I have two ducks currently habitating two walmart kiddie pools. As ducks, they dirty it rather quickly. I'm very small and unable to keep flipping it day by day. I have an area I was planning on using this summer for a new pond and butterfly bush and things. I'd like to have a homemade filter such as the one on the "my duck pond" thread. I've looked into duckponics and considered putting duckweed in the top of the barrel and putting some mesh over the top so the sweet ducks can only eat what overgrows it's container The problem is I have no electricity out there, and no safe way to supply it. I'd almost given up hope when I read something about a solar powered pump. Does anybody know anything else about this? I'm very limited as far as budget goes. Should I dig a pond or bury the pool? Any suggestions for my particular scenario?
Harbor Freight often sells cheap pumps, maybe even solar pumps. I saw lots of people just install a cheap valve to be able to drain the water. You could find those at Lowe's for a few dollars. You could also try a siphon to drain the water. Those would be only a few dollars.
The Thirsty-Mate hand pump works. You don't have to act like John Henry. I can easily empty a kiddie pool in about 5 to 10 minutes or less. I think it takes something like 40 pumps.
I've used self-priming hand pumps. They were about $10 at home depot. You'll want to wear gloves because the water gets on your hands. I used it to empty a 70 gallon stock pond before we got a tractor. Its a good workout and for kiddie pools it wont take too long. I needed about 30 mins for 70 gallons. Once the water is out you should be able to dump the stuff out of the pond. I also use a doggie pool for my ducks. It holds about 15 gallons of water and I'm able to pick it up and dump it without bending the pool or straining. I'm a short middle aged person and not particularly strong.
I don't know anything about solar-powered pumps but I would wonder if the system would have the power to handle the size pump needed to deal with duck waste. I did get two solar powered water fountains a few years back. They lasted about a month and never really worked right. I live at high altitude and we have intense sun and even in direct light the panel could hardly handle the tiny fountain pump. I will say don't waste your money on inexpensive pond pumps. They won't last because they can't handle the waste. You will need a solid waste pump. To empty my 200 gal kiddie pool and 50 gal stock tank I use a sump pump (no oil) connected to a garden hose. I have it connect to an extension cord when using it for the pool. It can empty the pool in about 10-15 minutes. The added bonus it that I can use the water on my trees and bushes. The ducks also like to play in the water as it comes out of the hose, which is kind of gross.
