How can I heat my ducky fish pond in winter?

[tigerlilly2588]

So I am in the works of digging a fish pond for my new baby duckies and I was wondering if anyone knows of any efficient way to build a heater into the pond so when it starts to get really cold, I won't have to worry about them being comfortable? Like maybe I could put those heat coils under the cement like they use for driveways? Any ideas? I just don't have tons of money to spend though....

 

[fowler_chick]

that would be cool to do, your in ark right? depending on the size of the pond and what's it made of you might be able to put a stock tank heater in there

 

[Wolf-Kim]

I would probably try a stock tank heater. It doesn't have to heat the water to a comfortable temperature, it just needs to keep it from freezing over too bad.

-Kim

 

[Duck Keeper]

I don't know if I would heat it, since the duck's legs might freeze if they got out into the snow after being in the warmth, or they may never want to come out of the warmth of the water and you would have to feed them in the water. Which is expensive, because floating waterfowl food costs quite a bit, and trust me, regular duck food doesn't float.

I would definitely either aerate it (like an airstone and an air pump for fish tanks), or buy a fountain to have surface movement and keep the top from freezing though. Plus your ducks will love a shower! If kept under the water surface though, a fountain becomes a 'bubbler' and moves the water around quite pleasantly.

You'll need a filter or sump pump designed to handle solids, like a sewage pump, or it won't work with ducks.

And you'll only have fish for about a day if you keep them with your ducks. Ducks think fishies are tasty.

Besides the fact that they wouldn't be able to handle all of the "organic matter" (POOP) the ducks put back into the water without daily cleaning and water changes, unless the pond is HUGE.



Heck, I've been keeping fishtanks for years, been researching ponds for at least half of that time, and researching/keeping/breeding ducks for more than a year as well.

Keep in mind any vegetation you put in your pond is also fair game/edible in the duck's mind, so you won't have a lush beautiful pond for more than a few days.

 

[tigerlilly2588]

Hey guys! Thanks a lot for all the advice! The stock heater is a good idea...I'll have to see how much they are. I have thought about the predicament I could have if the pond IS heated, it will encourage them to get in, but then when they get out...their legs could freeze or they might just not dry because its so cold and that might cause them to get sick? I just don't know that much about ducks being in the cold weather.

We do have another koi pond right off the back deck so this pond will be just for the ducks. I figured I would get a few dozen feeder fish and dump in there maybe once a week for them to snack on and also so the fish can eat any misquito larvae that might start growing in the pond.
The sewage pump is also a great idea. I hadn't thought of that. But I have been taking my babies for daily bathtub swims and they do poop a lot in the water.
DUCKKEEPER~ do you know of any place I could get a pump like that?

 

[Wifezilla]

You are in TN, not the Arctic circle. RELAX!!!! There could be ice cubes floating in the water and they will still swim in it.

I live in Colorado. I just keep the pump running and the water circulation is enough to keep my pond from freezing.

Ducks think fishies are tasty. Besides the fact that they wouldn't be able to handle all of the "organic matter" (POOP) the ducks put back into the water without daily cleaning and water changes, unless the pond is HUGE.

About 6 months ago I bought my ducks some feeder fish. I threw them in the pond and they ate them all.....except for one. This once tiny little 12¢ feeder fish is now about 6" long. I don't feed it so it lives on whatever plants the ducks drag in to the pond, algae and mosquitos. He has had no problem with the duck waste and now he is too big to eat. We named him Moby

 

[tigerlilly2588]

You're probably right Wifezilla. And if you're in CO and your duckies don't need a heater I'm guessing mine will probably be fine too, lol. I guess I will just invest in a good pump/filter and I bet that will do the trick. I asked some folks at the pet store and they told me that as long as the water is circulating, it won't freeze. I think I'm just going to roll with that plan for now and then just keep a close eye on them as it starts to get real cold. Thanks a lot everyone for all your help!

Cute story about your fish by the way!! As far as goldfish go, I think feeder fish are the best way to go even if your filling the pond with fish just to enjoy watching the water garden! They do grow really fast! We have had 8 very large koi in our water garden. Three years ago I bought a couple dozen orange feeder goldfish to add to my koi collection, figuring that at least half of them would probably die. I now have at least 20 large( 6-10 inch) beautiful goldfish in my pond in addition to my koi and it only cost me about 5 bucks!