Solar Energy for pond pump

I have recently installed a small pond in my back yard. It is approx 6ft x 6 ft x 4 ft. I would really like to use solar power for a pump so I can stock it with fish, but the pump I bought is very weak and only works if the sunlight is directly on it at all times. Can anyone recommend a good solar pump for this purpose? Thanks

Have you watched Geoff Lawton's "Creating a Perfect Permaculture Fish Pond with Cows" (link available in this thread)?

I thinks that's the one where he shows pump that operated on a battery charged by a solar panel. If that's not the correct video, post it here & I'll find the correct one.

Hi, I just saw it on the other board of this forum mentioned a solar pump, which recommend by Andre souza
"Eco-worthy has promo now for 100w poly panel. Free shipping +5% discount, around USD$140
http://www.eco-worthy.com/catalog/100w-poly-solar-panel-from-stock-free-shipping-p-300.html ?"
and when I look at the website, I also found some pumps, just for your reference.
http://www.eco-worthy.com/catalog/solar-power-pond-water-pump-with-watt-solar-panel-p-331.html

"the pump I bought is very weak and only works if the sunlight is directly on it at all times"

If you already have a solar powered pump that works when there is adequate light, have you considered using a concentrator to increase the light it receives?

Connor Macreno wrote:"the pump I bought is very weak and only works if the sunlight is directly on it at all times"

If you already have a solar powered pump that works when there is adequate light, have you considered using a concentrator to increase the light it receives?

Be careful about overheating and cooking your panel.

In order to run the pump more often, you do need more energy. To use solar you can:

1. get more energy in through the panel you have - put it in a sunnier spot or CAREFULLY concentrate energy
2. get more energy by adding solar panel area
3. store energy for use when the sun isn't shining

I haven't purchased one yet, but I've done some research and it looks like silicon solar : http://www.siliconsolar.com/solar-fountain-pumps.html has some pumps that are better than your run of the mill hardware store solar pumps. They are more expensive, but include a battery and a solar panel large enough to charge the battery for night time use.

--
Karen

Heat may be a valid concern, but I bet it's manageable in this case.
If the panel is near the pump them it's near water. Even without an active cooling solution there will be some evaporative cooling in the area (not sure about the humidity, so this may not hep much). If it's a cheap simple setup it's not tracking the sun.

If it was me I'd just put some reflective panels to either side of it. I wouldn't try to increase the light it gets at noon, just angle them so it gets as much light a couple hours earlier and later as it does when it's faced straight at the sun. But I'm cheap and I don't like buying extra hardware if I don't have to. That may still not get you the results you want, but it should cost almost nothing to try.

Im not surewhat kind of pump you have now and what you want to spend.
There are several ways to work around it. A bilge pump for a boat is prob $12. A marine battery to power it prob $70. A timer (turns it on for 30 seconds then off for up to 5 minutes) runs $45. Its another boat item. That would last a while, then recharge it. Prob another $50 for a pv panel to maintain it. This would get you working even at night.

There are also pumps designed for a 15 watt pv panel. No batteries but it only works when the sun is shining. Being separate pieces, you have some flexibilty on where the panel points.

Anthony Shank : Also 2 possibilities, especially if the water falls 10' or more on your property before it reaches your pond (but not exclusively limiting ) -

There are several ways to ' naturally ' increase the aeration of your water, most of the purpose of water features in ' Far Eastern ' water gardens aids
aeration !

You can do a search for the 'Trompe' Systems dating back to the 1600s and compressing and storing air trapped within falling columns of water !

There are no moving parts, or any thing to wear out !

there is a surprising amount of information here.

Goto our search engine page, Enter Trompe , scroll down -enter 'all forums' , and go back a couple of months !

On a totally flat pice of ground you can dig a hole, 10+ feet deep, to allow your water to fall down a well casing, with a chamber to hold the accumulated
compressed air ! The entire system with actually help keep your pond/pool from overheating during long periods of hot weather !

Good luck, For the Good of the Crafts ! Big AL!

Hello,

These guys have a large range of solar pumps if you are still after one.  I would recommend one with a battery back up, because these will work well into the night

https://www.thefishworks.com.au/fish-pond-equipment/pond-pumps/solar-pond-pumps.html

Cheers!

If you want a pump that actually keeps your pond circulating without relying on perfect sunlight, you’ll want something designed for slightly larger solar setups rather than the tiny all-in-one panels that come with cheap pumps. The main issue with your current pump is that most small solar pumps don’t have battery storage—they only run when the panel is in direct sun, which makes them pretty unreliable for anything beyond a fountain or small feature.

A practical approach is to look for a solar pump that either comes with a built-in or external battery. This way, the pump can store energy during the sunniest part of the day and keep your pond aerated and filtered even when it’s cloudy or after sunset. For your pond size, a 100–200 GPH solar pump with battery support is usually plenty, and you’ll notice much better performance compared to the tiny panel-only units.

As a tip, position the solar panel where it gets maximum sun exposure, but also consider using a small battery or even a hybrid setup where the pump can switch to AC if needed. That keeps the fish safe and reduces stress on the system. If you’re looking for options, searching for “Best Solar Pond Pumps From EasyPro” can give you models that are designed for actual pond use rather than just decorative fountains.

Even a modest upgrade with a battery-backed pump can make your pond much more stable and enjoyable for both you and your fish.

I have never raised fish for food, but I have a pond and have kept fish alive even in 5 months of summer drought. Some fish will survive to their ecological limit of density without aeration if they are not fed beyond creating a diverse habitat. Feeding increases the nutrient load from fish waste and therefore oxygen consumption by more micro-organisms consuming more fish waste.

I think the main conundrum with solar pond pumps is that plants filtering the water and providing habitat produce oxygen during the day, but consume oxygen in their dark cycle. So a battery seems necessary if one is going to depend on a pump for increased stocking density, which significantly increases the cost. An alternative to an electric battery is to use a higher water storage as a battery, pumping from the fish pond in the day with solar panels, then gravity feeding. Ideally I’d have a cascade or other aeration design running all day, or just at night if reducing heating of the water is important. Avoiding pulling from the deepest area is also helpful in that regard, as this is removes the coldest, most evaporation resistant water that usually has plenty of O2.