Filter systems for largish duck pool

[AliciaM]

I am going to be getting an approximately 500 gallon stock tank to use for my duck pool...

I need ideas on how to make, or where to get.. a filter/pump system for it to keep it reasonably clean. Water isnt free anymore unfortunatly..

I know NOTHING about filter or pumps so all the help i can get is greatly appreciated... Home made jobbies are good too...

Also need ideas on a ramp or deck to put around it.. I wont be putting it in the ground..

Thanks.

 

[groundpecker]

You can try one of those small above ground swimming pool filters. You can probably get one at a yard sale pretty cheap. Ducks make quite a mess, so any filter system you get will have to be cleaned regularly.

 

[AliciaM]

Im totaly ok with cleaning a filter often.. sure beats dumping out the pool daily..

 

[gysygirl]

Hi we have a approx 2000ltr pond for our 5 calls and 1 mallard we hand made our filter system as with ducks nothing you can buy will really cope

we bought a really good pond pump an Oase Aquamax 5500 which was on special offer and can shift solids up to 8mm, this we connected to three big kitchen bins in the 1st we have filter medium the water goes in the bottom and all the way to the top through the different sponges, in the next we have lava rock and the last is filled with pea gravel, We found all the info to make this from you tube this is the link;

,

Our water comes out down a small waterfall which the ducks love to play in and is crystal clear by this stage. I have had to clean it out twice in about six months mostly because we have no filter bacteria in there and last week because we have had so much rain the grass around the pond has turned to mud which the little darlings managed to deposit most of it in the pond

This has now been resolved with copious amounts of straw

With ducks I don't think you will find anything to cope 100% but this has been great for us and very affordable and if you do need to clean it out it just involves taking the gravel etc out and rinsing with a hose. Hope this helps.

 

[dennin7418]

Gysygirl, is there a reason you chose the filters in the order you did for each bucket? I'm just curious if you tested different filters and orders and if so what you saw.

 

[gysygirl]

Gysygirl, is there a reason you chose the filters in the order you did for each bucket? I'm just curious if you tested different filters and orders and if so what you saw.

I researched on the internet and went off other peoples recomendations and hoped for the best

The filter medium/sponges are great for getting the main stuff out our 1st bin has them stacked on top of each other with the biggest at the bottom and the finest at the top, The lava rock in the next bucket was recomended by our local fish shop and seems to work well and the pea/garden gravel at the end catches anything the others have missed, we did try to use charcoal but found it too messy and it took too much washing to stop it turning everything black (we were probably using the wrong type who knows!) all in all it works well and would work even better if the little darlings would stop throwing mud in the pond

 

[AliciaM]

Gysygirl, can you post pics of your set up??

 

[ChristineR]

Gysygirl, can you post pics of your set up??

Yes, please!!

 

[TLWR]

I made a ~1000 gallon raised pond (landscape timbers and pond liner). I attached to it a ~70 gallon filter box (also landscape timbers and pond liner) so that it had a waterfall into the pond.

I cleaned it yesterday. The first time since last April.
It is used regularly by 5 ducks. Who also camp out in it at dark until I put them into their house at night.
The pond was green LONG ago, but didn't smell, still had bugs and worms and frogs and stuff in it for them. They didn't care about the poop and greenness of it. Water coming out of the waterfall still appeared clear.

I just skim it daily (or every couple of days). I have it under trees to provide a little protection from above, a little shade. Leaves drop in it and acorns as well.
I have a pond filter (1500 gph I think) in the pond and tubed to the filter box.
I have to clean the pond filter thing now and again to remove things it sucks up, but other than that, not much maintenance.

Until yesterday. Ew nasty. The filter box portion was disgusting. But again, didn't smell.... until I started draining it.

 

[gysygirl]

This is the best pic I can find the three bins are only different colours as they did not have three the same! This was when it was being built a pipe now comes out of the pond to the 1st bin (farthest) then when the water has gone thru it comes out of the white pipe down the waterfall and back to the pond. We now have reed fencing around the bins to screen them and the waterfall has a lot more rocks!, We have also planted the clear banking up with small shrubs, The duck house has a removeable bridge so it is fully protected from foxes/badgers at night