Pond Boss Forums PHOTO GALLERY Image Gallery Clear enough?

Off the end of our dock through a polarizing filter. For reference, the Koi are about 18 inches now. Most perch in image are between 10-13 inches, all my original feed trained perch.

This was a few weeks ago, water is warmer now and almost as clear. A lot of black crappie showing up during feeding too!

It is said that a pond won't be clear with KOI in it. Yours looks pretty good. I had 20 KOI 20 to 22 inches long in my one acre pond and clarity wasn't that bad. With only grass carp and minnows now my pond is very clear.

Liquid how did you get it this clear??

It just came that way! Small enough the wind doesn't stir anything up, only 3 koi, no crayfish, catfish, or bullheads. Lots of vegitation. Speaking of which, I have a new green blob that may eat a full grown adult or two. Chara lifting to the surface in the sun. Ug.

To add some detail to what I have learned with my pond and some examples here of how to maintain a clear-water pond:

1. Start with very infertile soil lining the pond (limestone clay in our case).
2. Plant water plants in the pond, such as hybrid lilies and iris that will soak up spare nutrients.
3. Wind up with invasive curly-leafed pond weed that soaks up the rest of the nutrients, but does not take over (whew!)
4. Keep tree leaves out as much as possible.
5. Have decent water flow-trough in the winter to flush out nutrients.
6. Don't stock bottom-feeding fish. The koi were a mistake but I don't have many of them.
7. Get lucky with no heavy rain.
8. Have grass planted around the pond, don't fertilize under any circumstances! Prevents heavy nutrient load and erosion.
9. Allow a corner or two to have cat tails, see #2. This also blocks some wind to keep agitation down.
10. I think that a high amount of calcium-based salts (alkaline) in the water coming out of ground water with no dissolved gasses in it causes the calcium to deposit on particles, dragging them to the bottom once dissolved gasses show up. I get a lot of calcium deposits on things in the pond, and I think this helps clear up the water.
11. Don't over-feed the fish. I only feed maybe 5 times a week, and maybe 2 cups for roughly 50 fish at 11 inches average (perch).
12. Have no warm weather for months on end, so no bloom shows up /sarcasm.

Liquid Squid you hit it right on the head. Everything you have pointed out is what I have found out also for a clear pond, but you state it much more clearly that I ever did. When I said natural pond I was trying to say many of your points. Thanks.

My only suggested modification is to avoid cattails and go with something like giant burreed.

""..curly-leafed pond weed that soaks up the rest of the nutrients, but does not take over (whew)!."" Your pond is still fairly new. Give it more time. I think over time you will find that the curly leaf will become the dominant plant in the pond. especially in April, May, June in NY.

Yes, that stuff is a menace. Where it is really rearing its head is where there is a small stream leading into the pond that has brought in sediments. The CLPW is going nuts in that area, a blob to the surface the frogs are hanging out on, so I am going to rake some out as soon as it stops %@&! snowing. Good stuff to mix into the garden.

It has been unusually cold here, so the CLPW is getting a leg up this year. I keep telling myself it is good cover for fry.