
Homeowners usually have ponds for admiring koi fish, adding beauty to their yards, or for a nice combination of both. Finding a good pond fountain helps improve the health and overall appearance of your pond. These products also add a feeling of serenity. In order to find the best pond fountains on the market in 2021, we have gathered reviews for you to read and determine which one works best for you and your property.
The most important part of any fountain is the pump. The pump is the heart of every fountain is how you determine what size pond it’s suitable for. There are also features to consider like the material and size or extra characteristics like LED lighting and various spray patterns. You’ll find the reviews of our top 6 fountains as well as information on buying them.
Table of contents
- A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites
- The 10 Best Pond Fountains for Small & Large Ponds – Reviews & Top Picks 2022
- 1. Alpine Corporation FTC102 Spray Fountain – Best Overall
- 2. Ocean Mist Floating Pond Fountain – Best Value
- 3. Sting Ray 1200 All-In-One Filter, Pump, Clarifier, and Fountain – Premium Choice for Koi Ponds
- 4. Fawn Lake SF100 Floating Fountain – Best Choice for Large Ponds
- 5. Eco-Worthy Solar Pond Fountain
- 6. Patriot Pond Color Changing Fountain
- Buyer’s Guide
- How to Pick a Pond Fountain
- Conclusion
A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites
Image | Product | Details | ||
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Best Overall |
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Alpine Corporation FTC102 Spray Fountain |
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CHECK PRICE |
Best Value |
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Ocean Mist Floating Pond Fountain |
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CHECK PRICE |
Premium Choice for Koi Ponds |
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Sting Ray 1200 All-In-One Filter, Pump, Clarifier, and Fountain |
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CHECK PRICE |
Best Choice for Large Ponds |
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Fawn Lake SF100 Floating Fountain |
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CHECK PRICE |
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Eco-Worthy Solar Pond Fountain |
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CHECK PRICE |
The 10 Best Pond Fountains for Small & Large Ponds – Reviews & Top Picks 2022
1. Alpine Corporation FTC102 Spray Fountain – Best Overall
Color: | Beige |
Dimensions (LxWxH): | 12x12x6 inches |
Item weight: | 7.9 pounds |
Power Source: | Manual |
Material: | Plastic |
At the very top of our fountain list, the best overall pond fountain for small and large ponds is the Alpine Corporation FTC102 spray fountain. This small fountain is designed for ponds that are up to 500 gallons. It floats, so you don’t have to keep fish it from the bottom of the pond to clean it or for maintenance, and it is incredibly compact and light.
This fountain is set apart by its high quality and sleek design. The spray isn’t too large and shoots about three feet off the surface of the water. That’s enough to add some flare to your pond without overdoing it. It also features LED lights at the base to change the color of the spraying water. The colors are gorgeous at night and give your backyard some ambiance. If you prefer to keep the lights off, you control them with a separate power cord.
Installation of this pond fountain is easy because it uses only a floating board and anchor kit. If your backyard pond has a lot of debris, the company recommends installing a pond filter on top of the pump so that it doesn’t clog.
- Sleek design
- Easy to install
- Strong flow rate for small to medium ponds
- Multi-colored LED lights
- Pump could clog without filter
2. Ocean Mist Floating Pond Fountain – Best Value
Color: | Black |
Dimensions (LxWxH): | 13x13x8 |
Item weight: | 7.96 pounds |
Power Source: | Corded electric |
Material: | Plastic |
This is another small floating fountain that has a three-foot spray. However, the Ocean Mist fountain is adjustable to make it smaller if you prefer. The flow rate is also higher than others of this size, with 600 gallons per hour.
The Ocean Mist brand has one of the best pound fountains for small and large ponds for the money. It is slightly cheaper than other similar fountains, but with the same features. It is aesthetically pretty and comes with multi-colored LED lights for nighttime. It is a floating fountain as well, and you won’t have to worry about it sinking.
There are a couple of unfortunate downsides to this fountain that you’ll need to consider. First, this product does get clogged sometimes, and you’ll have to purchase a mesh filter separately. Second, it isn’t ideal for small ponds with a lot of fish in them. For unknown reasons, there are a couple of negative reports of fish being killed when in a small, confined area. However, fewer fish in one area, or larger ponds, have no negative reports.
- Adjustable spray size
- Floats
- Multi-colored LED lights
- Pumps 600 gallons per hour
- Affordable
- Clogs
- Not ideal for small ponds with many fish
3. Sting Ray 1200 All-In-One Filter, Pump, Clarifier, and Fountain – Premium Choice for Koi Ponds
Color: | Black |
Dimensions (LxWxH): | 17x12x6 |
Item weight: | 13 pounds |
Power Source: | Corded electric |
Material: | Plastic |
Koi fish lovers are often looking for something a little more specific to their needs. The Sting Ray fountain is perfect for these little ponds because it contains a UV clarifier inside the pump to kill algae and other harmful bacteria. It isn’t vital for the beauty of the pond as much as it is for keeping all your beautiful fish healthy. On top of that, the pump helps clean up your pond water with zeolite crystals that removing ammonia buildup from fish waste.
