How To Design Ponds & Water Gardens for Your Furry Friends

June 14, 2023 Uncategorized No comments yet

You might live in a hot climate where you’re concerned about your pet getting too hot, or you might simply have a pup who is a natural water baby and can’t get enough of paddling! Whatever your reasons may be, a water garden for your furry friends is a fantastic way to keep them cool and entertained, especially if you live in a hot climate.

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However, before you dive headfirst into the world of doggy ponds, there are some things you should consider. Here’s the lowdown of what you should be aware of when designing a pond/water garden for your furry friends:

Keep it Small and Simple

Your dog’s safety should come first when designing your pond or water garden, which is why it’s a great idea to make sure your pond is shallow and small, so there is no risk of your pup overexerting themselves or drowning.

A good way to make sure your pond is an appropriate scale is by blending it in with the backyard so that it also works as a visually pleasing shallow body of water. You can even go a bit extravagant and add a little fountain for your dogs to play with.

In need of some pond supplies? Check our PondMAX and Teton product lines, and when you’re read to order, visit our Dealer Locator to find a store near you: castleaquatics.com/dealer

Make Sure It’s Secure

Chances are your furry friend is going to get pretty excited when they’re exploring their new water wonderland. That’s why it’s important to have fencing and paths nearby your pool, so your pup doesn’t go running like crazy into your plants or garden furniture and accidentally injure themselves.

Your water garden should be far away from any valuable or dangerous items that may harm your dog so that you can rest assured that they are enjoying their time safely! If you’re planning on having any plants on the pond’s perimeter, do your research to ensure they aren’t poisonous to dogs.

Build a Doghouse Nearby and Make Room for Shade

Your pup is going to want somewhere to dry off and keep cool once they’ve had their fun in the pond. You also don’t want a wet doggy running directly into your house after pond time, as this could wreak havoc on your carpets! That’s why it’s important to have a doghouse near the pond where your furry friend can dry off and take some time to relax after paddling in the water.

If your pup still wants to enjoy the cool water but needs some shade, it’s a great idea to include canopies in your water garden design! That way, your furry friend can stay cool in the water while being shaded by the sizzling sun.

Always Remember Pet Safety!

Designing a water garden for your pup is a great project that will keep you and your furry friend happy and occupied. However, make sure to always consider your pet’s safety first by ensuring your water garden or pond is shallow, secure, and shaded! That way, your pup can enjoy the cool water, and you can rest assured that you’ve designed a visually pleasing water garden that is dog safe!

In need of some pond supplies? Check our PondMAX and Teton product lines, and when you’re read to order, visit our Dealer Locator to find a store near you: castleaquatics.com/dealer

Want to become an Authorized Dealer with Castle Aquatics? Click here to learn more!

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How To: Get Rid of Mosquitoes the Natural Way for Your Pond

June 8, 2023 Uncategorized No comments yet

Any pond owner will be intimately aware of how they can attract a host of critters. One of the less welcome insects that flood tons of people’s ponds are the blood-sucking mosquitoes. In the spring and summer time, these pesky creatures love to loom their heads around ponds and use them as a breeding ground.

For anyone who doesn’t fancy a blood clearage when they visit the pond, mosquitoes will be a big issue – not only for their nuisance to people – but for their effects on ponds, too: Mosquitoes are known to devastate water quality and build up waste in your pond over the summer seasons.

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With that being said, before heading for the toxic pest control spray you have hiding around, there are some natural precautions you can take to get rid of mosquitos from your pond. From better water flow to fish with a mosquito-death-wish, here are some ways to get rid of mosquitoes in your pond naturally.

Maximize Water Flow

If there are plenty of mosquitoes swarming your ponds, it might be time for an upgrade. Consider investing in pumps, waterfalls, and fountains for your pond if it’s a slow-moving body of water. Mosquitos choose slow-flowing water as their breeding grounds because it makes for a great spot to lay eggs. By adding features to your pond that act to increase its water flow, you can deter mosquitoes from laying eggs and sticking around.

Check out our PondMAX Filters and Teton Aeration Pumps to keep your pond water moving and clean!

