POND for my babies! It finally happened!

[Enten4life]

Looks pretty good! How much extra filtration are you using?

I'm pumping water through a 4 inch sock filter and for a while I was replacing it every day. . . I'm getting a UV clarifier as well since I think I'm going to have excess nitrates no matter what.

 

[Ratchnick]

I'm pumping water through a 4 inch sock filter and for a while I was replacing it every day. . . I'm getting a UV clarifier as well since I think I'm going to have excess nitrates no matter what.

The uv should kick the algae in the but!

 

[Suprasoup]

Beautiful Pond! A UV filter should clear that right up. Once your pond matures more and those rocks develop a nice thin layer of algae you should see a reduction in nitrates. Poopy duck water makes great lawn fertilizer as well

You must be a fellow reefer. No one else uses filter socks! Lol.

 

[Andysol]

A little over a month in, and the algae bloom is stable, but I'm having to do some extra mechanical filtration to pull the algae out. The Nitrates are stable at 25ppm, so while that's not ideal, the biofilter is keeping up with the huge amount of duck poop, and this is only after 4 weeks. Even frogs have taken up residence (although I fear for their safety).

I'm pumping water through a 4 inch sock filter and for a while I was replacing it every day. . . I'm getting a UV clarifier as well since I think I'm going to have excess nitrates no matter what.

Water and wastewater is actually my expertise.

I was going to suggest UV for the sterilization of the pond water alone. This is what many wastewater plants have converted over to vs chlorine. The algae control is just an added benefit of it.

Additionally- I would highly recommend some plants in the water. Your ammonia will only increase, which will increase nitrites which in turn will increase nitrates. The algae is feeding on the nitrates primarily as well as the excess nutrients from the duck poop. Adding a UV clarifier will kill the floating algae and cells that are water born; but you’ll still have to contend with the “sticky” algae on the side of the walls and rocks. Luckily the ducks will help with that some. But it’s only going to get stronger as the nitrates increase.

Ergo- you need plants. Very very simple one is watercress (which you can eat as well). It’s simple as going to the grocery (or an Asian grocery if you’re doesn’t have it)- buying a $1.99 bushel or two of it- and then floating it in a basket in the water. Once roots start taking- go ahead and “pot” it with rocks in the basket and it’ll flourish and contain itself. Then you have access to watercress to eat as well (the chickens and ducks might eat some but it’s basically a mild cilantro so they won’t annihilate it).

The other plant I’d recommend is hornwort, pennywort (also edible) or duckwort. All of these are basically weeds in the water. And ducks LOVE to eat the duckwort (hence the name)- but it grows so fast they can’t kill it. And what do fast growing plants use to grow? Nitrates.

Bottom line- UV will help with clarity and kill salmonella or other nasty parasites that will fester in the water. But you still have to find a way to rob nutrients (specifically nitrates) from the water so the algae can’t have it all and flourish. Enter: Fast growing Aquatic plants to the rescue.

 

[Percipen]

A little over a month in, and the algae bloom is stable, but I'm having to do some extra mechanical filtration to pull the algae out. The Nitrates are stable at 25ppm, so while that's not ideal, the biofilter is keeping up with the huge amount of duck poop, and this is only after 4 weeks. Even frogs have taken up residence (although I fear for their safety).

Still looks great! Poor little chickens stuck on the sidelines I only have ducks so I'm clueless on chickens: do they ever get in the pond or do you worry about them falling in and drowning? Sorry I dont know if chickens swim

 

[DuckDuckSook]

Wow! Really beautiful! Those are some very lucky ducks!

 

[Enten4life]

Still looks great! Poor little chickens stuck on the sidelines I only have ducks so I'm clueless on chickens: do they ever get in the pond or do you worry about them falling in and drowning? Sorry I dont know if chickens swim

The chickens love to hang out near the water. They drink from it too but I'm not too worried about them falling in since they can swim if needed.

 

[arwoon]

Wow! That pond is absolutely gorgeous!! I want to run out and make one right now
Soo exciting!

 

[Kiki]

I've spent the last few months WAITING anxiously my pond to be installed that I've been wanting for YEARS. So last week, it happened! This pond has a HUGE upflow bio filter into a waterfall and a skimmer on the other end. Evacuation pump installed in the low end so I can pump out any sludge/mud/poo that doesn't get broken down. So far, the chickens are eating the plants so who knows if they will survive on the pond edges, but I plan on also pumping water through a hydroponic system to aid in filtration as well as growing leafy greens that the girls can eat. tagging @Mimi13 since you were saying you wanted to see the pond installation when it happened

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And a chicken Photo Bomb.
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Is there anything specific you'd wish you'd done differently?

 

[Kiki]

Wow! That pond is absolutely gorgeous!! I want to run out and make one right now
Soo exciting!

Me too.