building a duck pond

[berdlips]

I cant find the person who asked about a filter for their pond but check out wifezillas--she sent me info on a biological filter that you can build yourself http://www.skippysstuff.com/biofiltr.htm

 

[Wifezilla]

Hi berd

That filter has worked really well for me. I have only had to do about 4 partial water changes and 3 sediment suck-outs (with a big shop vac) since February when I started this whole thing. Not bad considering the ducks are in there all the time.

I know there are a few people struggling with theirs, but I think mine is working so well because I have those additional gravel trays in series with my pump. These also act as a place for beneficial bacteria to convert ammonia.

If your bio-filter isn't doing the job, you may just need two.

 

[rainplace]

Yes!

A few days ago I emptied the pond and yesterday started cleaning out my biofilter which I have in a 50 gallon trash bin. The week before I had cleaned it out as well. Sheesh, it was like I had never cleaned it before. I decided this morning (since I've been waking up since 2AM

) that I would just turn the filter into a "prefilter." And just build an identical one to go with along side it.

I have 11 ducks and 2 geese on my pond now which is what I think happened. When I had just 6 it seemed to be working okay, now I have way too much poo for my poor little 50 gallon filter to handle.

I'll also have the gravel beds up first this time around too.

 

[Wifezilla]

Awesome! Yeah...I think your flock size increase is what did you in. If you can grow some plants in some gravel beds as well as have 2 filters, I think you will do great.

 

[duckface]

Okay, I must need things explained in kindergarten terms.

We're trying to construct a pond and my head is spinning searching through all the pond threads. I saw the skippy filter and how to build one, but would a filter from one of those pools that rise when you fill them work? We had the medium size pool and our pond (which is dug) measures about 8 ft. across and 12 1/2 ft. long.

Also, we were thinking of lining it with the pool itself. Would that work? Also, once our two drakes have been rehomed we'll have 6 ducks, but I can easily see more in our future

so how many would this size pond accommodate?

Wifezilla, I saw your thread, but I don't plan to grow the plants and am confused by what you mean by the gravel trays/bed. I read that putting gravel or rocks in the bottom of the pond is a bad idea so you must mean something else that I don't get.

I'm sorry to be such a pain, but I just want to make sure we do it right.

 

[rainplace]

I don't know anything about premade filters. Unlike fish or a regular pond, you will have a lot of "solids" to deal with. I would imagine if the filter has a back flush system in place it would work. You just need to figure out how often you need to back flush the waste (backflushing is when you empty the sludge and stuff that accumulates in the filter) My pond is 12'x8'x3' I have 13 waterfowl, my 50 gallon filter is too small.

The type of filters wifezilla and I talking about take the waste/amonia from their pee and poo and turns it into nitrates/nitrites which then go through trays that have plants, that eat the nitrites/nitrates, further filtering the water. If you look at Wifezilla's pond pictures... the most recent ones, you'll see she has some pretty clear water. That's why. Note that Wifezilla still has to vacuum her pond and do some partial water changes.

Ducks poop and pee a lot. It takes a lot of filter to deal with it.

 

[duckface]

The type of filters wifezilla and I talking about take the waste/amonia from their pee and poo and turns it into nitrates/nitrites which then go through trays that have plants, that eat the nitrites/nitrates, further filtering the water.

Ah, I see now, thanks!​