How to Sanitize Small Pools for Pet Ducks

Ducks are adaptable animals and don't need a full, natural pond to feel at home, as long as they have water to swim in. They need water, though, so without any pond at all, they might decide to float in the horse's water trough or even the dog's water dish. A good solution is a child's plastic wading pool. If you use a plastic pool as your duck's swimming pond, you'll need to maintain it on a more regular basis than you would a natural pond, including sanitizing it once a week to keep your ducks healthy.

Things You'll Need

  • Hose
  • Scrub brush or scouring pad
  • High-pressure nozzle attachment
  • Sanitizing cleanser
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Empty the pool daily to ensure that it is as clean as possible. If your duck doesn't defecate in the pool, and if the pool isn't in an area where your duck is likely to track dirt into it, you can empty it as little as two times per week --- but it's a rare duck that keeps the water this clean.

    • 2

      Scrub the entire interior of the pool with a scrub brush or a scouring pad at least twice a week for a pair of ducks using a small pool, scrubbing especially well where you find discolored areas that may indicate algae growth.

    • 3

      Spray the pool with a high-pressure nozzle attachment to rinse all the scrubbed dirt away.

    • 4

      Use a pet-safe sanitizing cleanser on the interior of the pool each time you scrub it, such as Effective Environmental Services' Organic Sanitizing Cleanser. Follow the directions on the cleanser, and be sure to thoroughly cover the entire interior of the pool with it. Depending on the cleanser you use, you may need to let it sit on the pool surface to thoroughly sanitize it, or you may be able to immediately rinse it off.

    • 5

      Purchase a new pool at least once a year. While you need to scrub the pool to keep it clean, the scrubbing damages the plastic, making it increasingly more difficult to thoroughly clean and sanitize your duck's pond.