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I have a small pondless fountain that's cloudy and slimy. What can I use to clean it?
ASKED BY: Stephanie of Covington, GA
ASKED BY: Stephanie of Covington, GA

I have a small pondless fountain that's cloudy and slimy. What can I use to clean it?


A: Pondless, fishless water features are known for being low maintenance – but even they get slimy and scummy and in need of some attention. Dust and debris blow into the water, leaves, and twigs somehow find their way into the basin, and algae start to grow on the surfaces. As all that stuff builds up and breaks down, you're left with a mess. Good thing it's an easy problem to manage. Because you have no pond and no resident fish to consider, there's no need to worry about de-chlorinators, test kits, filtration systems, and all that nonsense (although adding a filter always helps, even in a fishless feature). Here's what you'll need to do to keep your fountain clean and clear:

  1. Give It a Good Scrub-Down: First, give your feature a thorough cleaning. Shut down the pump, empty the water basin and use a cleaner like Oxy-Lift Defense to break down debris and speed up the cleaning process. Once you're done scrubbing and rinsing, refill the reservoir with fresh water.
  2. Move It Out of the Sun: Full sunlight will encourage the growth of gunk so, if possible, move your feature to a sun-free spot or shade it from the UV rays with an umbrella or covering. Doing so will keep the fountain cleaner for a longer span of time. Which leads us to No. 3 …
  3. Keep It Clean: Finally, once it's scrubbed and moved to a protected spot, keep it clean! We recommend our FeatureClear & InstaFix Combo. It includes FeatureClear, which contains concentrated beneficial bacteria that digest organic debris; and InstaFix, which eliminates algae and discolored water with a fast-acting formula designed for pondless features. It's easy to use: Simply remove excess debris from the feature, shake the InstaFix or FeatureClear well, and pour into the water. FeatureClear works best when temperatures are above 50°F, but InstaFix works no matter the temperature.

Easy-to-maintain pondless water features, birdbaths and fountains allow you to enjoy the aesthetics of flowing water with minimal work, but these simple steps will ensure your water stays clear and your fountain remains slime-free.