Remove stagnant water and protect wild life?

Question

Hi,

We have got an artificial fountain in our garden and wild birds are coming to drink it. This fountain has not been used for 3 weeks and we have got now stagnant water (green, cloudy...). Is there any product on the market which could clean the water and be drinkable by birds, fox etc....
Thanks for your answers

Answer 1

your local aquarium centre should be able to help, or just syphon out the water and put some fresh in, algae should be dying off now so it shouldn't grow back until at least the spring, the dirty water will also be a good treat to those special plants in your garden, my Lilly's love the water from my pond filter, they grow massive in the summer and you can almost hear them slurping it when i pour it on them, the neighbours cant fathom it out, there's are half the size of mine

Answer 2

the product on the market is called a bucket.....you fill it up with water and carry it to the area of the birdbath.... take an old cup with you.... bail out the green water with the cup... pour in the new water from the bucket..... the chlorine in the water in the bucket will help it stay nice for a couple days.... repeat process in about three days in cool weater, daily in very hot weather, to keep the green algae down....

if you happen to have a hose handy, attach it to the water faucet outside your house and use it to 'over fill' the birdbath so that the old water runs over and out and then it will be replaced by new water.... repeat as needed....

when very cold weather comes and the ice forms on the top of the water in the birdbath, you'll want to protect your birdbath from freezing and cracking... at that time, you empty it and, depending on it's size, either take it inside, tip it to the ground and cover it, or use a huge plastic bag over it to seal out the rain and snow from standing in it....

people sometimes even get a little 'birdbath heater' that can be hooked up to power and it will keep the water just warm enuff that it doesn't freeze and the birds can drink all winter... but then you'd still have to go out in the cold and refill it as needed....

Answer 3

Copper Sulphate is an "defoliant" but, may poison the water, sunlight, and Nutrients are what makes the pond green in color (algae bloom) because it will increase "Plant life", the plants die off creating "Hypoxia" (lack of oxygen). see if you can get some shade over it, the fountain will help "AERATE" the water, and burn off any "Anerobes" (bacteria that does NOT use Oxygen).
check with a good "Nursery" in your area.

Answer 4

1. How to clean a birdbath area, click this link:
http://www.ehow.com/how_1818_clean-birdbath.html

2. Fountain Tips, click this link:
http://fountains.lifetips.com/cat/64926/cleaning-fountains/

Answer 5

Sorry to say but you are supposed to put clean water in a bird bath EVERY DAY.