Check Your Water Quality

Mosquito larvae thrive on poor-quality water. Even healthy-looking water may have excess nutrients or a substance imbalance which is drawing the pesky creatures to your pond. It’s always good practice to test your water at least twice a year so that you can combat any water quality problems as they arise and make your pond a mosquito-free zone.

Check Your Pond Equipment

If you’re guilty of leaving your pumps and filters a little too long without a clean, they could be a major contributing cause to mosquitoes in your ponds. A clogged filter will decrease your water quality and flow, making it a ripe place for mosquitoes to call home! So be sure to give your pumps a good clean so you can wave goodbye to those nasty critters.

Invest in Some Killer Fish

For your last course of action, you could buy some mosquito-eating fish that will make light work of your blood-sucking stress-inducers. Fish like guppies, rosy reds, minnows, and the aptly named ‘mosquito fish’ love to chow down on mosquito larvae and will do wonders in combatting a mosquito outbreak.

The best part is that they breed rapidly, so any new larvae that get planted in your pond will be munched up in minutes. They’re also compatible with koi and goldfish, so you won’t have to worry about your existing fish making a meal out of them! They’ll even reduce in quantity when there isn’t any mosquito, meaning you don’t have to worry about them being invasive.

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Teton & PondMAX Fountain Accessories: Keep your Fountain Running Smoothly Year-Round

June 1, 2023 Uncategorized No comments yet

Our best-selling fountain accessories to help you easily clean and efficiently maintain your water fountain! The Teton Pump Sleeve, Teton XPRC3 Pump Remote, and PondMAX StatuMAX water treatment are perfect additions to maintaining a fountain year-round.

Want to become an Authorized Dealer with Castle Aquatics? Click here to learn more!

If you are ready to order, visit our Dealer Locator to find a store near you: castleaquatics.com/dealer

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How To Make Your Pond Safe For Children

May 25, 2023 Uncategorized No comments yet

Pond safety is an important component of having a water garden. But finding ways to keep your kids safe while enjoying a pond doesn’t have to be difficult or scary. There are plenty of ways to protect kids with ponds.

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Use Pond Lighting

Pond lighting ensures that the pond is always lit up and visible. Visibility makes areas safer. This is a good idea to see if kids are out playing at dusk or night and a good safety feature for adults.

The best pond lighting systems can be swiveled and moved to highlight your pond and garden appropriately; they come in different colors and can be connected to work in harmony.

Check out our PondMAX lighting systems!

Cover With a Net

A great defense is ensuring nothing over a certain size can fall into the pond. Pond nets are the perfect way to stretch over the pond’s surface to ensure that kids and animals alike can’t fall into the pond. The net catches them before an accident can become worse.

Using a heavy-duty pond net that offers full coverage, with spikes that securely hold the net around the pond’s edges, will keep children safe.

Check out our Teton Pond Cover Nets!

Build Safety into Your Pond

There are some steps you can administer while building your pond that can help you ensure that it’s safer for children from the beginning, from placement to the design of the pond itself.

These include:

• Having a good line of sight to the pond- Seeing the pond from clear vantage points in your home and around your yard is a great way to keep an eye out for children.
• Elevated pond edges and pond fences- Adding barriers that make a tumble harder will keep kids safer.
• Choose pondless features- A pondless feature is a water feature that doesn’t have an accessible water reservoir. Removing the reservoir prevents accidents, but you can still have a tranquil water feature.
• Pool alarms- For pools without fish, pool alarms float on the surface and sound an alarm when something enters the water, so you know if someone or something has taken a dip.

If you are ready to order, visit our Dealer Locator to find a store near you: castleaquatics.com/dealer

Teach Children Safety

There are some behaviors and habits you can teach to children to help them understand the potential dangers of the pond, so they’ll police their own actions a little, giving you some peace of mind.

Talk to children about the following:

• Not feeding the fish- Children who feed fish might want to do it alone. Don’t let children feed the fish, even with you, or they may start to think they can do it when you’re not around, risking a fall.
• Talk about safety often- Explain why things are safe or unsafe and show them how to make things safer. Explaining why security is needed will help them be safe all the time.
• Enforce rules about pond safety- Setting clear boundaries and following through on consequences for violating those boundaries will reinforce that the pond is not a place for play and risky behaviors.

