DIYer turns an old bathtub, water tanks, and a $45 pump into a duck pond ducks love

A DIY duck pond built from reused supplies is drawing praise among homesteaders on Reddit. 

What happened?

A homesteader shared a YouTube video showing how it all works.

"My custom duck pond built out of a bath tub, 4 water tanks, a $45 Harbor Freight pond pump, and PVC pipe," they wrote. "I documented the last 30 days while I get it ready for the summer. I'd love to hear your feedback!"

The system wasn't 100% perfect, they revealed, with young chickens at risk if they fell into the water.

Another issue was plants that could form, clog up the system, and cause some flooding. Still with some tweaks and monitoring, the tub was attracting ducks with positive results. The homesteader was also improving the water quality while working out the kinks.

Why does it matter?

A bathtub, water tanks, and PVC pipe may not seem like obvious pond materials at first, but repurposing them can be far less expensive than buying a ready-made backyard water feature.

Cleaner water can create a better environment for the birds, and a homemade setup may also be easier to tailor to a specific yard or flock size.

The original poster noted the tub offers "clean water, enough for 2-3 ducks to swim."

What are people saying?

Most of the feedback praised the homemade pond.

"Turning a bathtub into a duck oasis is next-level homesteading ingenuity," one wrote.

The creator replied, "I'm proud of it, thank you!"

The ducks' reaction came up too. 

"Bet the ducks are living their best life now, tub-luxury style," another commenter joked. The DIYer confirmed that the ducks were indeed enjoying it and frequenting it with regularity.

One commenter suggested taking things a step further, saying, "Now add fish."

The homesteader appeared cautious about taking that step, considering past problems with filtering out waste and unintended casualties in the water.

"I've thought about it but don't know fish," they admitted. "But I kinda figured fish would just create more waste. I also would have to worry about them getting through filters or getting sucked into the pump tank."

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