Recently built a fish pond and used railroad ties around the edges. Can this hurt the fish?
These railroad ties are 20 years old, but you can still smell the creosote. The pond water does not actually touch the ties, but rainwater will run off them into the pond. If I need to coat them with something to prevent this, what product would I use?
July 23rd, 2010 at 12:12 am
Yes. They have been treated with a chemical that can hurt or kill your fish and maybe even your plants. Even if they are not touching the water it can be washed from them into the pond.
Don’t even use landscape timbers as these are pressure treated.
July 23rd, 2010 at 12:31 am
dont use them cos if u get afreeze the tile will crack n kill ur fish for sure
July 23rd, 2010 at 12:59 am
Remove them ASAP. They are treated with poison and if they touch the water, they can kill your fish and plants.
In fact, if your pond is lower than the surrounding ground, raise it at least 4″ above grade to stop run off.
July 23rd, 2010 at 1:59 am
I would remove them at once or at the very least i would cover them with thick plastic and then put something else on top of them (like brick / blocks / stones).
July 23rd, 2010 at 2:04 am
I agree with everyone else here. This question is resolved.
July 23rd, 2010 at 2:56 am
railroad ties are not a good boarder. the chemicals that are in them are dangerous to fish as well as any other living plants and animals near them. remove them as soon as you can and replace them with rocks, pavers, a stone of any kind would be better then the railroad ties. I have 2 waterponds with fish in both and i have never used anythng but rocks around the edges,as the drainage from rain and snow melt off fill the ponds back up, and any kind of chemical or other harmful eliments found in many types of wood are harmful to ponds and what live in them. i don’t use any chemicals in my ponds and they are healthy all year round.
August 16th, 2010 at 2:27 am
You don’t need to coat them. You should try to remove them as soon as possible. These ‘ll be the killing cause of your fish and your plants.
February 7th, 2012 at 11:25 pm
I think which is an intriguing point, it made me think a bit. Thanks for sparking my thinking cap. Often I get so a lot in a rut that I just feel like a record.