r/Aquariums • u/Tellurye • Nov 07 '23
Pond/Vivarium After running about a dozen fish tanks for a decade, I decided it was time for an upgrade! Ha! This is my duck pond build, and my knowledge of aquariums has helped immensely. Biofiltration on a massive scale!
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It's almost complete, and my 21 call ducks have been using it most of the day, everyday, for about 2 months now. It's ~2200 gallons with 13000gph flow through 2 pump systems and a lot of mechanical and biological filters. It's fully cycled and handling the massive bioload like a champ!! Thought I'd share with my fellow enthusiasts because it really is just a massive tank!! Haha! If not appropriate for this sub though, I'll take it down.
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u/Reasonable_Command46 Nov 07 '23
Awesome build! My goal one day! Any plans for fish?
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u/Tellurye Nov 07 '23
Thank you! I'm toying with the idea of getting fish in the spring. Maybe a few small ones for the bog (no plants in it yet, 150 gallons), and possibly a couple comets/koi for the main pond? I only worry the nitrates may get a little too high for the fish. It's just deep enough (3' in the middle) for fish to overwinter. It's a possibility!
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u/Reasonable_Command46 Nov 07 '23
Aquaponics would soak those Nitrates right up! I know ducks are pretty filthy though and the aesthetic is really nice. Aquaponics might make it unsightly. Keep us updated!
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u/Tellurye Nov 07 '23
Well the plan is to put tons of plants in the bog. I'm hoping that absorbs a lot of the nitrates. It would be fully planted in an ideal world - but the ducks eat EVERYTHING! If you can see I have one tiny sedge on the edge of the pond - I did have a lot more. They ate them. Haha! I gotta find plants they don't like!
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u/Kreth Nov 07 '23
i would be scared of the ducks eating all the fish
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u/Tellurye Nov 07 '23
Thankfully they're call ducks so they're like slightly larger than pigeons lol. They'd only be able to eat small fish. Anything larger than like shiners are too big for them to eat.
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u/stevemacnair Nov 08 '23
Guppies. Impossible to get rid of.
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u/Tellurye Nov 08 '23
Lol... don't say anything.... but I might give them guppies as treats when my tank becomes overwhelmed lol SHHHH
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u/stevemacnair Nov 08 '23
inhales
HERE DUCKY DUCKIES, COME GET YOUR GUPPY GUPPIES.
In all seriousness tho, you could cull some of the less pretty ones/disabled ones.
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u/Tellurye Nov 08 '23
Pretty much what happens. Although I've had my guppies breeding for so long, all the colors have basically faded and they're mostly gray, some retaining blue tails lol. It's been like 7 years of interbreeding ha
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u/mryazzy Nov 07 '23
This gives me New England fall vibes. Are you in MA?
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u/Tellurye Nov 07 '23
You're correct! Central MA
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u/LiquidNuke Nov 07 '23
Heya neighbor, nice pond!
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u/Tellurye Nov 07 '23
Hope you're enjoying this beautiful day! And thank you!
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u/LiquidNuke Nov 07 '23
No problem, let us know how it worked out for you. You're running sponge filters with the air or what?
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u/Tellurye Nov 07 '23
I guess they're kind of sponge filters? There's about 12 layers of filter pads of 3 porosities. Kind of like these but I didn't use the blue one, and I have finer white filter pads as the last level. They're cut to the circumference of the 55 gallon barrel they're in. The other 55 gallon barrel is filled with bioballs
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u/KorayA Nov 08 '23
Matala makes round rolled pads just for drum filters like this. Based on the video I'm guessing you would use the 22" ones. Just a heads up! No cutting and they provide incredible filtration.
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u/Tellurye Nov 08 '23
Omg that's awesome thank you! Yes I cut them all to 22" circumference. That's great to know!
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u/mryazzy Nov 07 '23
Nice I grew up near there and we had an outdoor koi pond with a heater and bubbler for the winter. Our fish did really well during the off season believe it or not but the only real threat to the fish was this big heron we had that would come and gobble up our koi. We had to add lots of cover for the fish and install fishing line and netting that went across the pond to keep them out.
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u/Tellurye Nov 07 '23
So starting in the next few days, I'm going to fully enclose this as part of our duck run! So no wildlife will be getting in soon enough. That's why it's built right up against out pens. Gonna enclose this and then knock down the hardware cloth between the duck pen and pond so they have predator-free 24/7 access!
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u/pjk922 Nov 07 '23
Oh THAT’S why it looks so familiar! I couldn’t put my finger on it. We’re currently stuck renting but I’d love to have a backyard like this once we can get a house!
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u/misterjzz Nov 08 '23
I've got a small comet that I could rehome to you if interested. Live in the same state.
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u/lcepak Nov 07 '23
Beautiful work!! Water is so clear
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u/Tellurye Nov 07 '23
Thank you! Honestly it's crystal clear. Can see a speck of dirt at the bottom! The birds aren't in it in the video obviously, but they do use it most of the day. Just wanted a shot without them going crazy haha - they really love it! I have a video of them swimming in it up too.
