Formal raised pond, aquatic plants & DUCKS?

[Moonkit]

We have a few Rouen ducks and two Sepastopol geese. My husband built a pond and just finished adding a filtering system. I'd like to add some fish and plants to make it attractive to my water fowl. The pond is for them, but I'd like something that will grow and replenish itself if eaten. Any suggestions besides they will eat everything including the fish LOL. Knowing it may end up being duck and geese food, I want some inexpensive plants and fish.

inexpensive plants and fish? Not sure on the plants, but get mosquito fish. They're cheap and breed like crazy. We started with 5 adults, a few days later we had 20, then 50, we lost count around 75. Feeder fish are also cheap, but don't seem to breed as prolifically.

 

[Cciprnancy]

We have a few Rouen ducks and two Sepastopol geese. My husband built a pond and just finished adding a filtering system. I'd like to add some fish and plants to make it attractive to my water fowl. The pond is for them, but I'd like something that will grow and replenish itself if eaten. Any suggestions besides they will eat everything including the fish LOL. Knowing it may end up being duck and geese food, I want some inexpensive plants and fish.

inexpensive plants and fish?  Not sure on the plants, but get mosquito fish.  They're cheap and breed like crazy.  We started with 5 adults, a few days later we had 20, then 50, we lost count around 75.  Feeder fish are also cheap, but don't seem to breed as prolifically.

Where can I buy mosquito fish. That would be a great solution for all of the mosquitos the wet Florida weather has brought us.

 

[Moonkit]

Any watergarden store should have them... I even heard that some cities were giving them away to any who asked as protection against west nile. If you were in Texas, we'd welcome you to help yourself to as many as you want from our pond.. we're overrun! Our poor koi and goldfish can barely eat cause the mosquito fish (who I collectively call "Legion") swarm the surface and eat the food we toss in first.

 

[SJUDD]

Around my pond, I have Canna Lilies, Black Eyes Susans, Daisies and Petunias. The daisies were the first to be demolished, then the black eyed susans... they pretty much leave the petunias alone, except stepping on them and the canna lilies, they just eat the lower leaves. All of my water plants IN the pond are gone. They ate every single one of them. So not sure what to put in there.

 

[Cciprnancy]

@SJUDD.. You made me laugh, but I bet you don't think it's funny. Maybe I should just put some cheap minnows in there I can get at the bait shop and hope for the best. I can always go to the river and find some wild aquatic plants.

 

[destinduck]

Mosquito fish . Which resemble guppies are in just about every freshwater body of water in florida.From little ditches to big rivers. You can get you a dip net and get em free. They do breed like crazy (live birth) and they keep the skeeter population down and ducks love to eat em. But it is hard for them to get em all if there is any cover at all in the pond. And if they do go scoop up some more and restock.

 

[Cciprnancy]

And if there is cover in the pond, they'll probably eat that too.

 

[destinduck]

yea if its green you know it, Seems like they gotta nibble on most everything. But you can throw in some branches or stuff like that for cover so the minnows can get in and out easily but the ducks cant it will give em safe zones.

 

[SJUDD]

@SJUDD.. You made me laugh, but I bet you don't think it's funny. Maybe I should just put some cheap minnows in there I can get at the bait shop and hope for the best. I can always go to the river and find some wild aquatic plants.

I actually think it is hilarious that they eat the plants... they are so cute doing it, I can't get mad at them. I just wish I didn't have to pay to replace them all the time. I can get water hyacinth for $2 each at a pond store and have purchased about 20 of them by now. Am thinking about picking up 10 and only putting 3 or 4 in the pond and then keeping the rest in a wash tub in the front yard so they can reproduce at will and I won't have to pay to replace them anymore. Of course, it isn't just the ducks... my dog apparently thinks nothing belongs floating in the pond. Every plant I get (even the two fake water lillies) end up in the middle of the yard if the ducks dont eat them.
Here is a pic of the ducks in my pond. They crack me up

 

[Going Quackers]

Would anyone know if they can eat water lettuce? anyone who has this stuff knows it breeds like crazy my koi pond has an overabundance i have been forced to remove a ton of it this year, the ducks have no access to this pond BUT i can put the lettuce in their kiddy pools, if it was safe for them to eat.