Guide For Adding Plants To Your Pond

August 23, 2022 Fish Pond, Water Garden No comments yet

A pond is a stunning addition to your yard. With the fish, water features, lighting, and other features, adding a pond can turn your backyard into a relaxing oasis! Plus, by adding vibrant pond plants to a pond or water garden will make it look even better! At Castle Aquatics, we believe that plants should be an integral part of any water garden or pond. However, not all pond owners know how to properly add plants to their pond in order to receive the best natural balance and easiest maintenance and care.

Why Plants Are Imperative In Ponds

Many people are unaware of the essential role plants play in a pond. Plants are imperative to a healthy pond ecosystem in a variety of ways. Each plant brings a variety of benefits to the table, and by knowing what benefits certain plants bring to your pond can help you add the right amount to garner the best benefits. Plants play a variety of roles in maintaining a healthy pond ecosystem like:

OXYGENATE THE WATER

Plants are known to raise the oxygen levels of your pond’s water. A pond with higher oxygen levels is healthier for fish and it reduces the need for oxygenators, artificial bubblers, and other aeration products in your pond or water garden. Ponds with lower oxygen levels increase the chances of the pond’s fish being susceptible to health issues and diseases. In addition, algae thrives in water with low oxygen, which will eventually cause your pond to look filthy.

LIMIT ALGAE GROWTH

While higher oxygen levels in ponds will help reduce algae, there is another way plants can limit algae growth in their ponds. When you add pond plants to your pond or water garden, the plants block sunlight from reaching the deepest areas of your pond. This helps minimize the hideous growth of algae, which can clog up the pond filters and turn the water dark and cloudy. In addition, plants use plenty of the water’s nutrients, which will help reduce algae from forming.

CREATES A NATURAL SETTING

Plants help create a more natural setting in ponds. Plants help reduce the barriers between your yard and your pond as they help create a more natural and organic look to the landscaping. Plants eliminate the need for artificial borders, too.

Castle Aquatics Tip: Try using plants to mask pond equipment, piping, drains, and other artificial structures.

PROTECTS FISH

If you have fish or other aquatic wildlife in your pond, adding the right vegetation can provide them with protection from potential predators. Fish can not only use the plants as a shelter, but they can use them as a natural source of food, too!

NATURALLY FILTERS WATER

Plants absorb the nutrients in the pond water. Because of this, plants play an important role in a natural filtration system that can keep your pond looking beautiful and appealing. Plants that are properly balanced in the pond is a great source for natural water filtration.

Castle Aquatics Tip: Avoid adding overcrowded or dying plants to your pond. This can cause cloudy water and add debris to your pond.

INCREASED APPEAL

Plants are a great addition to any pond. With the interesting vegetation colors, aquatic blooms, and unique growth habits, plants can add visual appeal to your pond, creating a stunning waterscape that can be enjoyed for years!

Picking Plants For Your Pond

One important thing to know about pond plants is that not all of them are right for every water feature. When choosing which plants to add to your pond, there are a lot of factors that should be considered. Certain plants may not be able to adapt to the climate your pond is in. Some plants may not be the right size or shape based on your pond’s style. And, choosing the wrong plants could cause them to die quickly or outgrow the area, clogging the pond and crowding other plants and features. When selecting plants for your pond, consider the following:

Light Levels. How much light do plants need to grow and be healthy?  Is your pond covered by trees, plants, and other structures that block sunlight?

Hardiness. How harsh are your winter months? Will the plants survive in cooler waters? What care do they need?

Food Source. Do the plants act as a natural food source or the fish? Will the fish destroy the pond plants?

Variety. Are you looking for pond plants that blend well together? Are the plants of different shapes, colors, and heights?

Mature Size. How big will the pond plants get? Will the outgrow the size of your current pond?

Different Plants To Choose From

hyacinth, or water lettuce. These pond plants will develop roots underneath the surface of the water and provide shade to aggressive algae formation. Submerged plants can also be beneficial to ponds, as they can improve the water quality and clarity. Bog plants are often used to surround the perimeter of a pond, while water lilies and lotus can add vibrant colors to the area. Of course, you could always design a marvelous pond by adding a mixture of all these plants. Let’s take a deeper look at some of the most common plants you can add to your pond:

BOG PLANTS

Bog plants are usually found at the water’s edge in shallow water as this is where they thrive most. These plants have roots that grow underwater, however their foliage extends above the water’s surface.

FLOATING PLANTS

Floating plants have blooms and foliage that is above the water’s surface, while their roots grow beneath it. Floating plants thrive in moderate to deep water depths.

SUBMERGED PLANTS

Like the name suggests, these pond plants are almost entirely below the water’s surface and acts as an excellent natural filter in ponds of various sizes. Since they need to be submerged, they thrive in deeper waters.

To create a thriving aquatic ecosystem, choose plants from each general type. This will help you find the best vegetation for your pond! Once you find the right plants and have them properly added, you will soon have a stunning and attractive pond with vibrant plants to enjoy!

