The water clarity will change depending on water temp, available sunlight, and wave action or lack of it. Clarity here will bounce from 24" to 96" depending on the time of year and amount of plants growing in the pond.
Up here, we don't usually have to fertilize, only *maybe* once to get a bloom going. Also, if you are feeding your fish, that is a form of fertilizer, so I wouldn't be that concerned about adding it if you were feeding heavily.
There is a difference between a bloom and turbidity due to suspended particles. A bloom is the bottom of the food pyramid in a pond, turbidity cuts off the bottom of that food pyramid. Also, in ponds with very clear water, there isn't much there food wise for YOY fish to get a good jump start on life.
I try to shoot for 24" to 36" visibility with a secchi disk, I start to get nervous when it starts to drop below 18", especially if the pond doesn't have aeration.
esshup, I have also gotten a little nervous when the green water went to 12". I started the water well up to dilute it back and so far that has worked. And after I did some ground work around the pond this past Nov. I have had some cloudy green water. Not muddy bud cloudy. I have been thinking about turning the water well back on. It will clear the water up in about 4 days.
Tracy
Do not judge me by the politicians in my City, State or Federal Government.
