Keeping pond water fresh

[RM44]

I have a 35G pond liner made of heavy duty plastic that I keep in the duck pen for the ducks. It has no drain/outlet, and no pump, and after about 24 hours the water is sour and the ducks can't swim or drink in it. I have to drain it and dump it out (not an easy task) and then re-fill it with fresh water.

These ducks will not be with me much longer, so I'm looking for a cheap solution to the stagnant water problem. I have a few small aquarium pumps that are capable of pushing water a few feet, and I'm thinking of installing one in the bottom of the pond with an outlet that rises above the water, just to move/stir the water around and aerate. Will a small amount of agitation and aeration be enough to keep the water fresh, or is there no way to battle the stagnant water in the summertime heat?

 

[kylee2katie]

what about a swimming pool filter/pump?

 

[Denninmi]

Um, in that small of a volume, there is no way to keep it fresh without changing and draining constantly.

They don't have to have water to swim in, just fresh drinking water. If they're going soon, maybe you should just switch to small watering stations.

Recirculating will just ensure well oxygenated, bacteria-laden water but won't solve the basic problem, which is a lot of duck in a little pond.

I have a roughly 30" diameter round pond liner thing I use for my 4 adult Rouens. I dump it and scrub it/hose it daily and also put 2 tablespoons of bleach in it when I refill. It's enough to keep it reasonably sanitary, but after 24 hours it definitely is "yucky" with debris, sand, and no doubt some fecal matter. The bleach makes the water similar in chlorine strength to "city water" which I don't have (private well).

 

[rapunzil]

Use barley straw floats or floating stock tank water clarifiers. You can get them at Tractor Supply or from fishpond/horse catalogues online. They are safe to put in drinking water for animals and reduce alage, etc.

 

[Amiga]

I think the smaller water container idea has much merit.

If you want to stick with the size you have, adding some kind of filter in the loop would help, but eventually you would need to clean or replace the filter. Even a five gallon bucket of sand with a layer of activated charcoal would help. Adding something to suppress bacteria would be good, though I am quite cautious about using bleach . . . there may be some less toxic products.

How long is not much longer? A week? Three months?

 

[Wifezilla]

Skippy filters people! (google it)

But you WILL need a pump. I got my last one off craigslist for $35.