Keeping Your Fish Pond Fountain Working And Free Of Clogs

If you're the proud owner of a fish pond in your garden, you probably have a small pond fountain built into it. Whether its an unassuming little black tube, or a magnificent artifice of marble and gilt, its basic function is the same - to keep the water in your pond circulating. 

A clogged or broken fountain isn't just an aesthetic eyesore, but a clear and present danger to the health of your fish. The constant water circulation they provide serves to oxygenate the water, allowing your fish to breathe properly. Obviously, in a small, isolated pond with no other sources of movement, a non-functioning fountain can eventually cause the death of your prized (and expensive) fish. This is particularly dangerous if you keep koi or other large ornamental fish, that require large amounts of oxygen to survive and thrive.

A pond fountain is not, however, much of a chore to clean and maintain, especially if it's a simple, non-ornamental model. With a tiny amount of daily maintenance and a few, more thorough inspections each month, you can keep your fountain (and your fish) in fighting trim for many years. There are two main problems you'll have to deal with:

Dealing with debris

Debris and detritus landing in your pond and being sucked into the fountain's propeller is the quickest way for your fountain to malfunction, and potentially break entirely. Besides the obvious fallen leaves which you'll be forced to skim incessantly in autumn, you will also want to keep an eye out for general rubbish that can blow into your pond in high winds or storms - stray plastic bags are notorious fountain-killers. Twigs and branches from overhanging trees are also to be avoided.

Skim your pond once a day with a standard pond or pool skimmer, being careful not to disturb your fish or plants any more than necessary. During autumn, skim as often as needed, and always conduct a thorough skim after a storm or gale, as well as inspecting the fountain itself for any trapped debris. You should also install a filter on your fountain's water intake pump to protect the propeller - some owners of smaller ponds choose fountains with dual intakes, so the fountain stays functioning even if one intake becomes clogged.

Axing the algae

Any pond owner will be familiar with the problems of tackling algae buildup, and, just like everywhere else in your pond, it can accumulate within the pond fountain. Besides its damaging effects of moving parts, it also reduces the effectiveness of the oxygenation process, so make regular algae removal a priority.

You may have noticed that algae does not accumulate so much in shaded areas of your pond - this is because algae requires large amounts of sunlight to photosynthesise and reproduce. Consider increasing the amount of shade your pond receives, both with aquatic plants and conventional foliage placed around the pond. This will have the added benefit of providing your fish with more places to hide from predators. For another natural preventative. you might like to introduce an algae-eating fish into your pond, such as a plecostomus (commonly known as a pleco or sucker fish).

These measures will not keep algae out of your fountain entirely, however, so schedule a thorough clean of the whole fountain once a month. There are a number of ways to do this, but you can't go wrong with removing the fountain and scrubbing all moving parts, valves and tubes with an old toothbrush and some white vinegar (dish soap or baking soda are also good). Make sure to rinse the fountain entirely after cleaning to avoid introducing cleaning chemicals back into the pond. For more information, check out companies such as Watergarden World.