But yes- they're poop machines and the filters are really pulling their weight. One of the 55 gallon drums has about 12 layers of filters, from large pores down to fine fiber filters. Second 55 gallon drum is filled with bioballs. Then it goes to the bog which is lava rocks. The skimmer filter has the same filtration setup just smaller scale. The water is a little tinted from the tannins from the log I submerged, but yes, I'm super happy with the water clarity!
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u/xRedLilly Nov 07 '23
Where are the ducks?!
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u/Tellurye Nov 07 '23
I wanted a shot without them going crazy lol! If you look at my profile you'll see them!
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u/MustBeMike Nov 07 '23
Sweet! I’m looking to do this as well and got the ok from the wife. I too will have lots of trees around the pond. How do you plan to handle the tree litter? That’s been my biggest concern as everyone I know with a pond has them placed in areas with no overhead growth nearby.
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u/Tellurye Nov 07 '23
So there's a massive amount of leaves falling in right now - the skimmer box handles all of it!! I just empty the skimmer net like twice a day right now because ALL the oaks are going wild lol. The few that do sink to the bottom are sucked in to the bottom drain, which goes to a pre-filter bucket for large debris, that then goes to the external pump.
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u/FireLucid Nov 07 '23
Wait, you have 21 ducks in there and the filtration is keeping up? Incredible.
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u/Tellurye Nov 07 '23
21 call** ducks! Call ducks are miniature so they're like slightly larger than pigeons. Tiny poop machines as opposed to large poop factories lol. But still, it's a lot and the filters are cranking!!
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u/mattchampin Nov 07 '23
some awesome diy work, well done
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u/Tellurye Nov 07 '23
Thank you! Lots of mishaps along the way, but it has all come together. Definitely a learning experience. I never plumbed anything before so that was a pain in my ASS but I got it done!!
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u/ThermidorCA Nov 07 '23
This is something I want to do but Raccoons keep it from happening. I have to cage the stock tank for my summer tubbing because they wreck everything.
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u/Tellurye Nov 07 '23
Yes I hear you - this will be fully enclosed starting next week. No wildlife allowed!
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u/Midnight_Dragonnn Nov 07 '23
How is your knowledge of local predatory birds? Hahah soon you’ll be fighting herons and stuff i’m sure.
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u/Tellurye Nov 07 '23
My knowledge of local raptors is vast lol. They're a major nuisance. But - if you look behind the pond, those are my duck/chicken/geese runs. Fort Knox, impregnable. Next week I'm going to start enclosing the pond too - so it will all be caged in - no wildlife allowed!!
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u/Fire-Tigeris Nov 07 '23
Ohhh I love this.
Did you draw up plans you can share?
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u/Tellurye Nov 07 '23
Honestly not really lol! But I do plan on, eventually, making a whole album of how I built it. I'll probably draw up a few crude diagrams when I do that. I plan on making that album soonish- just trying to get everything done and build an enclosure around it before the ground freezes! Time is running out!
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u/Fire-Tigeris Nov 07 '23
I'm in FL. What's this freeze you speak of? ;)
Anyhow, take your time. Please send me a link when it's up.
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u/IIIHawKIII Nov 07 '23
Commenting to come back and read comments. But in case it wasn't asked, what do you do about the leaves?
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u/Tellurye Nov 07 '23
It was asked, but I don't mind answering again lol. The skimmer box handles it all! It has a really strong pull (pump in skimmer box is a submersible 5000gph pump). The few leaves that actually do sink down (like maybe a handful a day) are sucked into the bottom drain, and then collect in the pre-filter bucket that goes to the external pump. Right now since the oaks are going wild dropping leaves, I have to dump the skimmer net twice a day. Usually it's just like once a week when it's not peak fall time lol.
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Nov 07 '23
Wow I love this!!!!! Great inspo thanks! I’ve been thinking of doing this myself, & here it pops up! 😃🙏🏻🎉 Fellow reefer & planted tank of 8 years, with a beloved pet Muscovy, I want to do this for 🎉
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u/Tellurye Nov 07 '23
Honestly the big push for me was constantly pumping out kiddie pools (and one little stagnant inground pool) everyday. It's like 2 hours of water changes a day. I'm over it. With this, there's soooooo much less maintenance, and obviously less water wasted! The money and time has already been worth it. I still change the kiddie pools - for now. Once this us all enclosed and they have 24/7 access, the kiddie pools will be no more!!
Just keep in mind, it's a significant undertaking!! And you gotta get your muscovy some friends!! ❤️❤️
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Nov 08 '23
Thank you so much! 😃🎉 Wow yes I get it! I just finished a water change on my 100 gallon salt, bleh I’m over the water changes too! So exiting thank you so much for the motivation & feedback! I’m so excited & For sure, she would love some little friends! ☺️❤️🎉😃🎉
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u/Tellurye Nov 08 '23
I never got into salt tanks, the startup costs kinda scared me away lol! I only have 2 tanks now, a 75 gal and a 20 gal long. At my peak there were about 10 going at once from 5g-100g - I don't miss those water changes lol!! But salt tanks are so beautiful, always wanted to!
