solar powered pond pump

bullfinch

Please can anyone recommend a solar powered pump for a barrel pond? Thank you.

HouseFinch

You will want to get one that has a battery backup.

We got a circular one with the spout in the center of the solar panel (on sale from [email protected] in the off season). If a cloud goes over the sun, it stops working. A backup battery will give you a more enjoyable feature.

bullfinch

Thank you. Do you find it helps with the water quality?

HouseFinch

I had to take ours out. The birds, and a racoon in the early spring kept getting it really dirty, and I was worried it would plug the pump. I didn't have one of the filtration cases on it. This is the one:

I will probably put it out on special occasions, or after I find a proper filter to protect it with... but I'm just using the bowl outside as a bird bath right now. As you can tell-the wildlife use it a fair amount. There is always something left behind in there. They get quite irate when it hasn't been refilled, or the toddlers get at it.

The balcony was where I had wanted to put it, so I got a plug in one and built a fountain out of pots for my OH for father's day.

I am waiting for him to find the plastic liner to keep the deck from getting splashed. Until then, it's just sitting pretty.

I fully expect to have to treat the water regularly though. A couple drops of bleach should be fine from time to time, but I wouldn't want to do that with the bird bath as it would be bad for the wildlife.

HouseFinch

A better way to treat the pond/barrel is with a barley ball. As it breaks down it treats the water with hydrogen peroxide, I believe. This is better on plants that may be planted in it than bleach would.

bullfinch

Thanks for your help. I put in barley straw when I first set it up, but the water smelled so awful that this afternoon I emptied it completely and refilled it, haven't put the plants back yet. I have two oxygenating plants but they don't seem to have done any good. Not really sure what to do. I don't want to write it off, but I can see complaints starting if it's not sorted out.