
Ponds, streams, fountains and koi ponds: You’ve seen them at hotels, public venues and perhaps even at someone’s home. The clear water is beautiful and relaxing. You’ve decided that you want that for your home. You plan and build, then finally, you have the water feature you wanted. However, it looks cloudy and brown or green, not at all the look you were hoping to achieve. What went wrong? The key to clear water: lake aeration.
What Makes the Water Murky?
Water naturally contains minerals that may affect the clarity of the water. Soil and plants can also color the water feature. As plants decompose, they produce phosphates. Those particles of minerals, soil, and plants become suspended in the water, creating that cloudy, murky appearance. Algae occur naturally in all water and are not necessarily harmful. However, increased levels of phosphate can lead to an overgrowth, known as algae …