Hey John,

Welcome to PBF! I am not a pro so won't even comment to most of your post. One thing I can offer is, if you have no fish, IMHO do not aerate till the water clears. The aeration kept things stirred up for me in my new pond. Once I shut it off for a few days, the water cleared right away. Great setting for a pond man. Pic looks great! Pros will be along to answer all your questions.

Bill


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