How can i clear up the water on my decorative garden ponds?

I just built 2 outdoor decorative garden ponds and they will not clear up. what should i do other than buy a 600$ filter and pump?

How can i clear up the water on my decorative garden ponds?
First of all clean any large clumps of algae. then there are several routes you can go. Micro-lift is a very good product and safe for fish and plants. Also, barley bales work great as a natural way to go. Also, you can get catfish and snails to help cut back on the sludge. Also, a shades pond is always cleaner than a sunny one. If you have no shade and cannot provide any buy some lily plants to help shade the pond.
Reply:First, I would suggest that you go to a local nursery and ask about this... take some pictures of your ponds along, and perhaps a sample.



If the problem is weeds, then this product may help - AquaClear. You can find their website at - http://www.killlakeweeds.com/

(by the way, this a good site to look at... offers descriptions of different types of lake/pond weeds, etc, and guidelines on what works best on them)



As far as purchasing a pump and filter.... you could use a whole house filter, and any inexpensive pump... buy the parts right off the shelf, and put it together yourself... won't cost anywhere near $600.



Good Luck
Reply:Use Algea Fix. It works well and wont kill any fish.



http://futurepet.com/cgi-bin/FULLPRES.ex...
Reply:If you need to clean the ponds you should buy a pool net at wal-mart and it will work wonderfully.It did for me.
Reply:You could take a more natural approach and try to find some fish that help to clean it out. The website below has some ideas for dif. types of fish.
Reply:see if there are some kind of tablets that will clear the water.