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    Using a Fountain in Your Pond to Keep Water Clear and Lively

    Have you ever looked at your pond or water feature and noticed that it looks a little lifeless? You may even notice a foul smell coming from your pond. You are treating for weeds and algae, but you’re wondering if there is something else to keep your pond healthy.

    Poor pond health can be caused by decaying leaves, excess nutrients, and lack of movement in the water. A pond with no movement can become a less-than-ideal environment for fish and a perfect environment for weed and algae growth.

    A fountain, like the Vitaflume floating fountain from Lake Restoration, is a great way to keep the water moving in ponds or water features. It can help improve the health of a pond in multiple ways. It will also look beautiful! Some ways your pond could benefit from a fountain include increasing the exchange of gases, improving water clarity, and adding value to your property.

    Increase Gas Exchange

    When water from an aerating fountain is blasted into the air, the water droplets are exposed to more air than if they stayed in the pond. The water and air mix: gases that have been trapped in the water get released, and oxygen is absorbed by and between the droplets. This is a way for your pond to “breathe” and can improve the smell of your pond.

    More oxygen in the water helps the beneficial bacteria continue breaking down organic waste in the pond. As that waste is broken down, the smelly gases continue to be released by the fountain in unnoticeable amounts.

    As the weather and water warm up, there is less oxygen in the pond overall than there is during colder weather. Dissolved oxygen is not a constant; it changes throughout the day. Microorganisms, algae, and plants produce oxygen during the day and use it throughout the night. Because of this, dissolved oxygen levels are lowest at dawn and highest between mid-afternoon and dusk.

    The most valuable time to run an aerating fountain is throughout the night. This is when algae, plants, and the microscopic phytoplankton are all in respiration and are using more oxygen than they produce. During the day, all this life increases the dissolved oxygen in the water, with the peak mid-day. Running an aerating fountain throughout the night keeps oxygen levels in the water higher, allowing for more fish to thrive in the pond.

    Lake Restoration offers a pond fountain with lights. This way, you can enjoy the benefits and beauty of the fountain throughout the day and night.

    Improve Water Clarity

    The improved gas exchange and resulting increase in oxygen levels benefit more than just the fish. With more oxygen helping the beneficial bacteria thrive and reproduce, they will continue breaking down excess nutrients in the water, thus clearing the water column.

    In addition, the moving water is not ideal for algae growth. Algae usually grow in stagnant water; fountains don’t kill pond algae, but they keep the water moving. If there is some algae growth present, fountains continually break up patches.

    Fountains Add Value

    Small pond fountains are a great way to add interest and beauty to a pond or water feature. A pond with clear water makes a home look more desirable. When selling a home, a clean pond with a fountain can increase the value and curb appeal.

    The Vitaflume pond fountain pump comes in three different sizes: ½ HP, ¾ HP, or 1 HP. The ½ HP size will aerate up to a half acre, and the ¾ HP and 1 HP sizes are great for up to 1 acre pond maintenance.

    Lake Restoration fountains have a housing and filter made of high quality stainless steel for durability, an impeller for high volume aeration, and a fountain float and mooring ropes to anchor the unit to the sides of the pond.

    These fountains come direct from the manufacturer, Lake Restoration, saving you money. There is also peace of mind: if you have any questions throughout the life of the fountain, call us and we will work with you to resolve any issues.

    Fountains can add beauty and help improve the health of ponds. Improved gas exchange, added water clarity, and even possible higher home values are a few ways that a backyard pond fountain can keep your water clear and lively.