Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Creating habitat What Material to use?

So I'm wanting to make a bunch of smaller artificial structures like what fishiding has. What material would be best to use? I really don't want to buy any more hose. I have access to a bunch of old plastic banding (what they use to hold bundles of lumber together). But with the banding it's pretty small and takes lots of it to get good cover and it doesn't provide any shade since it is a greenish clear color. What's the thoughts?

Thanks!

I have not done this so do not know the effectiveness. It is just one of my wild hare thoughts, so take it for what it is worth.

I was going to gather up a big wad of plastic baler twine, the kind used to wrap big round hay bales, collected from a cattle feeding area. Encase it in plastic mesh fencing of about 1" square to keep it contained, with an enclosed concrete block for weighting. Place it in shallow water to promote surface area for algae and tiny critter food chain and larval size fish.

I think the plastic strapping would be even better for this purpose than the used baler twine. Wadded together enclosed in a mesh enclosure would have more water space within than the twine.

I was going to put such a structure under my dock along with the current cedar trees and some proposed pallet structures. The bagged plastic twine (or strapping) would give some of the dense structure that goes away over time as cedars or Christmas trees deteriorate. The plastic would last for many years.

Now if only I would get it done.

That's a good idea Snrub. I also have access to some bent-up metal drip edge (goes around the edge of the roof line). Its about 3" wide and would create shade and you can bend it however you want.

i used pvc to make the three upright trees for around 50$ total. and the other ones are made out of strips of aluminum that I got for free from a friend that does roofing and spouting jobs. I just put them in straight into the cement and when hardened I bent them into the shape I wanted. I partially buried the pots in the pond to keep them in place. the pvc trees I wired cinder blocks to them to hopefully hold them in place.

This is what I came up with.

Thats a great looking crib, nice and tight spaces for little guys to hide.

Thanks Peepaw. Now I just need to make about 20 more haha.

I just got 12 retired grocery carts from my local grocery store! Perfect refuge for my new CNBG spawn!

Welcome to PBF BobbyJack!

Pretty cool! How are you planning on using them? Any concern they will be hook magnets?

Bill D.

They prolly will catch crankbaits, but any soft stuff like senko, worms swim baits etc. will work. I just like the fact my itty bitty fish can swim inside and hide. We actually connected the carts top to top to make a big box that only 5 inch and down can swim inside.

Caught 8 LMB on the grocery carts I put in 4/5/17!

BobbyJ - how did you place and arrange the grocery carts? Together, in a group or in a line? Right side up or upside down?