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#51828
 What bottom composition is best for a very clear pond?
Greg - 1/22/2012 3:31 PM
Category: General
Replies: 7
We are interested in building a pond around 1-2 acres in size. I would love for the water to be clear and clean enough to swim, dive and fish. 10 feet of visibility would be amazing. Pond liners are expensive and seem difficult to install properly. Has anyone built a clear pond without using a liner? What bottom composition did you use? Course sand, rocks? What filtration/aeration did you use?

Thanks,

Greg
#1200
Dutch - 1/22/2012 3:43 PM
Looks like you are in for a heavy study. There are lots of filter systems. Go here for a start and then Google natural pond filter. Good luck
#6220
OUBobcat - 1/22/2012 8:20 PM
I have heard from some members of the dive club I am in that if you throw a bundle of barley into a pond it will clear it up. I haven’t tried yet but I’m going to try it with the pond we regularly dive this upcoming summer. I can’t hurt it; there’s hardly ever viz of more than 3 ft.
#5828
Agojo - 1/23/2012 4:07 AM
Won’t matter what the bottom comp. is if the rain runoff the keeps it full is from cultivated land it will forever be muddy. You will need a flocking chemical to sprinkle on the pond if you really want clear water.
#20460
LatitudeAdjustment - 1/23/2012 5:51 AM
Well a two acre pond liner would make a dive trip look cheap, so would enough barley balls http://www.gardeners.com/Barley-Ball/PondMaintenance_PondCleaners,32-576,default,cp.html to keep it clean.

Before pond liners the English used a heavy putty like clay to build ponds. Avoid anything loose that would be stirred up by the first diver in. Some bottom feeders to keep things clean and surface feeding fish to catch insects and larva. I put 10c feeder goldfish in my bathtub the horses drank from, amazing how big they got eating mosquitoes! Any run off going into the pond should go into a catch basin first to let the silt settle out.

A dock or paved entry will keep things cleaner on shore and clearer in the water.

Provide lot’s of parking and picnic tables for all of your new dive friends :)
#4853
Granitehawk - 1/25/2012 9:59 PM
These are some of my sugestion

a coarser bottom meterial would probaly be better like sand or pea rock

Bottom feeding fish are likely to stir and lossen bottom

Some Aquatic plants to keep nutriants down and slow algal blooms (Possibly in a pots )

Seal pond with bentonite clay mixture to insure minimal water seepage ( also know as Well drillers Clay)

would use a Air stone Bubbler for areation and keep areator off bottom ( some run off a small wind mill)

just one example I found randomly( www.windmillaeration.com)
#5471
DiveBuddyChgo - 1/27/2012 8:54 PM
Cut your pond into limestone bedrock. All water run off should be directed away from the site. No vegetation around or near the site. A 2 acre hole 50ft. deep to dive with 10ft. vis. Why do you want to spend $1/2M. to dig a big hole anyways ?