💦Deep natural pond idea, input welcome - yea or nay?

[Regina Larsen]

I like the idea of 'dig deeper'.
Im thinking of a 8x10 ovalish but digging down to a 4x6' wide 6' deep well in the center - with sharply angled walls (except for the entry) figuring the aerobic nasties will not get any contact and just do their own thing keeping the water column clean (ish) densely planted Pampas and native plantain and whatever else they dont eat as bio filter.
I dont intend to mechanically filter.
My frost line is about 20".
Pop some mosquito fish in. (No snapping turtles here thankfully).
Pond is for 5 ducks. Primary reason for it is to conserve water by not having to fill kid pools.

Looking for pros and cons. I have lots of experience with aquariums and smaller filtered ponds but not outdoor natural pools. Worth it?

 

[cheezenkwackers]

Personally, I think it will be a cesspool. Without a large volume of water and filtration it will be a poopy mess. I have found that ducks do not care how big their pools are. So, if you want to save water, invest in horse feed bowls. They only hold 5 gallons of water and are easy to dump and refill. The poopy water is

like miracle grow on plants as well.

 

[Regina Larsen]

Personally, I think it will be a cesspool. Without a large volume of water and filtration it will be a poopy mess. I have found that ducks do not care how big their pools are. So, if you want to save water, invest in horse feed bowls. They only hold 5 gallons of water and are easy to dump and refill. The poopy water is View attachment 3173317like miracle grow on plants as well.

Yeah i keep a bunch of those too. Personal hot tubs lol

 

[raingarden]

On one hand, a deep pond will be anaerobic (no oxygen) at the bottom if the water column is not being mixed. There are aerobic (with oxygen) and anaerobic processes that break down waste. But the aerobic processes are generally faster and do not generate hydrogen sulfide and other nasty stuff.

On the other hand, the more volume and wall area you have the cleaner the water will be.

So, dig it deep, but use a small pump to keep the water mixed.

 

[Regina Larsen]

On one hand, a deep pond will be anaerobic (no oxygen) at the bottom if the water column is not being mixed. There are aerobic (with oxygen) and anaerobic processes that break down waste. But the aerobic processes are generally faster and do not generate hydrogen sulfide and other nasty stuff.

On the other hand, the more volume and wall area you have the cleaner the water will be.

So, dig it deep, but use a small pump to keep the water mixed.

Thanks