How to Make the Water Blue in Your Water Fountain

A water fountain, all on its own, adds a sense of beauty and tranquility to your yard. When you add additional touches, like sparkling blue water, your water fountain can transform from a decorative accent to a scene-stealing focal point. Different techniques can make your water fountain's water look blue.

water fountain & Bench

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Change the water in your water fountain regularly to keep it clean and attractive.

Pond Dye

To control algae in a pond, some people use an organic, nontoxic blue pond dye to help prevent growth. This same pond dye is what gives decorative water fountains their rich blue color. The dye won't harm birds, pets or people. To use pond dye in a water fountain, add it at one-half the recommended strength for ponds to start, then gradually add more until you achieve the color you want. Be warned that blue water fountain water can stain anything it touches over time. It also affects how colored lights look.

Pool Tint and Food Dye

Pool tint is a novelty product designed to change the color of the water in your pool for special events. It lasts anywhere from three to five days and is a good solution if you just want your water fountain to look blue for a special event. It's also nontoxic and it won't stain its surroundings. For small water fountains, you can also use food coloring, but you'll need a lot of food coloring to maintain the blue look. Food coloring also stains surfaces and skin. Because some people have allergies to food dyes, use this with caution.

Visual Tricks

If it's the resting water in the basin of your water fountain that you're concerned with, you can achieve the appearance of blue water with a few tricks. You can paint the inside of the water fountain with pool-grade blue paint to create the illusion of blue water. Instead of paint, you can use tile or mosaic treatments inside your pond's basin. These have the added effect of another layer of visual interest. Changing the color of the inside of your water fountain basin won't do much to change any water that cascades up or out of your water fountain.

Lighting

The right lighting can completely transform your water fountain. By placing different colored lights in and around your pond, it can make the water that rests in your water fountain, as well as the water that comes out of it, a variety of colors. High-tech lights include lights that twinkle and lights you can control with your smartphone. This solution works best at night and it can also be costly, especially if you hire a lighting designer, but a few inexpensive LED lights placed in the right way can also help give your water fountain a blue look. water fountain lighting does require a power source, so keep that in mind as you plan.