Aquatic plants to filter duck pond?

[Cattle dog Mom]

I would NOT use a kiddie pool. Pain in the arse to dump! IMO you are better off using a stock tank of some sort. They have a DRAIN PLUG. So super easy to drain the nasty water that happens quickly with ducks, and hose it out.. They are more expensive to buy but last for YEARS. I've had the same Rubbermaid 100 gallon tanks for my horses for more than 20 YEARS and they still work perfectly. (The one in the picture you posted, HOW in the WORLD do they dump it out?)

 

[aart]

Either use something small enough to dump easily or add a drain to it.

 

[SolarDuck]

Yeah I think your best bet would just be a kiddie pool or a similar sized tank. I just use a 40" kiddie pool and dump it whenever I need to. That one you posted a picture of looks really nice, but super super hard to clean out. I don't think it would be worth adding plants unless you had like a huge pond.

 

[Ratchnick]

You can use... wait for it... duck weed! You need to have a section of pond the ducks can't get to or they will eat it all. Its easy to scoop some out when you do a water change and you can even dry it in the sun for winter snacks.

 

[KenjiQuacker]

I would NOT use a kiddie pool. Pain in the arse to dump! IMO you are better off using a stock tank of some sort. They have a DRAIN PLUG. So super easy to drain the nasty water that happens quickly with ducks, and hose it out.. They are more expensive to buy but last for YEARS. I've had the same Rubbermaid 100 gallon tanks for my horses for more than 20 YEARS and they still work perfectly. (The one in the picture you posted, HOW in the WORLD do they dump it out?)

ohh that's smart to use a stock tank. I'll look into trying that! Also I just found more pictures, they actually use a kind of drainage system using a tube through the bottom I think.

 

[KenjiQuacker]

Either use something small enough to dump easily or add a drain to it.

ok thank you!

 

[KenjiQuacker]

Yeah I think your best bet would just be a kiddie pool or a similar sized tank. I just use a 40" kiddie pool and dump it whenever I need to. That one you posted a picture of looks really nice, but super super hard to clean out. I don't think it would be worth adding plants unless you had like a huge pond.

oh ok, thanks. And I just found out they use a drain or something in the bottom of that one in the picture. ( I think )

 

[KenjiQuacker]

You can use... wait for it... duck weed! You need to have a section of pond the ducks can't get to or they will eat it all. Its easy to scoop some out when you do a water change and you can even dry it in the sun for winter snacks.

Oh cool! I'd heard duck weed worked to clean water but I hadn't thought of the idea of sectioning it off where the ducks can't eat it / destroy it. Thanks!

 

[21hens-incharge]

A visual for you.....

My duck deck aka "The Poop Deck".

Yup they poop on the deck.....and the access door to the valve is a favorite poop place.

This is what is under that deck except for the pipe going from the valve out of the pen.

Close up of the valve.


Currently the hatch is frozen shut and I could guarantee that valve is also frozen.
I will be relocating the pool to a spot that it will get winter sun in hopes it won't freeze on me next winter.

 

[Weeg]

Our pond is a hole we dug in the ground, but were pretty lucky, we have a spring we can run water from constantly. So from the pond, we have a ditch that drains down hill into the woods. The water constantly drains out along with the muck and poop. Then, new water from our spring is constantly running in through a hose.
Of course, this isn't something that everybody can just recreate, but if possible, that is my favorite setup after a real, giant deep pond.