@slm518
I am truly laughing out loud and not at you but with you. I know exactly where you are!!!
So here's the next logical step in my never ending desire to have a pool / duck pond that doesn't go through water like meal worms through a duck. I started with a homemade 5 gallon Lowes bucket filtration system. Because the lid stays on, the ducks can't dismantle, but it's not very effective. It lengthened the time between water changes to a couple of weeks rather than a couple of days. My pond pump is still working and I clean the intake filter weekly. So now I'm thinking larger and external because the submerged filter took up almost half of the deep part of the small pond we have. So the filter will be the same premise, lava rock on the bottom and a layer of filter pad on top and then I'll add some plants to help clear it up, the intake will be in the bottom of the filter and the output will come from near the top and flow back into the duck pond. Sounds good in theory, I'll keep anyone interested in my progress. I have one other project to finish this weekend, then I'll be able to devote my time to the pond. I'm also hoping that moving water won't freeze as bad as still water, that remains to be seen / tested as well.
Troy & Tina