Crystal clear water, deep blue cloudless skies, the clean fresh scent of a pine forest after the rain. Sensory proof of purity and cleanliness have a deep-rooted, primal appeal, so it’s no wonder that we want to experience that same beauty in our own backyard oases.
Pristine water is a sign of a healthy, balanced ecosystem. To achieve this, it’s important to approach your project with careful research and planning and above all, patience. Design and construct your pond with your ultimate goal in mind - size, depth and location. Don’t put the entire pond in bright sunlight, which encourages algae growth, but use plants strategically to provide beauty, shade, and to maintain a good balance of nutrients. If you’re keeping fish, plan for water circulation and aeration that goes above the minimum requirements. Use both biological and physical filtration to keep out detritus and remove excess nutrients from your water, which can make it cloudy by promoting growth of algae and bacteria. Add activated carbon as the last step in your filtration system to “polish” the water and help it achieve that crystal clarity. Don’t overpopulate your pond and don’t overfeed your fish, both of which lead to an excess of waste. Don’t let the muck at the bottom of your pond get out of hand - decaying organic matter can affect your pond’s balance, and the muck itself can get stirred up and create brown clouds in your pristine pond. Test the water whenever things don’t look or feel “right.” Above all, be patient. New ponds can take anywhere from several days to weeks to reach equilibrium and clear the water. Similarly, any changes you make should be slow and deliberate, allowing your ecosystem to adapt as you go.
