The Duck-ponics Experiment - Raising minnows

[gryeyes]

Before I got into chickens, I built myself two backyard ponds and planted them with mosquito fish, goldfish, and a few cheap koi. Racoons got the koi first, then some of the goldfish. However, that's not why I'm posting here....


..... I have two ponds: 140 gallons and 270 gallons. They're shallow, only 18 inches, because I used pre-formed pond liners. I put them on the hard as dinosaur fossilized ground and built retaining walls around them, then filled the space between the walls and pond liners with soil, then planted plants. The ponds have water lilies and parrot-feather plants plus some other things, like some water iris in pots on the pond liner shelves.

I built a filter for the largest pond, pumping the water into a 24 gallon rubbermaid tub with lava rock for a filter, and during the warm seasons have water hyacinth in it to aid filtering. The water in the largest pond is crystal clear. The smaller pond "normalized" itself and never needed additional filtering other than the bio/mech filter box in which the pump is working, in the pond. That pump runs water to a small, home made waterfall. I use two pumps in the 270 gal pond; one for the waterfall there and one for the filter.

I'm posting here because I would love to add a duck or two. Kinda wondered if the chickens would mind the strange cousins with 'em, and if the ducks would be happy with the ponds. The goldfish are now about 6-8 inches long, and there are plenty of mosquito fish to keep ducks happy... I think..... Just thinking really hard, here.

I found this thread just today and read through all of it. Wifezilla, you make me want to pick up ducklings in the spring!

And, by the way, duckweed just doesn't seem to grow well in my ponds, or maybe the fish just eat it faster than it can propagate itself.

 

[Wifezilla]

I am glad to know I am not the only one who can't grow duckweed! :LOL

Once the gold fish get big the ducks seem to ignore them. Those little fish will be tasty snacks in a heart beat though

As for the ducks being happy with the ponds....heck, ducks are happy with a rubbermaid tub or even a little bowl!

A pond, even a small one is HEAVEN by ducks standards

 

[Goat_Walker]

I want to build a pond for my duckies so bad!

 

[Wifezilla]

Not much going on with the pond since Colorado is icy and cold now, but I thought I would give a quick update. My pump died and the pond froze solid. Moby the goldfish may or may not still be alive since the pond has a really deep spot. I was able to scrounge another pump off craigslist for $35. I did break a hole in the ice and I have the pump started. The circulation is melting the ice a bit but the weather is not cooperating.

The ducks have been using a kiddie pool instead of the pond now that I have them in their own pen instead of just wondering the back yard. I would like to let them have free reign, but after Uno and Bebe got decapitated by a hawk (or possibly an owl), I just don't want to risk it.

Now is a great time to get pond liners on craigslist. I keep seeing set ups with pumps, waterfalls, etc... for around $25-$50. Those types of set-ups are $200-$400 new!

Plans for spring including adding more grow trays. I may even try to find a way to tie in the kiddie pool to the pond system. Not sure yet. Without the ducks in the pond though, the plants wont be getting all that free fertilizer. If I keep the set-ups separate, I will have to scoop out buckets of poopy water and pour it on the plants.

We'll have to see how much craisglist hunting I can do between now and April. Ideally if I can find another pond liner to put in the duck's run and the pump can handle the load, I could have a pretty efficient growing system.

Still need to figure out why I can't grow duckweed. I have a fish bowl and I may have to start with a culture in that.

 

[WadeMD]

You will not need to add external "fertilizer" to your plants to get them to grow really. A little organic in the pond (either soil or 1 days waste from ducks) would be enough to last them through an entire growing season. I would highly recommend keeping them separate to keep cleaning easier. If you want a boost in plant growth, you can use a few gallons from the kiddie pool, but I wouldn't do that very often.

 

[Wifezilla]

Hi Wade

My plants did so well on "duck water" last year I hate to mess with success! Now the other possibility is to add fish to the pond. I haven't had a lot of luck finding edible fish though. It would be nice to have a "harvest" out of the pond if I could pull it off.

 

[WadeMD]

The best option for edible fish would be mosquito fish (Gambusia sp). They are wonderful at eating bugs (including mosquito larvae) and grow with no extra assistance. They'll reproduce well too. Another option, once its warm again is even fancy guppies. They also eat algae and debris and bugs in ponds with no help - they will, however, die off in the winter (Gambusia might not die off as they are found all over the place natively). Just don't wash any fancy guppies into a natural water source (spring, creek, lake, etc). Many goldish (the silver or feeder type would work) would also reproduce well in the pond, but they will need to be fed. They feed on algae and plants primarily (they also won't catch all the mosquito larvae). Or a mixture of the two. A few will go a long way if they aren't eaten right away and can start breeding. Also - feeding the fish would serve as more than enough food for the plants.

One problem with duck water in the pond for fish is that the level of ammonia might jump up quickly and have trouble staying down by natural breakdown processes. That ammonia is pretty toxic to fish (as is the nitrite, which is what it breaks down into). Great for feeding plants though, so if you have a balanced system (low input) they'd be fine and you could harvest/feed them to ducks all through the growing season.

 

[Wifezilla]

Quick update.

I added 2 more trays to the pond. One on top of the filter and another off to the side. So far I have a large pot that I am growing daikon radish in, one pepper plant, a strawberry pot in tray with some small pots with peas in surrounding it, one tomato plant in a clay pot on a tray with room to grow.

The ducks don't get to play in it anymore so I put fish in the pond. The local pet store had Rosie Reds, which are a type of minnow that love eating mosquito larva. Since I couldn't find mosquito fish locally and the pet store owner said those would work, so Rosies it is

I need to get the ducks a new pool and get them their own filter and a pump, but money it tight night now.

 

[lakota_elder]

Here's a link to the pond I built... it's almost maintenance free.... I run water in it every morning when I turn the ducks out. I feed the livestock, grab my cup of tea and relax. By time i'm done I turn off the water til the evening shift..... about every 4 months I pull the plug and hose down whatever is in the bottom, (usually not much) and good to go again... but I can't find plants to put around it that the ducks don't eat up as quick as I can plant...
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=312995&p=1

 

[Wifezilla]

They will eat anything, wont they???

Mine have been pacing along the fence line glaring at all the greenery I wont let them eat. I do have two small fenced off areas in their pen with clover growing in it. The plan is once the clover gets a little bigger to move the fenced are and let them have at it and plant in a new spot. I will just keep replanting and moving so they get extra greens throughout the Summer.