The Duck-ponics Experiment - Raising minnows

[RunnerWhisperer]

Lot's of good reading here for sure!! I really like how you put together your pond Wifezilla! I want to try and establish the same type of multipurpose, but serene landscaped look. I was also wondering about the algea. I have a 15 gallon fish tank that I have had now for over 17 years. I haven't had to change the water or clean algea in like 13 years because the sludge and rock in the bottom has established bacteria so well, it keeps itself clean now. All I do is add water when it evaporates. I don't even change the filtration, just give it a good rinse every once in a while. I also have had one fish in there for the past 14 years who seems to have a very long lifespan!? We named him Super Fish. He is some kind of Coulee Loach (sp?) I guess I done good with his habitat! lol

Anyway...
I know you can transfer this bacteria to other thanks to quickly help the tank establish it's bacteria level. I wondered if it would work the same on an outdoor pond? I guess it's worth a try. I think after reading all of this, I would like to try a waste pump as well. It may be the best to try first. Probably would need to insulate it somehow for winter. Even though we have mild winters here, it can get cold enough to freeze pipes.

I am so excited to plan this out and yes I totally agree that craigslist is the best way to round up materials and save lot's of money!!

Thanks for all the info!

 

[WadeMD]

You certainly can add bacteria to any freshwater aquatic system filtration to help jump start it. They will occur there naturally anyway, but it speeds up the process.

In regards to the duckponics system - mine was a failure. My 1200g pond received too much waste material from my 7 ducks that wound up gumming up my system (even with a 35g spin filter) so badly that the plant system downstream suffered. I ditched the process and may move to a flowing "creek" between 2 ponds that will use larger diameter rocks and will be harder for the ducks to turn into a war zone.

I won't comment on your not changing water in your freshwater system except to say that your salinity has to be nearly staggering now unless you use pure RO/DI water for top off. Evaporating water leaves behind all the salts and solids in it.

 

[CluckyJay]

A creek system filtered through rocks and plants should take care of the excess sludge. Getting the plants/rock/waste/fall ratio just right might take some thought but it should work very well.

 

[RunnerWhisperer]

Quote:
I know! I probably maybe should have...well...when we move I have which hasn't been for a year now. I should test it! But the fish seems to be happy and is still kickin! lol

 

[4duckitos]

Any new developments in the pond adventure??
I am currently using a kiddie pool, and of course all my plants LOVE the duck water!! I am starting some research to build my own duckponics system! Interested to hear what happened!! V
ps my 4 ducks now became 7 as I adopted my neighbor unwanted ones.

 

[clucksbc]

wow....just have been reading through your thread...
i am still in the plan duck stage...and would rather start the venture...with a proper dug pond...
thanks for all your fantastic advice...
so far....
designated duck space...
found a lovely mini fountain...guess would be for recycled water going back to the pool...just a pottery type bowl..and a stem 5 random placed catch flow flowers...
I thought perfect dosent have a pump...but was only $3.99
long way to go yet...

 

[4duckitos]

I do not know if this thread is still alive, but I got a major inspiration form it. So I have started working on my own duckponics project! I will be posting in my blog as it developes. Here is a link if you want to read about it. Thank you Wifezilla for sharing your knowledge!

http://omnatura-lightfootprint.blogspot.com/

 

[Wifezilla]

I'm still around and I still have the pond

I tinker with stuff now and then and still try to get more out of the pond system. I will be doing some "remodeling" come spring.

 

[duckluck]

A friend of mine has a pond with no ducks but lots and lots of fish, and she uses an aerator. This provides plenty of oxygen and the fish thrive, so much so that she has asked me to come out and fish the pond and remove some of them. She has some monster sized catfish, bass and bluegills in there! Yes, larger pond that what you're talking here, but that one little aerator seems to do the job just dandy.

 

[Roark]

Built a lot of ponds and used to breed thousands of gallons of tropical fish. Now we're starting aquaculture and yes... Duck-ponics too I suppose (just picked up our first three ducklings last week).
Great thread kiddo, just thought I'd add some fish stuff to the mix.

I don't wanna do a TLTR so I included a bunch of supplier and information links of places I've dealt with that are good people and helpful souls.
We were already building a new greenhouse with a super-insulated, geothermally cooled, trout run as well as a 1200 sq, ft. run to enclose the poultry, some vegetables, an intensive micro orchard and a tilapia pond. The original plan had no ducks, just chickens. I started pokin' around on these forums and all of the sudden we're raisin' ducks... I dunno what happened, but they are freakin' hilarious - and growin' like weeds!

So, the pond is modeled after the Maryland Aquatics design... 'cuz it works really, really well. Check their site out and download the pdf of their catalog. In it is their design suggestions and they work wonderfully. Our intention is NOW (thanks to the new ducks) to arrange the pond with a band of bog plants growing in gravel, expanded shale and peat, all around the perimeter. One side will be sloped gradually and have a two foot band of open gravel as a sort of hopeful duck door mat. I want to include a waterfall on one end that's overhung enough that they can swim under it for a shower. Still not sure what to do about trying to keep the fishies alive til they are too big for the ducks to choke down.

The trout run is strictly for production (meaning ducks shall not enter that greenhouse - famous last words) and will use a conical sediment tank, reticulated foam mechanical filters, and a Kaldnes Media bio-reactor that is an ugly little DIY, but has worked extremely well on our old central filtration system. The outflow from the bio-reactor is then going to be filtered through beds of expanded shale and vermiculite growing greenhouse vegetables year round. The algae scrubber was just something that I was messin' with lately and thinking about trying to incorporate as well. Not sure why, just find it fascinating and would like to grow algae as a fish food supplement. The system design goal is almost one pound per gallon in a 1300 gallon tank (1200 pounds of trout goodness). The food fish are fantastic and we already raise a bunch of tilapia indoors. The fish water feeds our hyroponic spinach and lettuce, the fish feed us, and I dry their parts and inards to grind into meal for return to the gardens.

I was also going to comment that we also still follow what are essentially aquarium hobbyist guidelines and do 25% water changes weekly. Read this whole thread and recall someone "never" changing water? Never heard of such a thing, but don't want anyone thinking that that is appropriate.

http://www.kensfish.com/
http://www.swisstropicals.com/Poret Filter Foam.html
http://www.aquaticeco.com/subcategories/2652/Clearwater-Low-Space-Bioreactor
http://jehmco.com/
http://www.marylandaquatic.com/retail/catalog_request.cfm
http://algaescrubber.net/forums/showthread.php?1291-Algae-Scrubber-Basics-The-Summary

You know the worst thing about ducks? Now nobody even wants to bother lookin' at the poor baby chicks. Give the chicks a big pan of water and they just peck and sip at it. Put it in front of Curly, Larry and Moe (oh yeah... they're Stooges) and stand back. They could touch bottom, so as they would try to paddle in the not quite deep enough to float in water their feet would contact the bottom propelling them like a rocket right around the circular lip of the container before centrifical force would just launch them up and out and across their pen. It was friggin' hilarious, and it took 'em all of about five minutes to somehow manage to get a good gallon of water completely out of the container, and all over their nice fresh bedding (note to self... kiddie swim just BEFORE bedding change).

Now where'd that Metzger's order form get to...?