Cinder blocks in pond

[warren]

does anyone use cinder blocks in their pond to raise plants up instead of a shelf. I’m changing the placement of almost all of my plants and don’t want to build more shelves. I thought cinder blocks would work plus help give my fish shelter from the blue herons. I was concerned about If they leach anything int the water that would hurt the fish or effect water quality

 

[Jhn]

Be careful with the edges and they can be abrasive so if fish bump into them it could damage the fish.

That being said I have had them in my pond w/o issues water chemistry wise or with my fish banging into them.

Other than possibly raising the ph abit if it is a new cinder block. I imagine it would take a lot of cinderblocks to really noticeably raise the ph in a decent size pond. You could always set them in some water to let it leach out some or “cure” for abit.

 

[RobAmy]

No problem using them at all in the pond. You would need a lot for a leaching issue. As far as edges you could grind the corners round.

You could also use chimney clay tiles, they have rounded corners and still make a shelter

 

[Lisak1]

We did exactly as @RobAmy suggested and got a clay flue liner. The downside is it's heavy and was challenging to get into the already filled pond. I had to get in and have my husband hand it to me which was quite the feat! But it works perfectly and we can put two large lily pots on top. It was completely covered in algae within a week - can't even tell it's there. We did sand the edges as they were a bit rough, but that was a simple task. And at 20 something dollars the price was right.

 

[ShawnInfirmity]

I use sterilite storage crates that are turned over to place my lilies on and it also doubles for a hiding spot for any fish that is small enough to swim through the circular holes in the sides. My minnows used them for spawning quite a bit last year and I expect they'll do the same this year as well.

 

[johnnyi]

I have had them in the pond for plant support since 2012, rough edges and all. No trouble for the fish at all. I even put my submersible pumps on the bricks to keep them up off the bottom (to prevent the pond from draining entirely in case of leaks).

 

[warren]

I use sterilite storage crates that are turned over to place my lilies on and it also doubles for a hiding spot for any fish that is small enough to swim through the circular holes in the sides. My minnows used them for spawning quite a bit last year and I expect they'll do the same this year as well.

Sounds like a good idea thanks

 

[HARO]

Milk crates are your friends! Light, cheap, strong, and enough open space to accommodate even fairly large fish. no rough edges to worry about, either. Wally World sells new ones.
John