Pumps and Algae Control for Garden Treasures Fountains

[WaterPondPumps]

I wanted to share a tip with the community about how to keep water flowing in your backyard fountain, waterfall, or pond and stopping the water from being green. I have bigger ambitions to add a larger more unique water feature at a later time, but for the time being I have a Garden Treasures River Rock 2-Tier fountain that has been discontinued from Lowe's.
The fountain itself has held up really well over the past 4 years. The only issues that I have had are 2 things.

1. Pump wearing out and poor water flow. Generally I replaced the pump each spring over the first 2 years. The water pump that was supplied with the kit really did not have a good flow rate, and the intake was always getting clogged up. To fix the issue I went with a Beckett G325 pond/fountain pump. The flow rate of 325 gallons really made this fountain come alive enhancing the soothing sound of water falling. Also the intake cover was a lot easier to clean than the one offered with the system.

2. Algae: Depending on where you live this can be a big to huge problem. During peak summer months I was emptying my fountain about every 4-7 days. Then once a month really having to use a brush and really clean the entire fountain to prevent it from becoming green in color.

Materials Used:

Beckett Pond 7 Fountain Pump 325 Gallons Per Hour
Tetra Pond Algae Control

 

[sissy]

peroxide keeps algae at bey and green water and keeps the pump clean .Also if you add some solar salt it helps also but you have to watch how much in those plastic fountains .I had a huge concrete fountain and treated one year with the stuff for pools and spa's but was no good for visiting thirsty birds .So I raised the ph with baking soda I read from some where or saw on a tv show (not sure )and added salt and it just added good stuff the birds needed .I then added a couple of goldfish and it was fine for 5 years like that .Just the prefilter that came with the pump ,that had to be cleaned often but no big deal to clean it .It was a 2400 gph pump and had the same pump for over 8 years .Not sure what brand anymore

 

[WaterPondPumps]

Wow thank you for the tips! I hope to be able to get around to building a larger pond and fountain during the fall months.

I have a buddy who has a pond similar to yours with goldfish, but he has had an issue with Birds eating the fish out of his pond. Never actually caught on but here today gone tomorrow so just assuming it was a bird. Any ideas how to prevent preditors like this from eating the fish?

By the way love your images! If you have any of the entire pond please do share. Always looking for ideas before i start my bigger pond project.

 

[sissy]

String fishing line back and forth across the pond .I used rebar pounded into the ground and kept wrapping fishing line from one to the other .I had put it up because I had an owl hanging around but found all he is after is the mice and snakes so took it down and then put window screening up because during spawning I had 2 fish jump out and lucky i found them in time .I don't have as much time for the pond with 3 acres to take care of but it seems to be OK .Thank you it was a dream to build my own pond but seems it has been more work than expected .I enjoy looking down from my front porch from it .I just wish someone had told me how big koi get .( years and they are over 2 ft long
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[addy1]

I put a wide weave net over my pond around 4 feet over the water, keeps the herons aways, but does not trap the small birds, butterflies, dragon flies, they can fly in and out of the net.

 

[WaterPondPumps]

Thank you for the tip about the screen. I will surely pass it along to my mother in law as she keeps having missing fish.

I am really jealous, your pond is spectacular! The images have given me a few additional ideas too. Did you hand build the walls with flagstone?