FILTER NEEDED BADLY, BUT WHAT KIND

[Stacey Brumhead]

I have recently put in a pond in my back yard, it is approximately 500-600 gallons. We have 5 koi, but also 2 ducks that use it. I have a small pump and filter on it right now that is by no means what I need for this to stay clean (it is one from Home depot that was with the original 50 gallon pond at most when we bought the house) I need to find out if anyone can help me figure out the best filter to use to get my water clear/clearer and get out all the gunk from the ducks swimming and going to the bathroom in it. There is no way to keep the ducks out as they are in a confined space with the pond to keep them away from our dogs, or should I say the dogs away from them. They are egg laying ducks. Any advice or links to place with reasonable prices for what I need would be great.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Hate to rain on your parade, but unless someone else on this Forum knows a simple solution, you are fighting a losing battle with the bio-load on that size pond. Five (5) Koi alone would be pushing the support capabilities of that capacity. Adding ducks pushes it over the edge.

 

[Stacey Brumhead]

Hate to rain on your parade, but unless someone else on this Forum knows a simple solution, you are fighting a losing battle with the bio-load on that size pond. Five (5) Koi alone would be pushing the support capabilities of that capacity. Adding ducks pushes it over the edge.

Yeah I kinda figured. I dont need the water to be crystal clear but dont need it looking like a swamp/mud pit either. Hopefully someone has a suggestion. My koi are very small right now. biggest is 4 inches long

 

[sissy]

With duck poo and that many koi you will need a really good filter and not sure there is one out there

 

[Smaug]

Rehome the koi,just the ducks alone make it more of a mess then most filters could handle. I mean just for perspective 1 duck crap more then a small dog does in a day. The waste a fish produces is far different then what a duck leaves. I'm not even sure that water fouled by duck waste can be filtered by the same nitrifying processes as fish waste.

 

[KC Crook]

Do the ducks stay year round? Are they domestic?

 

[crsublette]

I agree with the others in that you set your self a good challenge here.

There is no simple solution here..

For the gunk, Oase creates an excellent pond vacuum. It is expensive, but very durable. I have used mine for over 3 years, abused it quite a bit, and it is still kicking strong.

Likely will have to vacuum the pond more often due to the duck manure and replacing the water that is removed will act as you water change.

When biological loads get this high, water changes are really quite unavoidable if a finely tuned filtration design is not involved.

With higher biological loads, then the more water movement and more water to filtration you need. Consider the Laguna Maxo-Flo 2000 pump. Plumb some side jets to get the water in the pond moving. Also, let this pump push alot of water into some bog planters. Bog planters can be in any container... and have alot of fast growing, heavy nutrient feeding growing plants...


I like challenges, but I definitely can see how this situation can work out... Just will not be an easy and more attention will likely be needed to maintain the pond each week.

 

[Smaug]

I like duck pond side. Peking duck,duck cacciatore, duck fricase,etc