Question
We have recently constructed a wild life pond in our garden but have had conflicting advice about whether to put soil in the pond to help plants etc. bed in. While I was out, my husband dumped a whole wheel barrow of the soil he had excavated and now, 2 weeks later, it has not cleared but looks like a muddy stagnant pond, all brown and scummy.  Has irrevocable damage been done?  Should we wait to see if it clears, or should we attempt to remove the soil with a pond vacuum or suchlike?
I would really appreciate your answer.  

Answer
I would personally remove the dirt now before anyone is living in the pond.  There are ways to get the dirt to settle more easily but the pond will also rot much faster with dirt in it.  Now, if you had put the dirt in the pond when empty and put pea gravel over that, the pond wouldn't be too bad, at least for a year or two.  To help dirt settle, a filter would make a difference but it sounds like you don't want any filters.  Another option is a coagulant such as Accuclear by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals which helps fine dirt to clump and settle out.  Without water movement, the dirt will probably settle on its own over time but every time an animal goes in there or, it rains heavily, it will cloud up again.  My suggestion is to get the dirt out.  When empty, you can use a water hose and a shop vacuum to get the last bit of mud out.  Good luck!

Robyn
fishpondinfo.com