Help! What type of Pond filter do you use?

[CarolinaQuackers]

We are getting our duck pen for ponds ready and want to know what type of pond filter we should use for our ducks. We have two 125 gallon ponds in the ground with gravel around them in hopes to keep the mud down. We have 12 ducks and we don't want to spend alot of $$. Advise please!! THANK YOU!

 

[Jpat]

how many ducks?

 

[CarolinaQuackers]

how many ducks?

We have 12

 

[Jpat]

Thats alot, I guess you dont plan on treating them like koi ponds, you just want to filter out the duck poop?

 

[CarolinaQuackers]

Right, just to filter poop. We won't have fish. Maybe some water lilies, but that will be all in the pond.

 

[Duckworth]

There is a link to a thread on housing, runs, etc., on the duck forum sticky topics post that has a lot of discussion of ponds and filtration that may be helpful to you. The amount of waste our four ducks produce in a kiddie pool in a day is substantial. We used to keep large aquariums for fish, but none of those large waterfall type filters would have had a chance in the face of four ducks. I’ve heard of people using multistage bio filtration systems, but the multiple tubs or barrels take up a lot of space. Most ornamental pond filters aren’t up to the task long term.

But if it can be done and done on a budget, this is the website to find out how they did it. We want a small, inground pond, but the cost of a workable filtration system isn’t in our current budget.

 

[blayt90]

I am in the process of trying different ways to filter my ducks pond water also. I do know that for my pump I had to go with a sewage pump due to the screen size on other pumps. They would clog up with feathers and poop. My next filtration system will be a 350 gallon tote tank. I have built a rack using pvc pipe with egg crate material from lights as a screen. I plan on putting lava rock as my filter mediato stop the majority of the poop and house the bacteria needed. I am buying all mine little at a time to keep cost down. My pump came from harbor freight and works very well. I have it on a timer so it does not run 24/7. It runs 30 minutes and off for a hour.

 

[Duckworth]

I am in the process of trying different ways to filter my ducks pond water also. I do know that for my pump I had to go with a sewage pump due to the screen size on other pumps. They would clog up with feathers and poop. My next filtration system will be a 350 gallon tote tank. I have built a rack using pvc pipe with egg crate material from lights as a screen. I plan on putting lava rock as my filter mediato stop the majority of the poop and house the bacteria needed. I am buying all mine little at a time to keep cost down. My pump came from harbor freight and works very well. I have it on a timer so it does not run 24/7. It runs 30 minutes and off for a hour.

Keep us all posted! I just can’t afford a lot of trial and error at this point, so I, at least would love to know how it goes for you. Lifelong learner, here!

 

[blayt90]

If you look at my media page you can see my pond and where I tried a multi drum filter system. It worked ok for a little while till the first drum filled up with duck poop and also cracked from the pressure. I had to empty the first drum of duck poop about every two months.

 

[Timothy Menezes]

Honestly I am thinking a 125 gallon pond is more like a puddle for 12 ducks. And the filter designs I could build to handle 12 ducks would be bigger than the pond.

Is water plentiful where you live? Might be a good idea to just drain it, hose it out, and refill it. Having 2 of those little ponds would mean you could alternate between them when they are down for cleaning.