GET YOUR PONDCARE PRODUCTS FROM PONDMAX

Castle Aquatics Tip: Aquatic plants are a great addition to any pond. They can be beneficial to the overall health of a pond, improving the water quality, water clarity, and algae control. However, adding pond plants are not the only way to maintain the health of a pond or water garden. In fact, the proper pond care products are vital to keeping your pond looking beautiful.


Do you have all the pond supplies you need? Shop at Castle Aquatics for a great selection of pond equipment, like pond maintenance products, pond filtration systems and pumps, garden pond lighting, and so much more! For more information, or to find a local dealer near you, contact our friendly customer service representatives.

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Castle Aquatics 2022 Product Catalog #30, August 1st edition now available!

August 1, 2022 General No comments yet

The annual Castle Aquatics Product Catalog #30, updated on August 1st, is now available for download! The 2022 Catalog #30 features products features all of your favorite products and several new additions to consider adding to a dealer store.

With over 50 featured brands and 1000+ products, Castle Aquatics will be ready to stock a dealer store with all the products needed to help customers become a successful fish and water feature owners! 

Download your free copy of the Catalog by filling out the form below:

(P.S. If you would like to learn more about becoming an Authorized Dealer with Castle Aquatics to sell these products in your store, click here to contact us).

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Tips For Adding A Garden Pond To Your Yard

May 10, 2022 Fish Pond, General, Water Garden No comments yet

If you’ve been dreaming of adding an enchanting and relaxing outdoor feature to your yard, a garden pond would be the perfect addition. If you’d like to add a garden pond to your yard, spring and summer are the best times of year to build a new pond. Building a garden pond may sound like a big project, and you may not know where to start. Luckily, here at Castle Aquatics, we specialize in garden ponds and we can help you with all of your pond care questions and needs. Today, we’d like to go over tips for adding a garden pond to your yard.

WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN ADDING A GARDEN POND TO YOUR YARD

It could be argued that one of the most important aspects of your garden pond is its location. You’ll want to pick a location for your garden pond that will make it a feature of your yard, and not something that is tucked away in the corner where you won’t really be able to enjoy the beauty of it. We have some tips for you on choosing the perfect location for your garden pond, as well as some other things you should take into consideration when you’re planning for your garden pond.

  • Choose ground that is level so that you don’t have any difficulty with drainage from your pond.
  • You’ll want your pond closer to your home so that adding electric wiring won’t be a problem.
  • You’ll also want to ensure that your pond is not over any existing cables, sewer lines, septic tanks, or pipes.
  • Again, the closer your pond is to your home, the closer it will be to a faucet to add water to the pond.
  • Don’t place your pond in an area with too much shade from the sun due to large trees or buildings. This way, you don’t limit yourself on the types of flowers you can add to the pond.
  • If you’d like fish in your pond, you’ll want to add things like shrubs, lily pads, and plants so that the fish will have shade for the hotter parts of the day.
  • You will also want to avoid having your pond near large trees to reduce the amount of leaves and other debris that could blow off of the tree and into the pond, which could result in clogging the pond filtration system.
  • Smaller ponds will benefit from shade, since algae tends to grow in higher water temperatures, and higher water temperatures will also increase the chance of water evaporation in small ponds.
  • Some plants are toxic to fish and can make your water murky, so be sure to do your homework on the best kind of plants to add.
  • Ensure that you pick a location in your yard where you can make your pond deep enough for the types of plants and fish you plan to have in your garden pond.
  • Adding water features such as a waterfall or fountain can benefit your pond by keeping the water oxygenated. Water features will keep the water circulating, which helps to decrease algae and can keep mosquitoes away.
  • Using natural native rocks to create an edge around your pond will make your garden pond look and feel more like a natural feature of your yard.
  • You’ll also want to ensure that you have some type of protection around your pond to account for rainwater so that your pond will not overflow.If you are part of a homeowner’s association, check to make sure that adding a garden pond won’t be a violation of your HOA.
  • If you don’t want a large garden pond or if you’d prefer not to dig into the ground, you can place a pond form on a raised bed and build out your added features around the pond form.

We hope these tips will be useful for you as you are plan for your garden pond. For more help with pond care and maintenance, but sure to check our blog regularly. And for your pond maintenance tools, shop our site now!

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Part 2: How To Reopen Your Garden Pond This SPRING

April 7, 2022 Spring Pond Care, Water Garden No comments yet

Now that the weather is changing and the temperature is rising, it’s time to start thinking about getting your yard ready for the spring and summer months. If you have a garden pond in your yard, you’ll want to be sure you follow the necessary steps to get your pond up and running in the best condition possible. In our previous blog, we went over the first six steps of getting your garden pond ready for spring. Today, we’d like to finish our step-by-step guide. If you should find you need any tools or products that are necessary for your pond care this spring, be sure to shop our products here at Castle Aquatics!

STEPS TO GET YOUR GARDEN POND UP AND RUNNING THIS SPRING CONTINUED

Step Seven

If you live in a climate that requires you to turn off your pond pump and filter during the winter months in order to prevent damage to the pump and filter from the cold, you’ll want to reconnect your pond pump and filter now. If you did not clean your filter pads in the fall before shutting down your pond for the winter, you’ll want to either clean or replace the pads. Do not clean your pads with soap or bleach. Simply rinsing the pads is best practice. If the pads are torn or worn-out, you should replace them.

