A. Clean water is usually the primary goal of any water gardener. In a new pond, water is seldom clear for very long. To help ensure this clearing process you will need the following ingredients: correct water depth, good filtration, correct wildlife and well chosen plants. The next thing you will need is plenty of patience. Innumerable single celled algae are turning your water green. These are present in all water and will create a bloom in any undisturbed water that is left in the sun. The misleading long filaments algae that grow on the bottom and sides are not what is responsible for the discoloration. These actually act as concealers for the pond contents such as pots, bricks and the sides of the pond. |
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After planting your water garden the balance will shift from the algae to the plants as they cover the pond's surface. The oxygenators and plants will win out over the algae for the available oxygen. The pond will almost always clear overnight as the algae gives way and sinks to the bottom.
The worst thing to do is to change the water. Replacing the water will only delay the developing balance of the new pond's ecosystem. There are dyes and water treatments that can give a temporary fix to the problem that nature must fix in the end. Algaecides kill the algae all at once instead of the slow natural death rate that the pond ecosystem can handle. This massive degradation of the algae uses all the oxygen in the pond and will eventually weaken the animal life and possibly result in a fish kill.
The best answer is to be patient and let nature run it's course. Clear water is just time away.