible to judge that the geomembrane can be ignited with fire, the recycled geomembrane will emit a strong peculiar smell.
3). The density of HDPE aquaculture geomembrane is 0.94, so the 100% virgin raw material geomembrane will float on the water. Some recycled materials geomembrane’s density will be less than water, but geomembrane with very poor quality will sink to the bottom of the water.
4). The 100% aquaculture geomembrane will maintain its
toughness at -70℃. The geomembrane, which uses a lot part of recycled
materials, will harden after being frozen at low temperature and even become brittly broken.
5). The raw materials of recycled geomembrane is unstable, so the tensile
strength, break elongation and other indicators of recycled products cannot meet the standards and related requirements.
No aquaculture geomembranes liner material is perfect, but all the lists here clarify the advantages that could make them valuable additions to a variety of fish ponds, garden water ponds, artificial lakes, and irrigation ponds. When you are comparing liner materials from different factories, though the information you can get from the salespeople only the advantages, after reading this article, you will shop smart and more choose the correct liner material for your individual needs and circumstances!
Design, materials, and construction of aquaculture structures – whether inland or offshore -– play a major role in productivity and profitability. They contribute to the effort, maintenance, operational costs, and the ability of the operations to meet production goals.
Geosynthetics offer significant cost benefits and superior performance over the soil, clay- or concrete-lined ponds, supporting improved aquaculture management practices. Earthen ponds were used for fish and shrimp farms. Only when the available earth was not suitable, such as sandy or toxic soil, were liners installed. Yet, the advent of catastrophic diseases and the increase of large-scale farms have paved the way to greater use of HDPE liners.
If you have an aquaculture project under construction, fish pond or shrimp pond, or another aquaculture project. As a professional aquaculture geomembrane manufacturer and supplier, we can provide suggestions or solutions for your aquaculture project. If you have any questions, you can contact us.
Contact us to discuss your requirements of hdpe geomembrane liner. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.
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