Try to Keep the Water Clean

There’s another danger to children that can exist in a pond. Children like to touch and taste everything, and that’s no different with ponds. They may want to put their hands in it or try to drink the water. If they do there are parasites or pathogens in the water that can make them become very sick. Keeping the water as clean as possible with water pumps and filter kits specially designed to keep bacteria away will help keep kids safe from getting sick from the water.

Check out our PondMAX Clear Water Kits to keep your pond clean.

Keeping Kids Safe While Enjoying Your Pond

Having a pond doesn’t have to mean worrying about keeping children safe all the time. There are many ways to make a pond kid-safe, from teaching children basic pond safety to putting protective gear in place. For more tips and tricks on owning and maintaining a pond, visit our website.

If you are ready to order, visit our Dealer Locator to find a store near you: castleaquatics.com/dealer

Want to become an Authorized Dealer with Castle Aquatics? Click here to learn more!

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My Water is Covered in Foam! What Should I Do Now?

April 27, 2023 Fish Pond, General, Uncategorized, Water Garden No comments yet

Foam is a natural occurrence on your pond, and in small amounts won’t harm fish, but it is important to get a handle on it before it starts affecting the oxygen and light levels in your water. Not to mention that it’s not very nice to look at.

Why is My Pond Water Foamy?

Pond foam is caused by organic material breaking down within your pond’s water. Leaves, fish waste, or uneaten food can cause this. This is part of why a pond filter is so important because it helps keep you from getting a foamy pond.

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How to Get Rid of Foam on Your Pond

Improve Filtration

Checking in on your filtration is always the first step in pond cleaning. The most obvious place for this is your pond skimmer and pond filter. Ensure that they’re working properly, not clogged, and the right size for your pond. To double-check your filter’s capacity is right, multiply your pond’s capacity in liters by 1.5. That result gives you your ideal filter capacity. So, for a 9000-liter pond X 1.5= 13,500, you’ll want a filter that’s suitable for up to 13,5000 liters.

Another great filtration option is adding more living plants to your water. Plants are natural filters and will help keep the water clean.

Install a Pond Skimmer

If you don’t already have one, a pond skimmer is a great tool to ensure you get all the organic material off the top of the water before it starts to break down and cause foam. All this without you having to scoop up every leaf with a net. Pond skimmers usually sit at the side of your pond right at water level or a little lower, so gravity helps push the water and debris out.

The water is then pumped out without the junk. In this case, it’s critical to get the right size that fits neatly into your pump and can handle the amount of water coming in while still catching everything.

Get the PondMAX In-Pond Skimmer! If you are ready to order, visit our Dealer Locator to find a store near you: castleaquatics.com/dealer

Check Your Fish Load

If your filtration is working great, the problem might be too many fish in the pond. Overcrowding your fish will lead to more fish waste than the water and filtration system can handle. The calculation to determine if you have the right amount of water for koi fish is 1-2 koi or 2-3 goldfish per 200 gallons of water. So, if you have a 2400-gallon pond, you can have a maximum of 24 koi or 36 goldfish. (2400/200= 12 X 2=24 or 2400/200= 12 X 3= 36)

Cut Back on Meals

Even if you have the perfect number of fish, you could overfeed them. Feeding fish too much or too often can leave excess food in the water to be broken down later. Watch what happens after feeding, and tailor the amounts you’re giving so that you only give them the amount they can eat in a few minutes.

Try the PondMAX Automatic Fish Feeder! And fill the feeder with PondMAX Fish Food: Spring & Fall Wheat Germ Diet, Color Enhancing, or Staple Growth Diet. If you are ready to order, visit our Dealer Locator to find a store near you: castleaquatics.com/dealer

Test and Optimize Water Quality

Signs that your water can’t handle the amount of waste in it can include high levels of ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate. Having a water test kit on hand to double-check the levels can help you know when to use additives that bring these chemicals back into balance.

Foam Free Fun

Cleaning out the debris, ensuring you have the right amount of fish and filtration, and feeding the right amount of food will help you keep foam under control in your pond. For more tips and tricks on great pond care, visit our website or to connect with an expert, call ………

Check out our PondMAX (www.pondmax.com) and Teton (www.tetonus.com) websites to find all your water garden product needs!

