Floating fountains are fantastic for small ponds, and there’s a good reason why.
You see, the problem with most fountains is that they just don’t do enough to keep your pond healthy. They don’t provide enough aeration, and that’s a real shame because they look absolutely fantastic.
It’s actually quite easy to tell if a fountain is worth your money or not. So, let’s take a look at a few examples of fountains and see if you can spot the difference.
Floating Fountains
Floating fountains have a very simple design. They just float on the surface of your pond and spray water up into the air. They’re really easy to install, because you don’t have to do anything except place them in the water. Just plug them in and they’ll start working right away.
The thing to look out for with floating fountains is how high they can spray.
You see, it’s the splash that provides aeration to your pond, because it’s the physical contact between the air and the water that lets the dissolved gases exchange. Oxygen from the air goes into the water, and the carbon dioxide that’s built up in the water, from the fish and the bacteria, goes out into the air. It’s this exchange that keeps your fish healthy and keeps the water crystal clear.
That’s why floating fountains are truly excellent for small ponds. They spray water up into the air, and the force of the water falling back down into the pond creates a lot of splash, which is perfect for aeration.
It’s important to note that floating fountains don’t shoot water up into the air like a geyser. They shoot it out horizontally in a fan shape, so the water falls back down into the pond. It’s this falling water that creates splash, and it’s the splash that provides the aeration.
If a fountain can shoot water up into the air, that’s great for display purposes, but it’s no good for aeration. You see, the water just falls straight back down into the pond, and it creates hardly any splash at all. Sure, it looks great, but it won’t keep your pond healthy.
It’s not just the splash that creates aeration, though. The surface agitation you get from the water falling back into the pond is really important for aeration too. It’s not quite as effective as splash, but it’s still very beneficial.
Aerating Fountains
Some fountains are specifically designed for aeration. These are called aerating fountains.
Aerating fountains work by drawing water up from the floor of your pond and spraying it out horizontally at a high velocity. The fact that the water is being sprayed out horizontally creates a lot of splash and surface agitation. It’s this that provides the aeration to your pond.
The really great thing about aerating fountains is that they have a much higher spray height than floating fountains.
You see, with a floating fountain, the water has to be lifted up into the air, and as anyone who’s ever played with a hose knows, that’s not going to happen to any great height.
Aerating fountains, on the other hand, don’t have this problem. They draw water up from below the surface of your pond, so they can spray it out to a much greater height than floating fountains. They also create a lot more splash and surface agitation because of this.
This is great for aeration, but it’s not as good as it might seem for display purposes. You see, the higher the spray height, the less compact the spray is. This means that the spray covers a much larger area, and it doesn’t look as good as a result. The spray can become quite sparse when the height is increased too much.
The best spray height is, therefore, a compromise between good aeration and good display characteristics. If you’re after a fountain that provides a good amount of both, then I’d suggest getting an aerating fountain that has an adjustable spray height. That way you can set it to the perfect height for your pond.
Decorative Fountains
Decorative fountains are the ones that just shoot water up into the air. They don’t do anything for aeration.
There’s nothing wrong with that, though. After all, they’re called decorative fountains for a reason. They’re meant to look good. It’s just a shame that they won’t actually do anything for your pond.
The thing is, there is one way that you can make a decorative fountain do something for your pond, and that’s to combine it with a good air pump. You see, if you put an air stone into your pond, you’ll get the aeration that you need.
There are a few problems with this approach, though. The first is that you’ll need a good air pump to power your air stone. You see, you’ll need a good flow of bubbles to agitate the surface of your pond enough to get the aeration that you need. The bigger the bubbles, and the more bubbles there are, the better. You can get air stones that are specifically designed to produce a lot of bubbles, so that would be a good place to start.
The second problem is that air stones aren’t very attractive. They’ll need to be placed at the bottom of your pond, and the best way to do that is to use an air stone that has a weight attached to it. This will keep it at the bottom of your pond, and keep it out of sight.
The third problem is that you’ll need to use weighted airline tubing to connect your air stone to your air pump. Airline tubing floats, you see, and you’ll need it to stay at the bottom of your pond so that the air stone doesn’t float to the surface.
The fourth and final problem is that you’ll need to use a check valve to prevent water siphoning back into your air pump. You see, if the power goes out, your air pump will stop working, and the water in your airline tubing will start to siphon back into your air pump. This will cause a flood, and that’s not what you want.
So, as you can see, it’s much more hassle to use an air pump and an air stone than it is to use a floating fountain or an aerating fountain. You can get a good small fountain for a really good price, so you’re not going to be saving much money by going the air pump route.
If you’re going to use an air pump, I’d suggest getting an aerating fountain that can be used with or without an air pump. That way you can try it out without an air pump first, and see if it does enough for your pond. You can always add an air pump later if you need to.
Recap
So, as you can see, floating fountains are truly excellent for small ponds.
They provide a good amount of aeration, because they both splash and agitate the surface of your pond. A good general rule of thumb for floating fountains is to buy one that is at least 1/4 horsepower for every 1/4 acre of pond that you have. If you can get one with an adjustable spray height, then you’ll be able to get the spray that you want.
If you’re looking for a good display, then go for an aerating fountain. They’re also great for aeration. Again, a good general rule of thumb for aerating fountains is to get one that is at least 1/4 horsepower for every 1/4 acre of pond that you have. If you can get one with an adjustable spray height, then you’ll be able to get the spray that you want.
