A fantastic way to maintain your pond and increase your enjoyment of it is to install a pond fountain. The sight of a fountain is lovely, and the sound of splashing water can be extremely soothing. However, running a fountain pump requires electricity, and electricity is expensive. As a result, many pond owners wonder whether turning off the fountain at night is acceptable.
A pond serves a purpose beyond being purely aesthetic. It is essential to protecting the pond’s fish and maintaining its health. A large pond fountain can be bought for three different purposes: as a purely decorative item, as an aeration tool, or both. If you are using the fountain spray to aerate the water and are concerned about water quality, turning it off for an extended period of time can cause stagnation, which is bad for the pond’s wildlife. The fountain should typically be left running as much as possible. Consider the following factors when determining how long to run your fountain.
Why You Should Run A Pond Fountain All The Time
The best way for maintaining the health of your pond is to run your fountain pump continuously. The water is kept clean and fresh by constant circulation, which also safeguards the flora and fauna that exist in and around the water. The top justifications for allowing the pump to run nonstop include the following.
Clean Up The Water
While smaller ornamental ponds might benefit from a filtration system, larger fish ponds are too large for any kind of filtration system. By encouraging the growth of beneficial bacteria that remove nitrates and ammonia, a fountain can help keep your ponds clean.
Manage The Growth Of Algae.
The fountain should constantly be kept running to control the growth of weeds and algae. Algae is a typical component of any pond ecosystem and is helpful in nitrate absorption. However, excessive growth might be harmful. Large algae blooms have the potential to deplete the water’s oxygen content and prevent some pond areas from warming from the sun. You can stop these unwelcome algae blooms by running the fountain continuously as an aerator, which will lessen the number of nutrients in the water.
Avoid Water Stagnation
A pond turns stagnant when the water stops moving. It absorbs less oxygen from the surface air, making it more conducive for anaerobic bacteria to produce toxic hydrogen sulfide gas. Furthermore, because those molecules have little chance of rising to the surface, a stagnant pond cannot release harmful gasses. And finally, a still pond is the perfect place for mosquitoes to breed. Their eggs, however, cannot endure in moving water.
Maintain Fish Health
It is crucial to keep the pump constantly running if your pond serves as a fish habitat. Fish require oxygen to breathe, and the high concentrations of ammonia in stagnant water are toxic. Stratification, the development of a warm and oxygen-rich shallow layer near the surface and cold, oxygen-depleted layer below, is another effect of stagnant water. However, if the temperature suddenly drops and there is a sudden onset of hard rain or strong winds, the layers can mix and dilute the oxygen to the point where fish will perish.
Final Reflections
Although it might be tempting to occasionally turn off your pond fountain pump to save money, running the pump constantly is the best way to maintain the health of your pond. Oxygen molecules are trapped in the water as it is drawn into the pump and forced out above the surface, sustaining pond life. A moving pond maintains its cleanliness, health, and beauty while providing for all the nearby plants and animals.