If you are ready to order, visit our Dealer Locator to find a store near you: castleaquatics.com/dealer

Want to become an Authorized Dealer with Castle Aquatics? Click here to learn more!

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PondMAX Fish Food has your fish covered, year round!

March 15, 2023 Uncategorized No comments yet

PondMAX Premium fish food offers specially formulated ingredients to create a high-quality and perfectly balanced nutritional diet. Quality food minimizes fish waste, which keeps ponds cleaner and fish
healthier.

  • PondMAX Staple Growth Diet Fish Food is a high-protein, low-carb food, and the high protein gives fish the ability to be very active during the summer months. It is recommended that this food be fed to fish when water temperatures are above 60°F. To get the best of both worlds, combine the Staple Growth Diet with the Color Enhancer Diet and you’ll have yourself a great all around summer food.
  • PondMAX Color Enhancer Diet Fish Food is made with the same great ingredients as the staple diet, but also includes spirulina and green vegetables to help brighten the color of your fish. It is recommended that this food be fed to fish when water temperatures are above 60°F. To get the best of both worlds, combine the Staple Growth Diet with the Color Enhancer Diet and you’ll have yourself a great all around summer food.
  • PondMAX Spring & Fall Wheat Germ Fish Food is a high-carb, low-protein food which helps build fat in your fish to prepare to go into winter or come out of winter. It is made of a high quality wheat germ which enables fish to easily digest the food when water temperatures are cooler in the Fall, Winter and Spring. It is recommended that this food be fed to fish when water temperatures are below 60°F.

Plus, PondMAX offers a battery operated automatic Fish Feeder is the perfect addition to release the desired fish food quantity as often as every 4 hours.

Order the fish food and feeder through your local dealer! Find a dealer near you: castleaquatics.com/dealer

∙ Item #27GF002, PondMAX Staple Growth Diet, 2 lb Bag
∙ Item #27GF005, PondMAX Staple Growth Diet, 5 lb Bag
∙ Item #27GF010, PondMAX Staple Growth Diet, 10 lb Bag
∙ Item #27GF020, PondMAX Staple Growth Diet, 20 lb Bag
∙ Item #27GF050, PondMAX Staple Growth Diet, 50 lb Bag
∙ Item #27CF002, PondMAX Color Enhancer Diet, 2 lb Bag
∙ Item #27CF005, PondMAX Color Enhancer Diet, 5 lb Bag
∙ Item #27CF010, PondMAX Color Enhancer Diet, 10 lb Bag
∙ Item #27CF020, PondMAX Color Enhancer Diet, 20 lb Bag
∙ Item #27CF050, PondMAX Color Enhancer Diet, 50 lb Bag
∙ Item #27SF002, PondMAX Spring & Fall Wheat Germ, 2 lb
∙ Item #27SF005, PondMAX Spring & Fall Wheat Germ, 5 lb
∙ Item #27SF010, PondMAX Spring & Fall Wheat Germ, 10 lb
∙ Item #27SF020, PondMAX Spring & Fall Wheat Germ, 20 lb
∙ Item #27SF050, PondMAX Spring & Fall Wheat Germ, 50 lb
∙ Item #27GF220, PondMAX Automatic Fish Feeder

Order the fish food and feeder through your local dealer! Find a dealer near you: castleaquatics.com/dealer

Want to become an Authorized Dealer with Castle Aquatics? Click here to learn more!

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PONDMAX PA8 AERATION KIT: AREATION HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER

March 8, 2023 Uncategorized No comments yet

This PondMAX Aeration Kit has been manufactured with advanced technology to provide you with the best quality aeration for ponds or water gardens. The PondMAX Aeration Kit is suitable for many different applications including aquariums, small fish ponds and water garden applications. This kit can handle a water garden size up to 1,250 gallons with a power of 6 watts and air flow rate of 0.30 CFM (8.5 LPM).

Key Features include:

  • Durable & compact design
  • Oil free
  • Quiet & efficient operation

The Kit includes:

  • Air Pump
  • Air Tubing
  • Air Stones
  • Check Valves

Order one today through your local dealer! Find a dealer near you: castleaquatics.com/dealer

Want to become an Authorized Dealer with Castle Aquatics? Click here to learn more!

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Teton Aeration Kits: A must-have year round!

