Duck pond with bog garden filter query

[Jo70]

Hi there, I have pet ducks and we didn't want a plastic paddling pool for them in our garden, so built them a pond a year ago. I read up on bog filters, but couldn't find any information on how to make one where ducks were in the equation. It just seemed that no filter system could cope with the amount of mess and poop ducks produce!!
A year on and we've made MANY changes to the original set up, but things (fingers crossed) seem to be working better. When the plants in the gravel filter started to come up this spring, they went nuts. Lush, green and huge! Now, a lot of them are looking a bit yellow. They are still growing, still flowering, but look a bit sick. I've not a clue on nutrient balance etc I'm afraid, so any thoughts/suggestions are very welcome as I can't find any info on the possible cause.
In brief, the water leaves the pond through a large bottom drain and is gravity fed into a settling/filter tank with brushes in it (to pick out the big lumps!!), a pump them draws the water out the settling tank and pumps it into the bottom of two bog gardens and it filter back through a stone wall and sluce.
We've been amazed at how much wildlife we've seen, even with the ducks. We have bats visit every evening, bug eating. Swallows during the day and every bird seems to visit here for a bath or drink. We've just had a wagtail family turn up with their baby and a pair of turtle doves.
Thanks
Jo

 

[addy1]

Nice set up! I love how it looks and really clean for being a duck pond. The plants just might need more duck poo!

Welcome to our forum!

 

[Mmathis]

Have you considered adding a few fish?

 

[Jo70]

Have you considered adding a few fish?

Um! The ducks would thank me no end for that, the fish however would not

 

[Jo70]

Nice set up! I love how it looks and really clean for being a duck pond. The plants just might need more duck poo!

Welcome to our forum!

Thanks for reply and the nice comment There's plenty of poop. I have to clean the settling tank out weekly. My neighbours has the sludge for his veggie garden, but plenty goes into the bog gardens.

 

[AlyssaFish]

Do you know the species of plants you're using?

 

[Jo70]

Do you know the species of plants you're using?

Erm, some flag iris, a lot of grasses, water forgetmenot, mini bullrush, marsh marigold. Sorry I can't remember the posh names for them.

 

[Jo70]

 

[Jo70]

I've added some more photos of how things are set up. I'm sorry if I didn't make my question clear. It's really to ask why the plants are going yellow. Thanks

 

[AlyssaFish]

I am not a plant expert, unfortunately. I know yard grass goes yellow if it doesn't get enough iron. I also know that some aquarium fertilizers are specifically high in iron because that is one nutrient that doesn't get replenished in aquariums from fish waste.

I wish I could be more helpful.

 

[JRS]

If not a general fertilizer issue then I would suspect some type of trace element issue as AllysaFish mentioned. Different elements can cause different patterns. Might be time to start adding some and see what happens. What is your planting medium, pea gravel?

Identifying nutritional deficiencies in backyard plants | Agriculture and Food

Nutrition is an important component of plant health. A nutrient deficiency will reduce a plant’s ability to complete its life cycle of producing flowers and fruits. This web article describes the symptoms of common deficiencies to enable the home gardener to make a diagnosis.

www.agric.wa.gov.au

 

[Jhn]

Your filter system may very well be too well designed. There may be plenty of poop from the ducks if you are cleaning the settling tank out every week. However, in doing so it may not be leaving enough nutrients in the pond to feed the plants especially as the plants get bigger. So bottom line is it may be a an overall nutrient issue.

You ever try cleaning out the settling tank every two weeks time to see what would happen with the plants or would your settlement tank be overflowing with duck poo at that point.

If it is an iron deficiency as AlyssaFish suggested, which yellowing in the plants is a sign of, then sticking steel wool in the planting medium will help with that rather than adding a fertilizer.

 

[Jo70]

I am not a plant expert, unfortunately. I know yard grass goes yellow if it doesn't get enough iron. I also know that some aquarium fertilizers are specifically high in iron because that is one nutrient that doesn't get replenished in aquariums from fish waste.

I wish I could be more helpful.

I really appreciate your reply and suggestion. thank you. Looks like I need to try different things, as you’ve suggested.

 

[Jo70]

Your filter system may very well be too well designed. There may be plenty of poop from the ducks if you are cleaning the settling tank out every week. However, in doing so it may not be leaving enough nutrients in the pond to feed the plants especially as the plants get bigger. So bottom line is it may be a an overall nutrient issue.

You ever try cleaning out the settling tank every two weeks time to see what would happen with the plants or would your settlement tank be overflowing with duck poo at that point.

If it is an iron deficiency as AlyssaFish suggested, which yellowing in the plants is a sign of, then sticking steel wool in the planting medium will help with that rather than adding a fertilizer.

Funny, my husband just said the same, “filter system too good” or that maybe we are pushing the water through the gravel too quickly.
I’ll try leaving cleaning it for longer, but by heck the poop a lot!!
Thank you for taking the time to reply.

 

[Jo70]

If not a general fertilizer issue then I would suspect some type of trace element issue as AllysaFish mentioned. Different elements can cause different patterns. Might be time to start adding some and see what happens. What is your planting medium, pea gravel?

Identifying nutritional deficiencies in backyard plants | Agriculture and Food

Nutrition is an important component of plant health. A nutrient deficiency will reduce a plant’s ability to complete its life cycle of producing flowers and fruits. This web article describes the symptoms of common deficiencies to enable the home gardener to make a diagnosis.

www.agric.wa.gov.au

Thanks for the reply and the link to the article