Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Creating habitat Floating trees.

Hello all. I have a new( very old) couple of ponds. I am in the process of renovating the smaller of the two for smallies, and the other we are going to stock LMB. Both ponds as of now have very little or no cover and I am slowly building materials for both. I have seen some good ideas on here, and have had a couple that I think are good also. I just wanted to share them with yall.
I saw the post about the bucket bushes with the 1/2 inch pex water lines. Wonderful idea. My idea is a variation of that. I want more of a tree type structure, so I am going to get smaller buckets or milk jugs, or something to that effect and add the pex water lines at varying lengths. Fill the jug with "Great Stuff" and attach a rope from the bottom of the jug or bucket. Repeat these steps one or two more times and weight the bottom down with a cinder block or some type of anchor. The great stuff will float the jugs and you will have a taller structure. This will work good in lakes and ponds that need taller things. Just an idea. Let me know what you think.

I think it's a good idea except that the milk jugs degrade pretty quickly in sunlight.

Be sure to look through this

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=92463#Post92463

Great link ewest! I'll use most of these. I know that I'm not supposed to cover more than 20% of my area, these are great ways to make cover and structure.

Esshup, I may use 3 gallon buckets or something of the sort. A jug may not be the best option, although it would work in a pinch.

I had someone donate a few used railroad ties to my project. Will they harm the water? I also cut several wood posts from clearing the underbrush. I am letting them cure as we are still draining the pond for renovation. If I let them cure for a month or so before I set them in the pond to serve as standing timber I should avoid any tannins right? Thanks again guys!

i'd probably avoid the rr ties.. older ties were soaked in creasote.. i think newer ties are chemically treated

These are old. If it will hurt what I am trying to do, I'll landscape with them! Thanks.

One thing on the great stuff, I think it will degrade over time in water. I can't remember exactly what I was doing now but I had a rubber bowl I was floating in the pond and put great stuff all the way around under the rim for more stability. The next year I picked it up off the shore and the great stuff was rotten.

I wonder if you could put some type of sealant on the great stuff to protect it longer?

Joe the great stuff big gap filler works well but to get maximum life span you could coat it with minwax polycrylic, it's clear and foam safe.

the great stuff comes in a "pond and stone" variety. I couldn't find it in Home Depot. I ordered some to fix my dad's small pond but haven't used it yet. It states it is "water resistant." Here is the product link:

http://building.dow.com/na/en/products/specialty/pondstone.htm

Black foam has been available for Water Feature construction for over 10 years. Great Stuff is only the latest to realize the market potential. All of the brands of black foam available today are water resistant, but ARE NOT waterproof.

This is something that would work but it's a lot of work. The picture is a sailboat mast I made filled with blue building foam which is closed celled and water proof. Pink building foam is the same thing. I would twist and push the tube through the foam until a piece was lodge in it, them push it to the other end with a pole. I did this until the tube was filled.

You could use closed cell expanding foam
Used a lot in boat building
Usually a 2 part mix
A littl e pricier, but if your doing a lot of these it would be worth it
Can find it on boat building sites
May still degrade with Prolonged direct water contact?