March 1, 2023 Uncategorized No comments yet

The Teton Air Pump Kits come in 6 different models and are known for their unique technology and design to infuse oxygen into ponds and maintain circulation to help fish and plants survive.

These Air Pump Kits are great for use in Ponds and Aquaculture as they are energy efficient meaning they are engineered to be cost effective and run 24/7 on minimal power; they offer quiet operation so you water garden can reach its maximum level of tranquility; and they help with ice prevention on cold days and nights.

∙ Item #XA20K, Flow Rate 20 LPM, Pond Size 2,500 Gal.

∙ Item #XA40K, Flow Rate 40 LPM, Pond Size 5,000 Gal.

∙ Item #XA60K, Flow Rate 60 LPM, Pond Size 7,500 Gal.

∙ Item #XA80K, Flow Rate 80 LPM, Pond Size 10,000 Gal.

∙ Item #XA120K, Flow Rate 120 LPM, Pond Size 15,000 Gal.

∙ Item #XA160K, Flow Rate 160 LPM, Pond Size 20,000 Gal.

Order yours today through your local dealer! Find a dealer near you: castleaquatics.com/dealer

Want to become an Authorized Dealer with Castle Aquatics? Click here to learn more!

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How To Clean Your Indoor Water Fountain

November 14, 2022 Fountain, Uncategorized No comments yet

An indoor water fountain is a genius method to bring a little piece of nature into your home. Listening to the gentle burbling of flowing water and enjoying the benefits of the relaxing white noise can be low maintenance and aesthetically pleasing. You also only need to do a few simple things to clean your water fountain quickly, making maintenance easy.

Before doing any maintenance on your water fountain, unplug your fountain – Disconnecting the fountain completely from electricity is the best way to ensure you won’t have any shocking surprises during fountain maintenance.

Cleaning Your Indoor Fountain

After draining your fountain (either by pouring it out -or- using a spoon, cup, or vacuum for non-portable fountains), fill it with a mixture of water and white vinegar. Then let the fountain run with this solution for three or four hours to loosen mineral build-up. This will take some of the struggles out of cleaning.

If debris spots haven’t loosened after letting the fountain run, you can use a sponge or cloth to rub that dirt away. For holes and crevices, use a soft bristle brush. Once you’re done cleaning, dump out the solution and rinse the fountain well before filling it with clean distilled water.

Cleaning Dirty Parts

To thoroughly clean dirty hoses, pumps, and other removable parts, scrub them with a cloth or soft bristle brush to remove grime.

If stubborn grime persists, use a bathtub, sink, or large container, fill it with warm water and a ½ cup of bleach. Soak the parts in this solution for one or two hours before scrubbing again while wearing protective gear.

Tips and Tricks

Use Distilled Water

Distilled water is a form of purified water that has been boiled to remove impurities. Using distilled water in your indoor water fountain will keep hard water stains from forming and be easier on the mechanisms of your pump.

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Keep the Pump Constantly Submerged

The fountain pump, usually found at the bottom of your fountain, will circulate the water, keeping it from stagnating. However, it can only circulate the water effectively if it is consistently properly submerged. So keep an eye on the water level, ensuring it is well past the minimum water level daily. A great way to simplify this is by keeping a jug of distilled water by the pump to top it up quickly when needed.

A Quick Clean for a Great Feature

While cleaning your indoor water fountain might seem like a chore, using simple tips and tricks can help prolong the life of your fountain, so you don’t have to clean it as often. For example, using distilled water and being aware of the water level will help you avoid cleaning too often, so you only have to worry about doing a deep clean of your fountain every four to six months. This will take some of the chore out of it, so you can focus on enjoying your indoor water feature!

Consider using these water fountain pumps and cleaning products to keep maintenance simple and easy:

PondMAX PV Series Pond & Fountain Pump
Learn more here: pondmax.com/product/pv-series-waterfeature-pump

PondMAX Pond & Water Feature Blocks
Learn more here: pondmax.com/product/pond-water-feature-blocks

PondMAX ScaleMAX Water Treatment
Learn more here: pondmax.com/product/scalemax-pond-treatment

Teton XR Rush Series
Learn more here: www.tetonus.com/product/rush-series

Teton XS Splash Series
Learn more here: www.tetonus.com/product/splash-series

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