Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Creating habitat Fish structure using lattice

Anyone ever tried building a fish structure using plastic or wooden lattice? Seems like it could be a great idea if done properly! I would basically build a box frame....attach some old faux xmas tree branches to the inside and sink with bricks. No pictures yet...just thinking about it.

You mean like these patented Brettski structures.




http://www.pondboss.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=4;t=000196;p=1#000000

Ya know, I think IL LH means the rigid plastic lattice material that comes in 4' x 8' and 4' x 4' sheets at the home centers. The stuff I used is snow fencing.
I do like the idea of the construction stuff that I believe IL LH eludes to. It sounds like another long term product that will mix/match well with the other items in the Tinker-toy fish habitat collection.

Underwater and on a form it would make no difference if it was snow fence material or rigid plastic fencing. Both are inert and easy to cut and tie and will support plankton/algae growth. Easy to move and install and sink. The plastic fencing does come in rolls and in different grid sizes from 1/4in. to 2+ inches.

Brettski, I had a floating barley straw crib very similar to this setup with two inch nylon squares. Once I gave up on the barley straw idea (another subject for another time) I added four legs about 25% of the distance in from each end the same way you did and planted it.It took two seasons to get some good growth but found that the weight sagged the center down to the pond floor approx 18 inches, I made mine out of 2 inch schedule 40 and wish I would of added one more leg dead center for a total of five. I cant tell if mine bent or broke but if I do another one will be with 5 legs.

Yikes...good info to know pre-water! Thanks, Ted.
How long was your crib? I'm having a hard time with 2" PVC bending over a 5 or 6' distance. I would have lost that bet. I will admit that these are not structurally stout, being constructed of 1" Sched 40. Adding a Tee to the center on both sides would be cake. I can pound in a pc of rebar or hot rolled round (probably a little softer than rebar) and slip the 1" center support leg over it. Run a drill thru the pipe and bar and slip in a 10-24 SS bolt.
....OR, I can just attach a pc of 2 x 8 x 12" long treated to the new PVC leg as a foot base. A little easier, me thinks.

That plastic lattice is much more expensive but more durable and more rigid than the snow fence material.

Ya know, Bill, I was thinkin' about that after one of my previous posts. I was trying to remember how I knew how expensive that stuff was...what home project was I going to use it on. Then it hit me! I was shopping this last summer for the stuff to build those cribs. DOH! IIRC, the 4' x 8' sheets of plastic lattice were about $22 each. The roll of snow fence is 4' x 100' on sale at $15.

Tried to find some pics of the barley cage before it became structure but elude me. The cage was 14 ft long 4 ft wide and 4 ft tall. I had the legs at 4 ft with 6 ft in the center unsupported but had a center frame as yours.Im guessing the inside lower part of the T's on the bottom broke out. It worked fine with 150-200 lb of barley in it as the material floated as did the cage.It had 4 inch pvc on the top rail that kept it stable and afloat. I monitored hydrogen peroxide levels and could not get them above .5 ppm (3 needed for good algae control) so structure it became. This cage had an aeration tube running down the center and was modeled after a unit built in the UK after conversations with a professor named Johnathan Newman who has done more work with barley than anyone I could find.I think any kind of center support would work great on yours and as you state "prewater" is doable later is a pain.

I priced sometime back rigid plastic fencing. Was thinking about some cages or a blocking fence rather than nets. A 100' x 4' roll was about the same price as similar bulk netting. I still may get some and make some cages.

Isn`t having a pond a blast? I have been doing some Spring cleaning in my barn and found some lattice in the top of the barn. My son has agreed to let me get rid of some of his skateboarding decks.... a screwdiver,screws,lattice,8 foot skateboarding bench, two floating noodles, concrete blocks to anchor....I not only have the coolest fish structure, I got rid of a lot of stuff from the barn!!!

Martin,

Does your structure look like a giant venitian blind? That would be ideal for breeding fatheads.

I really need to get a picture of it. I made my wife go look at it. She knows I am pond crazy! HA! The fatheads would do great spawning here because the bench is only half as high as the lattice.