Fountains are often the focal point of a yard and adds aesthetic value to your property. Fountain lighting transforms your fountain in the evening into a welcoming gathering place, where you can watch the kids play around and enjoy the movement of the water. What are the benefits of fountain lighting, why have them and what do they cost? Here we will go over all of that and more.

Many Oklahoma homeowners desire the soothing sounds of running water, but are just not ready for a pond or simply can’t afford one. The AquaBasin Bubbling Rock Kit™ allows you to "Do It Yourself" and can easily be installed within just a few hours.  Now here is how you can add that soothing sounds of moving water to your Oklahoma landscape.  

Once you have the pump kit, basin and rock, you will next need to identify a viable location and prep it for installation. Within buildings they can be installed near the surface level and outdoors they can be installed on a patio. Stone and plants can be used to conceal the basin. You should also pay attention to the splash radius particularly if the bubbling rock is being installed indoors.
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Many Oklahoma pond owners choose to bury the basin. To do this, you will need to find a spot and then excavate it. It should have the same depth and size of the basin. The soil at the bottom of the hole must be tamped to provide a strong base. You can then add a layer of sand (C-10 is best) to act as the leveling base. The basin can then be placed in hole and the soil can be used to anchor it in place. After this you would install both the bubbling rock and the pump kit.

If you are wanting to add lights to the fountain you have a couple options depending on where you would like to put them. If you are wanting lights in the top of your rock fountain, do it before adding your aquatic plants and gravel. The reason is that the cord of the lights needs to run down the middle of the drilled hole. If you forget and add plants and gravel first, it's a pain but it can be done.

If you are just wanting to add light to shine up the fountain you can add them when you add your aquatic plants. Just remember no matter when and how you add the lights, there is going to be some cords that have to be cover with the gravel.

Tip: Try to keep the light wire away from the roots of the aquatic plants. 

Bubbling rock is a type of boulder or stone that is embedded within a water garden and which emits water from the top, which flows down the sides. It is comprised of three parts, which are the pump kit, basin and rock. The rocks used for these systems must have a specific formation or composition. Many rocks and boulders are prone to breakage or chipping when drilling is applied so they are not good candidates. The best rocks are rubble or granite boulders. The shape of the rock will determine the manner in which the water cascades, but rock drilling should only be left to pros as the process can be hazardous.

The pump kit is responsible for moving water through the rock. Some of the accessories which come in a standard kit include valves, fittings, clamps and hoses. The basin is a type of reservoir which will be positioned beneath the bubbling rock. It could be something as simple as a hole which is dug into the yard and then lined with heavy duty plastic or a pond liner.

​Moving water is a necessity for ponds and water gardens. Water which sits still will deteriorate and become a breeding ground for mosquitoes especially in tropical and subtropical climates. Bubbling rocks keep water circulating and can be installed within small areas, which is advantageous for people who have smaller yards. They can also be used both indoors and outdoors, which make them viable even for people who live in apartments or urban environments. Perhaps the biggest advantage of bubbling rocks is that they are low in cost and maintenance.

Now that you are familiar with bubbling rocks, stay tuned for next weeks blog on How To Install Bubbling Rocks.

We're never ones to shy away from being blatantly open and honest with respect to competition, and we want our customers to be as informed as possible. Below you will find our base installation cost for several fountains.

Just like everything else...there are several additional options you can add to your fountain. Fountain lighting has made huge strides over the last few years. There are a variety of options when it comes to lighting from simple LED spotlight kit (pic below), LED Fountain Lights installed inside the openings to the fountains as well as color changing lights that can be controlled from your phone. 

In addition to the lights one of our favorite add-on features is the Fire Fountain Kit. The fire fountain kit can be easily added to the Sphere's and urns.