We have one pond that is thriving. When we bought two ducks, I built a
second pond so the ducks wouldn't destroy the first pond. I don't have any
fish or plants in the duck pond - the ducks eat everything in sight. The
problem I have is the water is incredibly hard to keep clean. It isn't a
very large pond - about 300 gallons - and I have it filtered. Unfortunately
the filter is mucked up and clogged within 2 days of cleaning. I have tried
pond additives to kill the algae with little success. The water is bright,
fluorescent green and generally gross.

I realize the ducks are going to soil the water, but are there any
suggestions on how to aggressively clean the water without harming the
ducks? I don't intend to grow fish or plants in it, but the ducks swim and
drink from the pond.

Thanks

"Jim" wrote in message
link.net...
We have one pond that is thriving. When we bought two ducks, I built a
second pond so the ducks wouldn't destroy the first pond. I don't have any
fish or plants in the duck pond - the ducks eat everything in sight. The
problem I have is the water is incredibly hard to keep clean. It isn't a
very large pond - about 300 gallons - and I have it filtered.
Unfortunately
the filter is mucked up and clogged within 2 days of cleaning. I have
tried
pond additives to kill the algae with little success. The water is bright,
fluorescent green and generally gross.

I realize the ducks are going to soil the water, but are there any
suggestions on how to aggressively clean the water without harming the
ducks? I don't intend to grow fish or plants in it, but the ducks swim and
drink from the pond.


1. More filtration or
2. Addition of filtering plants like water hyacinth or water lettuce.

The algae is thriving because of the high amount of nutrients. Killing the
algae, just makes more food for the algae. You need a plant to out-compete
the algae.

BV.

Try to have your pump at least one foot or more from the bottom.I think the
bottom needs cleaning.Jesse from Canada
"BenignVanilla" wrote in message
...

"Jim" wrote in message
link.net...
We have one pond that is thriving. When we bought two ducks, I built a
second pond so the ducks wouldn't destroy the first pond. I don't have
any
fish or plants in the duck pond - the ducks eat everything in sight. The
problem I have is the water is incredibly hard to keep clean. It isn't a
very large pond - about 300 gallons - and I have it filtered.
Unfortunately
the filter is mucked up and clogged within 2 days of cleaning. I have
tried
pond additives to kill the algae with little success. The water is
bright,
fluorescent green and generally gross.

I realize the ducks are going to soil the water, but are there any
suggestions on how to aggressively clean the water without harming the
ducks? I don't intend to grow fish or plants in it, but the ducks swim
and
drink from the pond.


1. More filtration or
2. Addition of filtering plants like water hyacinth or water lettuce.

The algae is thriving because of the high amount of nutrients. Killing the
algae, just makes more food for the algae. You need a plant to out-compete
the algae.

BV.

I have a smaller pond and waterfall, and it seems to stay pretty good as
long as I keep it running, although I have on occasion put in a pool
chlorine tablet to clean up the water. The summer heat seems to make it
worse.


"Jim" wrote in message
link.net...
We have one pond that is thriving. When we bought two ducks, I built a
second pond so the ducks wouldn't destroy the first pond. I don't have any
fish or plants in the duck pond - the ducks eat everything in sight. The
problem I have is the water is incredibly hard to keep clean. It isn't a
very large pond - about 300 gallons - and I have it filtered.
Unfortunately
the filter is mucked up and clogged within 2 days of cleaning. I have
tried
pond additives to kill the algae with little success. The water is bright,
fluorescent green and generally gross.

I realize the ducks are going to soil the water, but are there any
suggestions on how to aggressively clean the water without harming the
ducks? I don't intend to grow fish or plants in it, but the ducks swim and
drink from the pond.

Thanks

The ducks will be sending the amonia and nitrate levels sky high.

No amount of mechanical filtering will help.

You need to buy a test kit check the levels and add somthing like the
Blagdon pondsafe range to ballance the chemicals.

Details of various chemicals avaliable on my website

www.arghamvillage.co.uk







BenignVanilla wrote in message
...

"Jim" wrote in message
link.net...
We have one pond that is thriving. When we bought two ducks, I built a
second pond so the ducks wouldn't destroy the first pond. I don't have
any
fish or plants in the duck pond - the ducks eat everything in sight. The
problem I have is the water is incredibly hard to keep clean. It isn't a
very large pond - about 300 gallons - and I have it filtered.
Unfortunately
the filter is mucked up and clogged within 2 days of cleaning. I have
tried
pond additives to kill the algae with little success. The water is
bright,
fluorescent green and generally gross.

I realize the ducks are going to soil the water, but are there any
suggestions on how to aggressively clean the water without harming the
ducks? I don't intend to grow fish or plants in it, but the ducks swim
and
drink from the pond.


1. More filtration or
2. Addition of filtering plants like water hyacinth or water lettuce.

The algae is thriving because of the high amount of nutrients. Killing the
algae, just makes more food for the algae. You need a plant to out-compete
the algae.

BV.

"BenignVanilla" wrote in message
...

1. More filtration or
2. Addition of filtering plants like water hyacinth or water lettuce.

The algae is thriving because of the high amount of nutrients. Killing the
algae, just makes more food for the algae. You need a plant to out-compete
the algae.


Any other "tricks" other than plopping in water hyacinth or water lettuce.
I hear that both are so agressive that they tend to "take over" the top of
the falls or where ever they're planted.

One suggestion I heard (and would like a bit of feedback) is to put them in
a PVC "square". That is, build a ring around the rosie ...

Whaddya think?

--==jb==--

~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=

john burton
Bach 50B3
Bass Trombone, Charleston NeoPhonic Orchestra
South Charleston, West Virginia

jb,

I use a hula hoop, and I have made something similar, where I needed one
much larger, using poly tubing and a dowel of appropriate size to make it
into a loop. Works great, most of the time. Large koi will play with the
plants and sometimes bring them out of the loop, but they need to be thinned
anyhow, so send the errant ones to the compost pile.
--
RichToyBox
http://www.geocities.com/richtoybox/pondintro.html


"John Burton" wrote in message
...

"BenignVanilla" wrote in message
...

1. More filtration or
2. Addition of filtering plants like water hyacinth or water lettuce.

The algae is thriving because of the high amount of nutrients. Killing
the
algae, just makes more food for the algae. You need a plant to
out-compete
the algae.


Any other "tricks" other than plopping in water hyacinth or water lettuce.
I hear that both are so agressive that they tend to "take over" the top of
the falls or where ever they're planted.

One suggestion I heard (and would like a bit of feedback) is to put them
in
a PVC "square". That is, build a ring around the rosie ...

Whaddya think?

--==jb==--

~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=

john burton
Bach 50B3
Bass Trombone, Charleston NeoPhonic Orchestra
South Charleston, West Virginia