Step Eight

In our last blog, we went over changing out either 25 percent of your pond’s water or 100 percent of the water, depending on the debris that built up in the pond over the winter. Regardless of how much water you change out, you’ll want to test the quality of the water. Both the nitrate and the ammonia levels should be at zero. If you only did a 25 percent water change, you may need to do an additional 25 percent change or change the water until the desired levels are reached. Your pond’s pH levels should be between 6.5 and 8.5. You can purchase pH solutions for your pond to help control the levels. If you keep fish in your pond, you’ll want to be sure that the salinity is between .1 percent and .25 percent. You can change the salinity of your pond by adding pond salt. Pond salt should be 100 percent pure salt in a large crystal form.

Step Nine

Now is the time you’ll want to add a sludge reducing bacteria to your pond in order to breakdown any remaining gunk from your pond if you did not do a 100 percent water change. This solution will help to re-colonize bacteria that is beneficial for your pond.

Step Ten

If you have a UV light clarifier, which helps to prevent green water, you’ll want to replace the bulb of your light and clean the clarifier. You should wait about 48 hours after you clean your pond to turn on your clarifier to ensure that the bacteria has colonized.

Step Eleven

If you don’t already have protective barriers set up for your fish in your garden pond, around the edge of your pond, you’ll want to install a fish tunnel or a pond cover net. It’s also a good idea to add rocks and safety barriers in the pond to provide a place for fish to hide from predators that may try to get into the pond. A motion detector deterrent system may also help to scare away predators.

Step Twelve

You won’t want to begin feeding your fish again until the water temperatures are at 50 degrees Fahrenheit or higher for at least a week. When water temperatures are between 50 and 65 degrees, feed the fish once per week. When the water temperature reaches 65 degrees or higher on a consistent basis, you can feed the fish every other day. You can purchase an automatic fish feeder that will make caring for your fish simple and effective.

At this point, your garden pond will be up and running for the season! For proper pond care and to keep your pond clean and healthy, be sure to get the cleaning solutions you need for pond maintenance throughout the spring and summer months. Shop our products here at PondMax & Castle Aquatics today!

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Part 1: How To Reopen Your Garden Pond This Spring

March 16, 2022 Fish Pond, Spring Pond Care, Water Garden No comments yet

If you’re ready to get your pond up and running this spring, you’ll want to be sure that you take the necessary steps in order to have a well-functioning and clean pond. Here at Castle Aquatics, we have the necessary tools and products you need for your garden pond care. For pond filters and pumps, pond lighting, UV clarifiers, and more, shop our products today. To learn more about starting up your garden pond this spring, keep reading!

STEPS TO GET YOUR GARDEN POND UP AND RUNNING THIS SPRING

If you’re certain that you’ve experienced the last freeze of the winter, and temperatures in your area have been above 40 degrees Fahrenheit for more than a week, you can begin your garden pond clean-up to get your pond ready for use this spring. Follow the directions below for a simple, step-by-step clean-up process for your garden pond.

Step One

Rake up any leaves and debris that have gathered around your garden pond. Ideally, you will have installed a pond net to place over your pond in the fall so leaves won’t have found their way into the pond. If you do have a pond net in place, you can now remove it.

Step Two

If there are leaves and other debris in your garden pond, you can use a pond vacuum to clean out the extra debris.

Step Three

Now is the time to start tending to any water plants that you may have. You will need to take the time to cut off dead debris and repot plants if necessary. If you have aquatic plants that need fertilized, late April or early May is the perfect time to begin that process.

Step Four

Ponds that do not have a significant amount of buildup should have about 25 percent of its water changed out. When adding new water, you’ll want to add a water conditioner to your pond to ensure that any chlorine or chloramines from your city water are removed.

Step Five

If your garden pond has one inch or more of buildup, it’s a good idea to completely change out your pond’s water. You’ll need to set up a temporary tank for a safe place for your fish during the process. You’ll want to be sure that the difference in water temperature from the pond to the tank are no more than two degrees fahrenheit. If the temperatures vary more than that, place the fish in plastic bags with water from the pond and then place them in the temporary tank. You’ll want to check the water temperature of their temporary water and the pond water when it’s time to put them back in the pond before you release them from the bags.

Step Six

Once you drain all of the old pond water, and before you fill the pond with new water, use your pond vacuum to thoroughly clean out your garden pond. If you have to step down into your garden pond in order to clean the bottom, be sure you keep your pond vacuum out of the pond. You may want to use a long brush with a handle in order to clean off any algae that has built up over the winter while the pond is completely empty. Once your garden pond is clear of debris and algae, you’ll be ready to fill your garden pond with water again.

Once you’ve completed the six steps above, you’ll be halfway through your spring cleaning for your garden pond, and you’ll be that much closer to having your pond up and running. Stay tuned for our next blog for the next steps in the pond cleaning process. If you’re in need of a pond vacuum, a new filter, or any other products for your pond care this spring, shop our products here at PondMax & Castle Aquatics today!

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