There are many natural ponds that do not boast crystal clear water and yet provide a healthy, diverse and vibrant habitat for both fish and countless forms of other wildlife. If kept in a pond with mud banks, Koi will take great delight in digging at the banks to create a delightfully murky pond without showing any ill effects. Quite simply, clear water is not an essential requirement for a successful pond.

None of this is to say that you shouldn’t aspire to having clear water in your pond. As with many aspects of maintaining a pond, the bigger the volume of water, the easier it will be to maintain not only clear, but clean water also. The advantage of larger volumes of water is that, providing they are of sufficient depth (rather than a large but shallow expanse), the water is more stable as temperatures fluctuate and more able to disperse pollutants. The larger body of water will more readily establish balance and also cope better with potential threats to water quality.

As the water gardener with a more modest body of water strives to maintain clear water, the basic disciplines of creating a balanced eco-system become ever more important. Sensible stocking coupled with good planting and water circulation will, in many cases be sufficient to have clear water. If this is not sufficient, a good filtration system will help to restore the balance in you pond.