# Old Tires for a pond reef?



## Swamp Boss

Any problems using old tires for a pond reef?


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## tdejong302

Pretty sure DEQ and DNR would call it dumping. 

Seen an article about doing this in the ocean. Something like 50K tires were dumped to create a reef. They eventually seperated and floated everywhere an created one heckuva mess. They also killed alot of the marine life plants and fish around them. 

What about pellets that you stack stuff on. I wired 10 in two seperate stacks and they seem to work fine. Alot less toxic then rubber.


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## roger23

I would not use them did you ever pick up a old tire after it has been in the water a long time what a mess... I used concrete blocks I got from construction sites that they were throwing away when the jobs were completed


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## answerguy8

tdejong302 said:


> Pretty sure DEQ and DNR would call it dumping. .


I'm not sure that would be a concern if it's his own pond.




tdejong302 said:


> What about pellets that you stack stuff on. I wired 10 in two seperate stacks and they seem to work fine. Alot less toxic then rubber.


I'm sure you meant pallets, but I wouldn't expect them to last as long as tires would. Tires with a cable through them anchored at both ends would last a long time.


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## theredmission

answerguy8 said:


> I'm sure you meant pallets, but I wouldn't expect them to last as long as tires would. Tires with a cable through them anchored at both ends would last a long time.


Steel cables were the problem in the ocean incident:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-02-17-florida-reef_x.htm?csp=34


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## answerguy8

kmattso1 said:


> Steel cables were the problem in the ocean incident:
> http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-02-17-florida-reef_x.htm?csp=34


I scanned the article. And it certainly turned out to be a bad idea for the ocean but I'm not so sure it would turn out to be so bad in a private pond.


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## glnmiller

I fished a reservoir in Tennessee two weeks ago and they had made structure from used tire lashed together. The tires were not submerged, they were floating. Worked great, we caught lots of crappies off of them. I see no problem using them in a private pond.


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## alex-v

answerguy8 said:


> I'm sure you meant pallets, but I wouldn't expect them to last as long as tires would. Tires with a cable through them anchored at both ends would last a long time.


Since they use discarded Christmas trees and those last a long time then the pallets should, too. As long as the pallets remain submerged and do not get exposed to air it would take them a long time to decompose. Look at the amount of stumps and branches that remain underwater for years and years.

Also, if the DEQ and other agencies get upset with people storing tires in piles on private property and call it dumping I get the feeling that they would frown on putting tires underwater.


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## Jacob Huffman

I went to Florida for about 2 weeks this past Feb. and fished with my uncle out of Stuart Fla. on a 35ft. boat out in the ocean,it was pretty cool.It cost $30 a piece and you got to fish for about 4 hours.Anyway my uncle was telling me about someone's graet idea to take old tires out in the ocean and dump them,tied together, for an artifical reef.well it has been a few years now and not only won't any thing live on them because the petroliem(sp) is leaking out but what ever they tied them together with broke and the currents have scattered them for about 5 miles.They are now spending thousands of dollars paying divers to gather the tires and haul them to shore to be disposed of properly....Just my 2 cent's...


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## answerguy8

Jacob Huffman said:


> I went to Florida for about 2 weeks this past Feb. and fished with my uncle out of Stuart Fla. on a 35ft. boat out in the ocean,it was pretty cool.It cost $30 a piece and you got to fish for about 4 hours.Anyway my uncle was telling me about someone's graet idea to take old tires out in the ocean and dump them,tied together, for an artifical reef.well it has been a few years now and not only won't any thing live on them because the petroliem(sp) is leaking out but what ever they tied them together with broke and the currents have scattered them for about 5 miles.They are now spending thousands of dollars paying divers to gather the tires and haul them to shore to be disposed of properly....Just my 2 cent's...


I'm guessing you didn't click on the link on message #5, did you?


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## answerguy8

alex-v said:


> Since they use discarded Christmas trees and those last a long time then the pallets should, too. As long as the pallets remain submerged and do not get exposed to air it would take them a long time to decompose. Look at the amount of stumps and branches that remain underwater for years and years.
> 
> Also, if the DEQ and other agencies get upset with people storing tires in piles on private property and call it dumping I get the feeling that they would frown on putting tires underwater.


The problem with pallets isn't the wood rotting but the staples that they use to hold them together rusting away. Not that I have a problem with someone using pallets instead of tires. And if it's true about the tires giving off some kind of chemical then they probably shouldn't be used at all.


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## muskrat

Could you imagine if you could build reefs like that, Belle Isle would be great:lol: .
Matt


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## gamebird_guy

There is a large tire structure being used as a break wall in portage lake in onekama near the marina they are lashed together and floating so I would think it would be plenty legal especially on a private pond. And oh yeah I see tons of huge bass hanging in and around those tires.


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## bucko12pt

About 5 years ago we built about 50 fish structures, approved by the DNR, that we submerged in the winter on the south end of Lake Leelanau.

We used pallets and cement blocks constructed as follows. A pallet on the bottom with a 2x4 about 3' long nailed upright in each corner. We then stacked a cement block on each corner slid over the 2x4. Then another pallet, another cement block on each corner, then a final pallet. You could go higher, but they get a little heavy. Each pallet is nailed to the 2x4 in each corner, then we used a metal banding machine to lock it all together, encircling the entire structure several times. You can also stick some brush in between the layers of pallets to give the smaller fish some additional protection. We cut holes in the ice and lowered them to the bottom with two ropes slung under them and four guys, one on each corner.

We put them in groups of four in about a 50' diameter circle. I've dove on them in the summer and they get plenty of use by several species of fish. All are in about 15' - 25' of water. 

I expect them to still be there many years from now.

Oh yeah, as a secondary benefit,it's a great place to pick up a few lures now and again also.


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