The first consideration is the style. Are the straight lines, fountains and formality of the Victorian era lily pools alluring? Possibly, the mystique of a Japanese pond, or perhaps the tranquility of a babbling mountain brook. Whatever style is chosen it should compliment the existing landscape.

Three of the most important considerations are, location, location, location. This adage holds true when selecting a site for the pond. It should be near your outdoor living area where it can be enjoyed. Visibility from inside the home should also be considered. Water and electric need to be easily accessible. Stumbling over extension cords laid across the yard and dragging 100 feet of garden hose to top off the pond will surely take away from the pleasure. Sun is another factor, since most aquatic plants require at least six hours of sunlight per day to grow properly. The pond should be situated in a spot where runoff from surrounding areas will not enter, as fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides will pollute the water and poison your aquatic life.

After selecting a site, determine what size to make the water feature. A good way to get a feel for the pond is to use a garden hose, and arrange it in the size and shape being considered. Look at it from several angles; experiment with different shapes until finding something acceptable. Make it as large as possible. Pond keeping can be very enjoyable, and most people wish they had made their pond larger. Water in a small shallow pond heats up to quickly which can kill fish and causes unsightly green water. To minimize these problems make the pond at least three feet by five feet and 18 inches deep.

The final and most confusing design consideration is the selection of the proper materials. Since water gardening has become main stream, there has been a substantial increase in available products such as liners, pumps, and filters.

Liners keep the water from seeping into the surrounding soil and can be divided into two categories, formed or flexible. Modern lightweight preformed liners made of fiberglass or PVC are available in many sizes and shapes. Fiberglass liners offers a longer life expectancy than PVC liners; however, their price may be more than doubled. Several drawbacks related to preformed liners include limits in flexibility, size and shape, a less natural appearance, and settling out of level. The best and most economical liner option available at this time is the flexible 45-mil EPDM rubber. Rubber liners carry a 20-year guarantee, and when covered with gravel and stone, should last more than 50 years. Flexible liners ease installation, give a more natural look, do not have size and shape restraints, and will last as long as the other options available.

A pump is the heart of the water garden; it circulates the lifeblood of the pond. Without a pump the water would stagnate and become unfit to support life. The rule for correctly sizing a pump to a pond is to circulate the entire volume of the pond at least once every hour. We recommend circulation the water twice an hour. Pump ratings are gallons per hour or GPH. This rating is usually at one foot above the water level and decreases as the height or head increases. Calculate the volume of a pond with this formula:

Average length x average width x average depth x 7.5 = gallons.

If a waterfall is planned, a larger pump may be required. Use this rule of thumb to correctly size the pump to power a waterfall. 100 GPH equals one quarter inch of water one inch wide; thus, a pump rated for 700 GPH will give a seven inch wide waterfall one quarter inch deep at one foot above the water level.

Since a pump runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, it would pay to purchase an energy efficient pump. The price difference will be made up for in energy savings. Direct drive pumps operate in a sealed case usually filled with oil and consume more electric than magnetic drive pumps. Mag-drive pumps are more energy efficient and pose no danger of polluting the water from oil leaks. However, mag-drive pumps suffer greater performance loss as the height the water is pumped increases.

Filtration is a much debated and often confusing consideration. Filters may be broken down into three different groups, mechanical, biological and ultraviolet. Although some filters may combine different types of filtration, each type has its own function and often performs better in tandem with the other types.

Mechanical filtration scrubs the water to remove floating particles. This is accomplished with filter pads and is employed before the water enters the pump to avoid clogging the pump and plumbing. To keep the pond clear this is recommended. Advances in pump technology now make it possible to do mechanical filtration after the pump.

Biological filtration uses bacteria and aquatic plants to break down fish and plant waste and remove excess nutrients from the water. This process is referred to as the nitrogen cycle. The bacteria convert ammonia and nitrites from decaying matter and fish waste into nitrates, which will then be used by the aquatic plants as food. Bio filters differ in looks; however, the inner workings are fundamentally the same. Water is pumped through a bio media, which can be anything from lava rocks to man-made plastic bio-balls. When the water passes over this media, colonies of bacteria convert the harmful toxins into fertilizer for the aquatic plants. The plants use this fertilizer and complete the nitrogen cycle. This naturally occurring process can be given a jump-start in a water garden by adding the bacteria, which are available in several commercial products. Biological filters perform best in conjunction with mechanical filtration.

In ultra-violet filtration, water is pumped through an enclosed ultra-violet light where the ultraviolet light rays kill algae and pathogens to avoid green water and fish diseases.

Doing your homework and finding a knowledgeable pond shop willing to help and answer any questions will make a water garden pleasurable, relaxing and educational. Proper planning and design will alleviate many of the headaches of maintenance that come with just jumping into a water feature project. So, take the time to consider all the aspects involved. You will be glad you did for many years to come.

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