Three Reasons to Install a Pond Fountain
- To Add Beauty to Your Pond
Probably the number one reason customers install pond fountains is they are pretty to look at and sound pretty, too, because of the music the water makes when crashing down on the pool below. This is especially helpful when there is high traffic noise or lots of ambient noise for other reasons.
The way large pond fountains work is simple. A pump is attached underneath a float and a nozzle is on top of the float, connected by plumbing to the submersible pump. The electrical cord is draped across the floor of the pond and raised up at the shoreline to be plugged into a GFCI outlet.
The nozzle creates the display pattern. It can be an intricate pattern with several output holes in it; it can be a simple, V-shaped display with one very large hole for the water to go through. The smaller the holes, the more the flow is restricted. To get the water up high and wide, small holes need to be used. When holes are very small, the nozzle creates a sprinkler effect, that is, a mist. If that is not what you desire, then make sure you buy a fountain kit whose nozzle doesn’t have the “paper-clip sized” or “small-nail sized” holes in it. When holes are large, the water droplets are large, too, and more water can be drawn from the pond and sent into the air around the float.
Before purchasing a fountain, look at the pictures of the fountain at work to try to get an idea of what the display looks like. In general, to get water really high, nozzle holes are small. Sometimes air compressors are also used, as is often done at casinos. 
- Pond Fountains Aerate Your Pond
Bacteria are all around us. They are necessary and good but can also be unhealthy and detrimental. When it comes to ponds, it is important to think about the differences between aerobic and anaerobic bacteria.
Anaerobic bacteria live in the unoxygenated parts of the pond. These bacteria digest unwanted organic debris but release a stinky gas. They also digest the unwanted debris more slowly than aerobic bacteria. Thus, plant material and fish wastes build up at the bottom of the pond and accumulate into muck. Your pond can soon become unhealthy.
Aerobic bacteria thrive in the oxygenated parts of the pond. These bacteria digest the unwanted organic debris faster than anaerobic bacteria and make for a much healthier pond. The pathway to a healthy pond and to keep it clearer is to circulate the layers of the pond and spread aerobic bacteria throughout.
An aerated pond is healthier
Aeration is important to prevent your pond from going into an anaerobic state. Proper aeration means that aerobic bacteria thrive, which create a harmless gas as they eat away at unwanted pond debris. You don’t get the rotten egg smell and a large buildup of bottom muck, which, over time, shallows out your pond. In addition, aeration mixes the warmer surface water with the colder, deeper water. As the water is churned, the temperature of the pond will be more consistent throughout. Algae will be decreased. Fish will thrive. Your pond will be healthy.
A pond fountain is a surface aerator.
Surface pond fountain aerators are typically categorized two ways: decorative fountains and aerating fountains. Decorative fountains use the multi-holed nozzles and often come with many nozzles so you can change the pattern when desired. However, the fountains do not aerate as well as aerating fountains. Instead of an impeller, typically used with decorative fountains, aerating fountains normally use a more effective propeller. Aerating fountains usually provide the classic V-shape pattern, which is formed by one large hole. Water flow is far less restricted. So the best balance of the two kinds of fountains, if you equally want more aeration as well as a nice display, you should buy an aerating fountain with a V-display. But if you prefer a variety of displays that are more intricate than the V-shape, and if you prefer aesthetics over aeration, then you should buy a decorative fountain.
Again, we’d advise you to look at the pictures of the fountain’s displays before making a purchase. For commercial use, we usually recommend that you buy a Kasco Fountain, but if you are on a tight budget, we also have a discount fountain line we have manufactured under our product brand name Fountain Tech.
- To Agitate the Water
A pond fountain’s water droplets and pump below the surface agitate the water, like in windy conditions, thus decreasing stagnation. There should be fewer mosquitoes. You can get rid of pond scum and rotten egg smell.
In summary, you need to figure out what goals you have for a pond fountain before making a purchase. All pond fountains will provide beauty and aeration. But if you need lots of aeration, it is a good idea to stick with the V-shaped pattern an aerating fountain provides.