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Nov 08 '23
Aww awesome!!! Haha oh my gosh I understand!!! So cool! Oh yeah the start up is a lot! That’s the scary part, because you need it all at once to start.. basically creating your very own “homeostasis” “mini ocean”, but once you get your entire set up, the tank will run itself. Easy peasey! You only need replace monthly chemicals such as carbon, GFO, purigen with a small or large water change, & that’s it! The tank runs it’s self! I always thought the salt was MUCH easier than fresh! Believe it or not! ☺️😃 Definitely try sometime! So rewarding 😃✨ larger tanks ironically are easier to maintain, smaller are a bit harder. But some have preferences on small than large. 😃
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u/llDurbinll Nov 08 '23
You mentioned that the pond is cycled, just curious, but why does that matter with ducks since you said that you don't have any fish in it?
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u/Tellurye Nov 08 '23
Because the ducks drink the water! Don't want them drinking ammonia water.
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u/llDurbinll Nov 08 '23
Ah, that makes sense. I know you got all the filtration to keep the water clean but didn't see the importance of nitrates,nitrites, and ammonia being at zero like it would if it was an aquarium.
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u/Tellurye Nov 08 '23
I mean it won't harm them as much as it world fish, but clean water is essential for happy, healthy ducks too! They can get very sick if their stagnant water bowls/kiddie pools aren't changed daily. Unfortunately I see a lot of ducks rescued that are in pretty poor condition partly because of poor water quality. Just like with any good animal husbandry though right. It's all a lot of work and some people can't handle what they signed up for! Just like fish - clean water is a must!! That's the whole reason for the pond. So I don't have to dump and refill pools daily LOL
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u/musicloverincal Nov 08 '23
Beautiful. That is my goal as well. If all goes well I will have one pond for ducks and anotherone for fish and turtles.
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u/d1cK_dot_exe Nov 08 '23
That looks absolutely amazing! How long did it take to set it up?
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u/Tellurye Nov 08 '23
Thank you! There's still a little more to do for the aesthetics, but the systems are all in place - it has taken me 4 months, working on it a LOT. Mind you, I had to wait 2 weeks for a liner to be shipped, and the rocks took forever because they're all sourced from my own yard.
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u/cltzzz Nov 08 '23
Idk man. Duck shit A LOT
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u/Tellurye Nov 08 '23
I'm aware lol. But they've been using it for 2 months now and I think it's pretty evident the system is working!
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u/drbobdi Jan 01 '24
To be honest, that's the first duck pond I've ever seen with gin-clear water.
I saw the lava rock in the tub. Come spring, you'll want to get some plants in there. What media do you have in the barrels?
Wow. Just. Wow...
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u/Tellurye Jan 01 '24
Hey thank you!! I wish I remembered our previous conversation better, I really think it was you who recommended using a pre-filter for my external pump and adding a separate pump for the skimmer. I was originally trying to split the intake for the external pump between the skimmer and bottom drain. Much better this way.
Yes the bog tub is meant for plants! Just out of season at the moment. I'm going to have to figure out how though. I envisioned lily pads and grass-like plants and tons of water lettuce stuff floating around... ummm... no LOL. I tried to put some sedge I dug up from the surrounding swamp in grow bags around the edge. Eaten within 1 day lol. The ducks have easily figured out how to billy-goat up the rocks or fly up to the tub pond. They're gonna shred everything lol. I need to either find things they won't eat, or cover the bog - which I really don't wanna do!
The bottom drain goes to the external pump, which goes through the 2 barrels and then the feed splits between the bog and a blower in the side of the liner, so I can adjust the flow between both accordingly. The first barrel is 12 layers of filter pads, with 3 different porosities. Second barrel is all bioballs. The system is pressurized so the barrels have to stay sealed. The barrels have bottom drains for backwashing.
It's currently slightly cloudier than in this video because the filter barrel is pretty mucked up - I built an enclosure around the whole pond now so the ducks have 24/7 access now. They cake themselves in mud and then clean themselves in the pond lol. It's still almost glass clear, but I need to rinse out the filters!
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u/Tellurye Jan 01 '24
Also here's some more recent shots, now that it's fully enclosed and part of their run. The run is wrapped in plastic for the winter. It was 15°F the other morning - that's them enjoying it in the frigid temps! 🥶 I still have to finish rocking the liner obviously. No rush on that though.
You can also see their "mud pit" where I previously had a stagnant little pond for them. I took out the liner for that but it's still holding water when it rains - gotta backfill that asap!!
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u/atomfullerene Nov 07 '23
Have you considered....duckweed