How do get that crystal clear pond!

[Lisak1]

The pond lily pads come up, then when they die away they just go to the bottom. Same with the cattails and irises. So I have all of this dead vegetation on the bottom, and a skimmer wouldn't really get that.

You may want to be more proactive with the plant grooming - pull or cut any dying or dead foliage that will end up in the bottom to avoid getting a lot of decaying matter build up.

 

[bettasngoldfish]

I use the matala biosteps pond filter. It keeps my water clear to the bottom of the pond (3 feet deep) It's a small pond (approximately 550 gallons) and stocked with goldfish (probably too many) It's super easy to clean, just open the valve and drain or rinse pads as needed. The pads are included with the filter and are super sturdy. Haven't had any trouble with them clogging.

http://www.matalausa.com/BioSteps-10/Matala-BioSteps-10-Gravity-Discharge-Filter-p-45.html