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Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 3,135
Ambassador Lunker
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OP
Ambassador Lunker
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 3,135 |
Well here's the explanation and pictures of my low cost floating island. Believe it or not it's still floating after 2 windy and stormy days in less than a week. This first photo shows the garland attached beneath the island. Here it is finally wet, as you can see I added some foam noodles to the center support and also 2 small pieces to the cross support. In the finished photo's you can see that I added foam at each end of the island to completely enclose it. I'm putting newspaper down to help reduce initial loss of peatmoss and dirt untill the plant roots take hold. First I put 40lbs. of peatmoss on it then about 30 lbs. of dirt, later after putting the plants on I put another 20 to 30lbs. of dirt on, for a total of about 100lbs. peat & dirt. Here's some photo's of it with the 5 water plants I got from Lowes, there are 2 asst. Canna, 1 hardy water Canna, 1 Calla Lily, and 1 Iris. I put grass seed on it but I'm not sure it will grow so I'll get some grass off my natural islands and try that. One other suggestion, if your island is subject to high wind & waves you might want to add another ring of foam to the bottom to help it float higher. I built the island with flexible pipe and noodles to see how it works cause I would like to build a larger one with a more irregular natural shape. I'll update this as the plants and grass grow. Hope this info helps. P.S. Paint the noodles before putting in the water.
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 10,458 Likes: 2
Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame Lunker
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame Lunker
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 10,458 Likes: 2 |
Your fish are gonna like hiding under it for shade... It'll start to look real nice once it starts filling in.
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Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 7,615 Likes: 5
Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 7,615 Likes: 5 |
Wow, what a cool project. Nice touch on painting the float noodles.
JHAP ~~~~~~~~~~ "My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives." ...Hedley Lamarr (that's Hedley not Hedy)
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Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 563
Ambassador Lunker
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Ambassador Lunker
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 563 |
Looks great! I am going to try to put one together this summer. thanks for the inspiration!
Brian Retired Coach Just another day in paradise!
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Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 3,135
Ambassador Lunker
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Ambassador Lunker
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 3,135 |
Coach, good luck it should be a worthwhile addition to your pond.
I like using the flexible pipe cause you can make different shapes, the next one I make will use 1 1/2 or 2 inch flex pipe, I'll make a frame with 2x4's and put nails in it in the shape I want the pipe bent to form the island, then I'll make 3 foam filled pipe island shapes and stack them on top of each other and zip tie them together. I'll probably use pvc reinforcement under the bottom fencing like the one I just built, but no foam noodles.
Please post info and pictures when you build your island.
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 4,025 Likes: 1
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 4,025 Likes: 1 |
Another NY masterpiece. Another guy from your way made some nice islands. I need some for this summer, as the sun will get pretty blistering hot. Thanks for the pics and techniques.
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 10,458 Likes: 2
Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame Lunker
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame Lunker
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 10,458 Likes: 2 |
I bet the islands will be major fish magnets come summer time with that beating hot sun shining down on them...
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Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 3,135
Ambassador Lunker
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OP
Ambassador Lunker
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 3,135 |
Burger, I'll bet your fish would love to get some relief from that blistering Texas sun, I was there years ago at Fort Wolters for helicopter training, HOT HOT HOT !!! CJ, we had 3 days below freezing this past week so the fish are just starting to thaw out. Probably the quickest way to make an island would be with a sheet of styrofoam, put some edging on it to hold the dirt, and punch holes in it.
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Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 3,135
Ambassador Lunker
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Ambassador Lunker
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 3,135 |
I think the 3 mornings below freezing did some damage to a couple of the plants, we'll see. The clump of swamp grass I put on seems ok, the extra grass seed will hopefully grow some grass. Even with the island swinging around in the wind the garland underneath is still vertical.
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 10,458 Likes: 2
Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame Lunker
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame Lunker
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 10,458 Likes: 2 |
I supposed to be 85 today. A few days ago we had frost warnings though...
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 13,975 Likes: 277
Moderator Lunker
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Moderator Lunker
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 13,975 Likes: 277 |
I supposed to be 85 today. A few days ago we had frost warnings though... Cold weather always seems to bother Senior Citizens the most.
"Live like you'll die tomorrow, but manage your grass like you'll live forever." -S. M. Stirling
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Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 3,135
Ambassador Lunker
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OP
Ambassador Lunker
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 3,135 |
The grass on the island is finally filling in, and the water plants are doing good except the 2 Canna which got some freeze burn, but their coming back, we haven't had a bad freeze since june 1. I put a Bee Balm plant on one of the natural islands to see if it'll take.
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 10,458 Likes: 2
Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame Lunker
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame Lunker
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 10,458 Likes: 2 |
Looks good, hopefully the plants will fill in as they mature and multiply...
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Joined: May 2008
Posts: 27
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 27 |
Last edited by Bill Cody; 03/04/22 09:00 PM.
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Joined: May 2008
Posts: 27
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 27 |
Well, obviously I need to read the pic posting thread again..I can't get the picture to appear in the post and im not that bad with computers.
Sorry,
Hal
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Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 3,135
Ambassador Lunker
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OP
Ambassador Lunker
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 3,135 |
Hal, thats a great looking island, just proves there's no end to the ways you can make an island. What type of cover material did you use and did you put any more floatation in it.
P.S. The pictures came thru ok.
Last edited by adirondack pond; 06/14/09 10:10 PM.
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Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 3,135
Ambassador Lunker
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Ambassador Lunker
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 3,135 |
Hal, when you type in your photo address delete the, ?action=view¤t= , part of the address.
Last edited by adirondack pond; 06/14/09 10:31 PM.
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Joined: May 2008
Posts: 27
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 27 |
Thanks, Forgot a pic... http://i562.photobucket.com/albums/ss66/hjohn529/100_0540.jpgHe got some screening material from his grandad. Just about everything except the foam and swim noodles was stuff in my dad's barn. I didn't get any pics but yes, he did add floatation when it got heavier than he thought. Believe it or not there are nothing but plastic bottles under the frame. Luckily are golf course has an ample supply every day.
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Joined: May 2008
Posts: 27
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 27 |
..Sorry, I saw your post about pics too late ..I will get it, Eventually..and I type like my mother (haha). Let's get speelcheck.
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Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 3,135
Ambassador Lunker
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OP
Ambassador Lunker
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 3,135 |
Finally getting some flowers, the Canna is blooming but with the cold, cloudy summer not much else. The Temp. at 5ft is 59.4, and the Trout have been real active. We could use a little Texas heat.
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Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 131
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 131 |
Adirondack your pond looks like a postcard. I can imagine you've had some pretty good times surrounded by rising fish wtih a bent fly rod in hand...
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Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 3,135
Ambassador Lunker
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OP
Ambassador Lunker
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 3,135 |
Thanks BB, My wife gave me a fly fishing set for fathers day, but I've only practiced in the yard, soon I'll try for real.
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,539 Likes: 845
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,539 Likes: 845 |
Hope you've been practicing your roll casts!
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Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 3,135
Ambassador Lunker
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OP
Ambassador Lunker
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 3,135 |
For me it's more like a flip and fling cast.
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 10,458 Likes: 2
Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame Lunker
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame Lunker
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 10,458 Likes: 2 |
Looking good... The cool water has to be letting those trout grow big! How are the growth rates looking? Have your PS spawned yet?
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