Enjoy an algae free fountain... choose your your water fountain carefully
Your water fountain
An algae free water fountain makes water gardening a pleasure rather than a hassle. Your water fountain then becomes an asset in your garden, on your patio or even indoors. Choose your water fountain carefully ....Water fountain project and ideas and the decisions you need to make early on in your water fountain project are discussed below. Paying attention to these points early on is important to get the most from your fountain ....
Water fountain is used as a general term meaning different things to different people. Consider any of the following to be a water fountain for the purpose of this discussion.
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In South Africa most people mean a pond when they talk of a water fountain. Ponds that are buried in the ground, or placed on top of the ground (above ground ponds) no matter whether made from a pond liner or a preformed pond unit are fountains.
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A stream or waterfall fountain running into a pond or even "disappearing" into the ground for child safety reasons. This latter point is the reason many gardeners install a pebble pond water fountain or fountain while their children are growing up.
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Formal concrete or resin ornament fountain with circulating water. These are generally referred to as a self contained water fountain
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An informal or natural looking water fountain made from plastic, wood, stone or a whole host of other materials make an ideal water fountain or fountain
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Your plain simple homemade water fountain using planters, barrels and so
Important water fountain considerations irrespective of the water fountain type:
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Place your water fountain where you can enjoy it to the fullest extent. Not much is to be gained by putting your water fountain at the bottom of the garden, out of sight.
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Choose a water fountain that is easy to take home and especially easy to install. The easiest and most natural looking water fountain ranges these days are made from fiberglass.
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Is your water fountain going to contain fish? ... if so then you will not get a clean and clear water fountain without installing a biofilter to purify the fish waste as well as an ultra violet light to make sure your water fountain is always crystal clear. Do not try to skimp on these important items or you will regret it later.
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If you are going to have only aquatic plants in your water fountain then do not worry about a biofilter although you may decide to install an ultra violet light later. A water fountain with plants only is a lot easier to care for than a water fountain with pond fish
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Almost every water fountain needs a submersible pump. Choose your pump carefully in order to reduce the cost and to make sure the water fountain performs as you wanted.
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Waterfalls and similar water fountain types need special attention when it comes to choosing pumps. These types of water fountain generally need a stronger pump than a fountain which just has a simple spray creating a fountain effect
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One of the most important considerations in choosing pumps for a water fountain is how much power it will use because remember a water fountain that contains fish must have a biofilter and a biofilter must have a continuous supply of water which means the pump must run all day every day. A water fountain that creates spray is also an excellent way of adding oxygen to the water to also aid the biofilter. The cost of electricity will normally far exceed the purchase price of the water fountain pump.
I used to sell Henri Studio water fountain ranges in South Africa and what a wonderful product range they were. The only drawback was the expense and weight. It used to take us a full day to offload a container, sort the pieces and put them together for distribution. Yes we did drop some .... then the fountain became just another piece of concrete. What a pity and ignominious end to such a fine water fountain.