Fountain Swamping

Had to clean out the fountain because it stopped working a couple days ago. It goes for 3 or 4 months before it clogs itself up with green algae. I can always tell it’s getting close because the glass pebbles start turning green, and the water output drops.

Cleaning it involves taking it completely apart, which involves removing 20 lbs of glass pebbles, removing two levels of heavy screen, and pulling the pump and pipe assembly out. Then I scrub the sides of the pot, flush it, and replace everything. Cleaning the glass pebbles involves a little bit of detergent and a bit of bleach. Two old plastic 5 pound coffee cans serve as the wash and rinse tanks.

Not that any of this is terribly exciting, but the fountain is a pretty important part of my landscape since it attracts birds, helps water the container plants with splash, and serves as our cat’s water source when she’s outside on hot days. (She’s not very interested in the birds, by the way). The fountain also serves as the water-provided-for-wildlife requirement in my Certified Wildlife Habitat. Especially if the cat counts as wildlife.

Plus, I like the sound of it when the windows are open.