Hello!
That making creating is one of the most difficult parts of our hobby was nothing new to me. But so difficult ...
I filled the finished riverbed with Vallejo Still Water (slightly coloured) in a first layer (ca. 2.mm). Some hours later it looked like this:
As it doesn't get any better I had to do something radical:
I don't know what happened exactly. Something on the diorama created a heavy chemical reaction and so there was no chance for a clear water.
Since then I recreated the riverbed and corrected some errors from my first try (see arrows). In the middle part I flattened the riverbed a little, as the water course went nearly upwards. In the upper part I inserted some gradients to give the water a more natural way.
Before my next attempt with the water, I will add several layers of clear varnish to the riverbed to be on the safe side (hopefully).
What do we learn from it: Mistakes can happen, but most often they can be correted.
Greetings from Austria
Thomas