Pond Fountain Info

30. What is the difference between water quality and water clarity?

Water quality and water clarity are often, and easily, confused. The answer to your question depends upon one’s perspective. For a swimming pool, we want clear water that is void of bacteria and other microscopic life. We usually try to achieve this by adding chlorine or other chemicals. For a fishpond, however, this probably means instant death.

Water quality in a fishpond means a healthy environment for the fish where chemicals such as ammonia, nitrite and nitrate are within a range that is healthy for the fish. As the algae multiplies, it consumes these chemicals from the water that otherwise would build up and become toxic to the fish. One of the complications is that we also want to see the fish. With pea soup algae, for example, the water quality may be very good but we still cannot see the fish. In contrast, string algae that grows off the rocks takes up nutrients like pea soup algae but usually leaves the water very clear.

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Thank you!

Jim Wilder