The Duck-ponics Experiment - Raising minnows

[tdgill]

more pictures more pictures of your lovely pond and ducks!

 

[Wifezilla]

Quick update...

We had some cold temps so some of the plants went inside. I pulled down the poultry fence and let the ducks muck around in the trays once the plants were safe

They acted like I had given them tickets to their own little Disney land. The were rooting around in the gravel and jumping from tray to tray. They have been having a ball. I am sure they will pout when I finally get the weeds trimmed in that space and put the fence back up.

The pond went NASTY on me after months of fairly clean water. I think it is the changing temps, the plants using fewer nutrients as they wind down, etc.. so I did a big pond clean-out. I let the pump suck out most of the water. I had a large tub I filled with some of the pond water and let Moby chill out in there while we cleaned. The shop vac took care of the sediment...about 4" worth.

I actually had to clean the filter. I know the skippy filter site said NEVER clean the filter, but there was so much sediment in the filter the water was not flowing well AT ALL. Turns out a lot of the water tubing was gummed up. Cleaning those out really sucked. In the future I will use bigger tubes

I will take more photos once I add more trays. I may leave them in series without the plants....at least until I can see how badly they will freeze. With them being black and the water circulation they might not freeze unless we get a REALLY bad cold front. Colorado weather is kind of weird. It isn't like Northern Wisconsin where I am originally from. We don't get below 0 weather often. Winters are usually 40-50º during the day....but we do get random blizzards, cold snaps and weird warm spells. We'll see how the planting beds hold up soon enough.

 

[rainplace]

How many months did you go with clean water, Wifezilla?

 

[Wifezilla]

Pretty much the whole summer.

 

[DaKid]

great thread, any updates


Alan

 

[Wifezilla]

Just got back from visiting my son in Kansas. While we were gone there was a freak cold snap and my pond filter and trays froze. I am also missing a duck now. Grrrrrr.

Not sure if she was eaten by the skunk that had been stalking our yard, she was stolen, or she is setting on some eggs in a REALLY good hiding place.

We were only gone for 2 days!!!!

 

[Anny]

Aw I'm sorry to hear about your duck Wifezilla. I hope she turns up sooner or later.

 

[Wifezilla]

Once we get some light we will check again.

 

[Dances with Ducks]

waiting and hoping!!!

 

[rainplace]

Oh no... any luck this morning finding her?