Fountain for Steph

[jinman]

I hadn't thought about alge on the rocks. Do you think a few drops of bleach might help? I'd be worried about hurting the birds, but don't want the water turning all slimy and green on us either. Anything else that I can use to keep the water clear that wont hurt the birds?

Eddie, I think I'd wait as KentT suggested. I'm not sure if you'll have a problem since you have the pump and the water is being aerated. Both our regular birdbaths and all our animal water tubs have problems with algae and have to be cleaned with bleach about once every two weeks even though we change the water often. If your pump works to keep algae away, I may be putting a pump into our donkey and goat water to turn them into an algae free fountain.

I'm not sure how much bleach you could put in and not hurt the birds either. Maybe you could check the concentration used in swimming pools and use a quantity that is slightly less if needed. If the birds detect chlorine, they may not use the birdbath. Let's just hope you don't need it, or that you can remove the rocks from time-to-time and just clean them with a mild bleach solution.

I wouldn't let this bother me too much. All birdbaths have problems and the perch above them will soon be covered in poop. There is always cleaning to be done around birds. If you feed them, they reward you with more poop. It's just unavoidable.

 

[KentT]

I'm not sure how much bleach you could put in and not hurt the birds either. Maybe you could check the concentration used in swimming pools and use a quantity that is slightly less if needed. If the birds detect chlorine, they may not use the birdbath.

I can see it all now.... a bunch of "bleach-blonde birds..."

 

[JazzDad]

"...they can always take a shower in the fountain!!!!!!!!!!!"

Have the raccoons shown up for their night time showers?

 

[mikim]

Eddie -- my wife just bought some stuff for her little coi pond at Lowes for algae -- you might check it out. She bought 2 bottles - 1 for algae and 1 "clarifier". Any of the big box stores have that stuff.