How to maintain clean water in an artificial pond?

[Hughe]

I gonna make a pond on the front yard while preparing the soil for earth bags. The depth of the pond is undecided yet. It will depends how much earth bags I gonna use for the wall construction.

The pond will collect rain and snow on the ground year round. People say that if there is no flow of water in a pond, it becomes dead. Is it true or false? Is there natural way to maintain quality of water in the pond?

I'm anxious to live in my house soon. I'll be able to move there within few days. My front yard is covered with green mass contrary to destroy soils of neighbors.

Front
http://butterflyofdream.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/img_0053.jpg?w=640&h=426

Left side
http://butterflyofdream.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/img_0054.jpg?w=640&h=960

Rear and right side
http://butterflyofdream.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/img_0065.jpg?w=640&h=426

Neighbor's yard. How ugly and lifeless it is! Most Korean farmers are chemical/poison addicts. They hate weeds and small creatures. I do not understand their mind set honestly.
http://butterflyofdream.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/img_0071.jpg?w=640&h=426

[Bo Atkinson]

Ponda, Good ecology is the solution, which means help foster beneficial plants and animals. If you are close to neighbors who do spray chemicals often, many plants and animals will be killed or disinterested in the neighborhood. One can still try as best they may. One can introduce desired species. Look up pond websites, forums and vendors. The knowledge base is large. Check soil quality for ability to hold water, through dry spells. Also you will need to ensure water supply. As our planet earth is managed by scorch and burn policies everywhere-- This actually encourages droughts in prone regions. Aerating is key for ponds. Some plants do this, but if you happen to experience too much oxygen depletion from plants, you can 'blow' air bubbles in electrically or build a little fountain which helps add oxygen... Searh the web for much more.
wavydome
http://harmoniouspalette.com/BridgIdealConcrete.jpg

[Arrowwind]

One thing you will have to deal with is mosquitos. They will likely love your little pond and since they are such a huge vector for disease you will need to come to terms with this in some way. Let us know what you figure out. I have two ponds and a rock pond, which is actually for overflow. Irrigation water feeds our pond so it is continually changing the water so we dont have the same problems.... but certainly a fountain or bubbler of some sort will help. Its hard to create a natural sustainable environment out of something artificial.

we lined our pond with professional pond liner and purchased it at a greatly reduced price on Craigs list. The lining of the pond is filled with what looks like sea grass now. We do get algae blooms on occassion and we scoop it out with a pool net and put it in the compost pile and then make sure all the water cycles out.

I wonder if using a chemical like MMS2 could be of help? Plants may be able to live in it but it will keep the bacterial load down.. cant say. Im just throwing that out there. ...

[meat suit]

Hughe,

build an aquaponics system....
put fish in the pond, pump the water thru gravel grow beds, where you grow vegetables...
the growbeds clean the water for the fish.

IvhnGeXiuq0

its good fun, I got an aquaponics system with rainbow trout....

[joeboxerchick4]

This is a wonderfull idea, I am wondering if you can do this with a duck pond as well,and if it would be the same.

[Kiforall]

I wonder if crystals around the pond would help to keep it clean?
Just a thought.

Zoe x

[meat suit]

This is a wonderfull idea, I am wondering if you can do this with a duck pond as well,and if it would be the same.
yes, use the nutrients from the duck wast to grow food. however, it will be quite diluted...so you may have to add more nutrients.... I am out of fish at the moment and pee into it ....:eek: