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Shallow Water Habitat for Fry & Forage Fish

Give fry—young fish—and copepods, tiny aquatic crustaceans, dense shelter near shorelines, spawning areas and nursery zones in freshwater ponds, lakes and reservoirs. Compare the original Cradle and Ultra Fine Cradle for fine, grass-like refuge. Choose StoutHouse for heavier shallow cover, or Fortress for self-opening shelter with varied openings.

Fortress stands 45 inches tall and is recommended for freshwater depths of 4–9 feet; StoutHouse also suits 4–9 feet. Match each model to its own depth guidance rather than treating the whole category as one depth range. Fine reclaimed PVC surfaces provide growing area for algae and periphyton, the attached growth supporting the food web.

Every preassembled habitat is self-weighted with cement built into the patented design: no separate ballast or anchor is needed. All PVC is reclaimed material destined for landfill. Prices include free shipping.

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Shallow habitat is the key to a balanced Eco-system. Fish move into shallow water to build beds, nests and spawning areas. Artificial fish habitat can be great for young fish. Fish habitats also come in an array of sizes and shapes. Here the fry are hatched and need to immediately find cover or get eaten by waiting predators. As soon as the male leaves the nest, predators start devouring the young. Tight, dense habitat provides fry with small areas to get into and grow, where they find larvae and insects feeding on the periphyton and algae. Like any infant, they need protection from the elements, lots of food easy to consume and danger kept at bay, far away from their hiding spots. Habitat products standing from about 24 inches tall up to about 42" tall, are considered the shallowest models for average depths of three to six feet deep. This is a great option for a bluegill habitat, especially during the spring and early summer. Free shipping

Growing forage in your lake or pond can be your own fish stocking program. If you have enough shallow cover to protect young forage species and fry, you will not need to spend money on yearly stocking any more. You can feed and grow more big fish if you provide them with enough food in the form of smaller fish. The size and amount of the food available, dictates how big the game fish can ultimately grow. Ample shallow habitat allows fish to survive longer, growing larger before heading out to deep water. Shallow cover is the grocery store of the pond, holding most of the food.

 

This shallowest littoral zone cover is hands down the most important habitat to your fishery. Protect the young of the species and your investment. "High complexity is achieved in systems that exhibit a mixture of order and disorder (randomness and regularity) and that have a high capacity to generate emergent phenomena." Fish structure is an important piece of the underwater puzzle of fisheries science.

Our ten part underwater video series shows how fish interact with our products in real time video and time lapse photos, learn along with us here.  

Legacy Habitat mats, offer unlimited flexibility in design and installation, while the larger modular habitat mats offer the solid and robust security of additional weight and size. Replace the fine, woody habitat along your shoreline that has rotted away with artificial habitat that will last forever. Clusters of fine, flexible and dense cover like the Cradle model grow algae fast to feed the baby fry. Set shallow cover adjacent to known spawning areas or to replace weeds and vegetation that have been removed.

Do you have a small backyard garden pond, Koi pond, tank or any other smaller water with fish? If you do, you know that your fish need hiding places just as much as big water fish do. Birds, cats, raccoons all eat fish and steal fish from ponds. Give your fish a place to hide from the sun and dangerous predators. 

We have a multitude of options for the smaller fish protection needs. If you'd like to make your own fish attractors, we can help with that as well with our loose materials for DIY fish habitat projects. Clusters of shallow cover can be a fantastic compliment to your fishery, growing and maintaining the food source. Mid depth units can also be incorporated into the shallower mix, sometimes simply bending the tallest limbs down to "fit" into the designated area.

 

Made from reclaimed PVC, each unit can be removed and sprayed off with a hose to clean for small waters or fish hatchery settings. Different textures and material arrangements, have proven to appeal to different species and sizes of fish. Our PVC StoutHouse is a great option that you simply can't ignore. Create an under water forest that only smallest fish can swim through and hide within. Smaller in size pieces but not in coverage, these shallow water units can be bent and trimmed to your exact wishes or needs. Try a few and watch the fish enjoy their new home. Get started with your shallow fish or bluegill habitat by giving us a call today!

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