This fountain has three different spray nozzles, with a fourth that creates a small waterfall. With all the good, there is still some bad. The biggest issues that people found were the difficult installation that has to be done at the bottom of the pond and issues with the tubing that sometimes causes the water flow to stop.
- Includes UV clarifier and zeolite crystals
- Affordable
- Different spray nozzles plus bonus waterfall
- Difficult installation
- Issues with water flow
4. Fawn Lake SF100 Floating Fountain – Best Choice for Large Ponds
Color: | Black |
Dimensions (LxWxH): | N/A |
Item weight: | N/A |
Power Source: | Underwater power cable |
Material: | Metal, plastic |
We don’t all have small to medium ponds. Those with large ponds on their property are looking for something with a strong flow and tall spray. This is where the Fawn Lake fountain comes in. This fountain for large ponds filters 10,000 gallons per hour or for ponds that are an acre in size. The high-flow nozzle is also adjustable to spray the water from 10 feet high to 34 feet tall or 10 feet wide to 36 feet wide.
This is a semi-floating fountain and is able to either rest on the pond’s bottom or float on the surface. The company recommends installing them on the floor only if the water is at least four feet deep. Thankfully, they include a 100-foot underwater power cable.
This fountain is very expensive, but a great value for the size. It is also only suitable for large ponds considering that the lowest spray setting is 10 feet high and wide.
- 10,000 gallon per hour flow rate
- Seven spray settings
- Semi-floating
- Very expensive
- Only for large ponds
5. Eco-Worthy Solar Pond Fountain
Color: | Black |
Dimensions (LxWxH): | 6.3×6.3×48 |
Item weight: | 9.3 pounds |
Power Source: | Solar powered, battery powered |
Material: | Aluminum |
Modern technology has allowed us to easily clean up our ponds without adding to our electric bills. This solar-powered fountain from Eco-Worthy is an excellent choice for those who would prefer using preferable energy. There is no power cord involved. It relies on a 20-watt solar panel with a battery to store the energy.
As with all products, there is some bad with the good. Even though you aren’t paying to operate it, you depend entirely on the sunlight to keep the fountain running. If you reside in a place that is overcast most days, you might not have the best of luck getting it to work. This isn’t always a dealbreaker for people, though, because you have to have sunlight in order for algae to grow.
This pond is good for small ponds with a flow rate of 360 gallons per hour. You also only have 16 feet of cord to connect the water pump to the panel.
- Renewable energy
- Doesn’t raise electric bill
- Adjustable sprayer
- Pump relies on sunlight to work
- Only for small ponds
- Short cord
6. Patriot Pond Color Changing Fountain
Color: | Black |
Dimensions (LxWxH): | 13x12x8 |
Item weight: | 8.2 pounds |
Power Source: | Power Cords |
Material: | Metal, plastic |
The lowest ranking fountain on our list is the Patriot Pond color-changing fountain. This pond fountain is ideal if you’re looking for an affordable option with LED lights to light up the pond at night. Although it has a 600-gallon per hour water flower, it is known to get clogged a lot. It also has two short power cords that won’t work well on larger ponds.
Because it is a floating fountain, installation is simple. If you don’t maintain it, the lights might become foggy, so you’ll have to clean it on a regular basis.
- Affordable
- Easy installation
- LED lights
- Best for only smaller ponds
- Requires Cleaning
- Short power cables
Buyer’s Guide
Now that you’ve reviewed some of the best pond fountains on the market this year, you should take a moment to consider which one is right for the pond you have at home. Each one is designed to work in different spaces, and you might prefer some features over the other.
How to Pick a Pond Fountain
There are lots of components you need to think about before buying your new fountain. One of the most important aspects is the pump. The pump is the key to a high-quality fountain. Consider how the flow rate of each pump is going to work for the size of your pond. These vary from product to product and should be your top priority. It is safe to assume that all of the water in your pond should circulate through the pump at least one time every hour. This needs to increase depending on how many fish live in your pond as well.
The material of the fountain is another factor to think about. Most of the pond fountains today are made out of plastic, which is the best at keeping water out of the electronic components. It is also safe for fish and holds up well against algae. If possible, find plastics that won’t leach chemicals into your water. This is usually standard, but it won’t hurt to double-check.
The size and weight of the fountain itself are other components that play a role in the health of your pond. Don’t buy one so big that it takes up half of your pond. Weights biggest impact happens when you take it out of the water to clean it. Some people don’t want to lift something heavy, so they go for more compact ones.
Conclusion
You’ve finished considering your top options and are ready to buy. Before you purchase, remember that we’ve found that the best overall pond fountain is the Alpine Corporation spray fountain, and the best value is the Ocean Mist floating pond fountain. These reviews had shown us the pros and cons of each one, and we hope that this article has made the path a little bit clearer.
Featured Image Credit: Amazon