DIY Pond - Help!

[beachcoopgirls]

Hello! We just added ducks to our flock this past month and have been using a kiddie pool. We have 4 ducks and 1 goose. I know there are a lot of threads on ponds but I’m having a hard time going through them & finding the right information. Here is what we have & what I’m wanting but looking for help because I’m not sure if it’s feasible. Pictures are also very appreciated!
*10x7 liner (this is already purchased, if it’s determined I need a larger area can I buy another liner and over lap them?)
*filter/pump system - need recommendations!
*we have little kids so I’m only wanting it to be 2ft deep
*using rocks/boulders for steps and esthetics
*is it possible to make it a walk in pond and therefor easier to clean?
*possibly a waterfall ?
*we have someone who is willing to dig the pond and put it together for us but he just wants to know what I want and that’s where I need you guys

Thank you so much for any help and direction you can provide!

 

[Duckworth]

The issue with any duck pond is going to be filtration, since ducks produce a LOT of muck, which clogs filters and overworks water pumps, causing them to fail. A typical ornamental pond filter setup will not do the job. The larger the pond, the better, because the muck is diluted in more water. My six ducks do most of their pooping outside of the water because I give them only a six-gallon mortar tub to bathe in at this time of year, along with drinking water buckets, and change out the water and clean everything out at least daily. Nonetheless, they can deposit two inches of muck into that mortar tub in just a few hours.

I used to keep fish and always used filters that could filter the entire water capacity of my tanks at least twice as fast as recommended. There is no way those filters could have dealt with duck muck and kept the water clean for even a day. The muck is heavy and sinks to the bottom, rather than staying suspended in the water and more equally distributed, so it tends to load up an intake for a filter. If you put a filter around the intake, you have to clean it off frequently or it will clog and cause the pump to be unable to take up water, which will burn up your pump motor.

So filtration is going to be your biggest issue and expense. You may want to consult a pond professional in your area, since they will know more about the climate and other factors that will affect the size and filtration needs for a successful duck pond in your area.

 

[chickens really]

My friend actually did a Duck pond but took it all down because the amount of poop a Duck poops it clogged all the filter system...Kiddie pools are way simpler and cheaper.

 

[Dees ducks]

Hi,
I had exactly the same dilemma. I started out with a small fibregass pond and quickly realized that it becomes dirty very soon after emptying out so you are constantly emptying and refilling. So I went bigger and have spent the last 3 months putting it together. It is a liner with overall depth of 2 ft except for one part which has been dug deeper 4 ft. I have a waterfall system, small powerful pump which goes to a pressurized mechanical filter. Now this in no way keeps the water clean but it does help, the filter and the waterfall oxygenating movement helps me keep the water cleaner for longer. I've found that I only need to empty it every 2-3 weeks or so at which stage I drop a sump pump into the deep end of the pond switch it on and as starts to empty out I use a hose to wash all the sediment to the deeper part so that the sump pump can suck it away. Also put as much hard landscaping around the pond that you can this will reduce the amount of mud that your ducks can bring into the water. Lastly, I will be getting a floating skimmer within the next couple of weeks as this will help again the keep the pond clean.
I will try to post pics soon to give you an idea of my set up.

 

[Dees ducks]

pics as promised. Please note that the last time this pond was completely emptied was 19 days ago. It's looking dirty now and will completely empty over the next few days.

 

[beachcoopgirls]

Hi,
I had exactly the same dilemma. I started out with a small fibregass pond and quickly realized that it becomes dirty very soon after emptying out so you are constantly emptying and refilling. So I went bigger and have spent the last 3 months putting it together. It is a liner with overall depth of 2 ft except for one part which has been dug deeper 4 ft. I have a waterfall system, small powerful pump which goes to a pressurized mechanical filter. Now this in no way keeps the water clean but it does help, the filter and the waterfall oxygenating movement helps me keep the water cleaner for longer. I've found that I only need to empty it every 2-3 weeks or so at which stage I drop a sump pump into the deep end of the pond switch it on and as starts to empty out I use a hose to wash all the sediment to the deeper part so that the sump pump can suck it away. Also put as much hard landscaping around the pond that you can this will reduce the amount of mud that your ducks can bring into the water. Lastly, I will be getting a floating skimmer within the next couple of weeks as this will help again the keep the pond clean.
I will try to post pics soon to give you an idea of my set up.

Thank you so much for all of this information! What kind of pump are you using? Our ponds sound similar in size. It’ll be about 6x10 and only 2ft deep.

Thanks again!

 

[beachcoopgirls]

pics as promised. Please note that the last time this pond was completely emptied was 19 days ago. It's looking dirty now and will completely empty over the next few days. View attachment 1793519 View attachment 1793519 View attachment 1793520 View attachment 1793521 View attachment 1793522 View attachment 1793523 View attachment 1793524 View attachment 1793525 View attachment 1793526

Beautiful pond!! Thanks for the pictures!