Filter for duck DYI pond

[U_Stormcrow]

DIY 3 Barrel Example (from another duck pond thread)

@Guernsy those are very legitimate concerns. Its no "solution" if you can't get the parts. My Lowes (the closest HD, which I prefer, is literally in another state, and about 60 miles distant) is similarly inadequate. Fortunately, my local TractorSupply has a (small) selection of bulkheads, a local prepper has a shop selling used food grade 55gal plastic drums cheap (and 275gal totes - of which I'm about to have one extra), and I have all the tools I need. Plumbing is actually rather easy, learned it mostly repairing a pool at the old house, and fixing leaks inside - don't let that dissuade you.

I was thinking about Amazon to source parts I couldn't get locally, or at better price. Like you, I wouldn't move forward without having a local supply as back up, either. Thanks for letting me know.

 

[WhatTheDuckingDuck]

This is the basic design you want.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ilters-please-help-with-design-specs.1163161/

Y’all are being too optimistic. The water will be foul. You will have to test the levels daily to be sure it’s clean. Looking clean doesn’t equal clean. Sorry if I come off as rude, aquariums/aquaponics was my hobby before I moved. You would have allow to pond to cycle before even adding any animals to it. Cycle means letting the bacteria that died the biological filtration gain its numbers.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrification
You would still need buckets of FRESH CLEAN WATER for drinking EVERYDAY. Waterfowl are extremely messy. That filter is going be taking a heavy bio load.

 

[Ratchnick]

Y’all are being too optimistic. The water will be foul. You will have to test the levels daily to be sure it’s clean. Looking clean doesn’t equal clean. Sorry if I come off as rude, aquariums/aquaponics was my hobby before I moved. You would have allow to pond to cycle before even adding any animals to it. Cycle means letting the bacteria that died the biological filtration gain its numbers.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrification
You would still need buckets of FRESH CLEAN WATER for drinking EVERYDAY. Waterfowl are extremely messy. That filter is going be taking a heavy bio load.

I dont think ducks care about nitrates ect like fish, lots of ppl use a 3 or 4 barrel system on duck ponds.

 

[Guernsy]

Y’all are being too optimistic. The water will be foul. You will have to test the levels daily to be sure it’s clean. Looking clean doesn’t equal clean. Sorry if I come off as rude, aquariums/aquaponics was my hobby before I moved. You would have allow to pond to cycle before even adding any animals to it. Cycle means letting the bacteria that died the biological filtration gain its numbers.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrification
You would still need buckets of FRESH CLEAN WATER for drinking EVERYDAY. Waterfowl are extremely messy. That filter is going be taking a heavy bio load.

Thank you for your concerns and your input. Those are valuable tips. I am just not so sure, if I can test there water every day. I am sure that letting the pond water cycle for a while is a good idea though.
I do have fresh clean drinking water for my birds. They have access to a pipe that supplies them with constant fresh water. The question will be, which water they prefer drinking. As I said, they have access to clean water. They also have several buckets of water to play in, which turns into mud within minutes. They prefer to drink out of those instead. I can not tell them what to drink. They also like to eat mud for some reason. Sometimes I clean the water dishes two to three times a day. Yet, they still like to drink the muddy water, instead of the clean one.
However, I think that is a question for another thread.

 

[WhatTheDuckingDuck]

I dont think ducks care about nitrates ect like fish, lots of ppl use a 3 or 4 barrel system on duck ponds.

Really? Read this. You are ill-informed. https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/phs/phs.asp?id=1448&tid=258 it’s a government website not a looney’s

 

[WhatTheDuckingDuck]

And as I understand, birds are more sensitive than people, hence why you cannot use bleach, winded, febreeze, Lysol, etc etc around them. Nitrates/nitrites are no good.

 

[Ratchnick]

Really? Read this. You are ill-informed. https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/phs/phs.asp?id=1448&tid=258 it’s a government website not a looney’s

Literally they put nitrate in food.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Thank you, @WhatTheDuckingDuck for raising those concerns. Nitrate/Nitrite loads and a duck's ability to foul almost everything, and quickly, are both legitimate design considerations.

The Hard "NO" has made your point. Given your additional experience, care to offer some useful advice on what needs to be up-sized to better address those concerns in, say, a 3x 32 (or 55)gal barrel filter/clarifier/biomedia design?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Literally they put nitrate in food.

"The Dosage is the Poison". In very small quantity, its beneficial in retarding spoliation. I use it making sausage, for instance, and in the curing process for corned beef. But its VERY small quantities.

In larger quantities, its associated with a host of issues - either direct health if we or other mammals consume too much, or indirectly in the form of algal blooms and the like in bodies of water. Not all algae is good algae, after all.

 

[WhatTheDuckingDuck]

Thank you, @WhatTheDuckingDuck for raising those concerns. Nitrate/Nitrite loads and a duck's ability to foul almost everything, and quickly, are both legitimate design considerations.

The Hard "NO" has made your point. Given your additional experience, care to offer some useful advice on what needs to be up-sized to better address those concerns in, say, a 3x 55gal barrel filter/clarifier/biomedia design?

A filtration system will be helpful for the pond, bigger is always better. My ducks swim in the natural pond and drink from the buckets. As long as there is a clean source for drinking water I wouldn’t worry too much. The mud pond they swim in has no filtration whatsoever. It dries up as time goes by and fills up with rain. Let your pond cycle and keep tabs on the levels. You can get water testers on amazon or a fish store. Avoid the strip kinds. Ones like this are good.

If you are unable to test everyday, as often as possible would suffice. The solution to pollution is dilution.