I'd like to know some details if you have one - even if you aren't using it for your ducks. I still kind of want to build one and was looking at skippy filter info today and while out today, we check out HD/Lowe's and DH said he'd rather just do a preformed liner, get a smaller one or a nice pot/planter that's big enough to use as the filter. Lowe's had 91 gallons and smaller. HD had a few larger ones, but nothing that was easy for me to see. If you have a preformed pond... 1 - how big is it gallon wise? 2- what are the rough dimensions of it (length/width)? 3 - how deep is it at the deepest spot? If you use your pond for ducks 4 - how many and what kind/size ducks? 5 - how often do you have to 'tend' to it and what does that include? 6 - how often do you need to change out the water? 7 - how do you drain (if you installed one, what's your set up)? 8 - what type of filter do you use and how does it work? If you happen to have a pond with a pond liner that your ducks use... what type of liner and how thick - saw some 45mil EPDM (EDPM? whatever - that one) and some pvc ones that were 20 and 22 mil. Duck nails an issue if you provide a way out that doesn't put them in contact with the liner? If I build one that way, I'm thinking of using landscape timbers, so it would be square/rectangle with straight edges.
I got given 1 of those preformed pools for my ducks. I filled it up last October and they all looked at it like it was the boogieman. Ok, fair enough I didnt bury it in the ground but I did make steps to get up into it. It has been emptied every 2 weeks since October and the ducks have only just started learned how to go up the steps to it..fools that they are. I dont have a pump in it tho, I just run water into it then undo the hopse and let gravity take thr water out. Takes a while but it empties and cleans no problem. So now that Ive rambled on about my pool for no reason I now know all of that I just typed is no help to oyu what so ever but I thought I would keep going instead of deleting all I just typed!!! Oh...and the pool, literally fell of the back of a truck, it flew out, the wind must of taken it out the back and the driver kept going. My neighbour stopped and picked it up.
I'd be interested to hear what others have to say because I have some of the same questions, so I am bumping this to see if others will share their experiences as well.
I have one, but cant figure out the dimesions today. I should be able to by tomorrow or thursday.( days Im at my dads.)
You might be able get away with having a filter if you have a small amount of ducks (4 or less) but otherwise i wouldn't invest too much time or money into trying to come up with a filter that works well with all the muck and feathers.
I had the largest you could get here , on sale...160 gallons maybe? . We bought a bathtub drain, and put it in, the connected 3-4inch diameter pipe with a ballcock valve and buried it. Worked fine f or 2 years, then it leaked this year , I should have put sand under it, it heaved I think, anyway. I filled it and emptied it roughly every 2 weeks, sometimes once a month when it was cold weather. then I hosed it. I had a problem as my geese liked to put rocks and sticks in it, go figure, they do it in their water buckets too.... I pulled it up to fix and move it down towards my garden so I can use the water for fertilizer..... Not looking forward to the digging.....
