Helpful tips on design
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 Location

The best placement for your water feature is the location that will provide you with the most pleasure. Your water feature should be close enough to be seen, heard and enjoyed.
Water can produce a variety of sounds depending upon the layout of the feature. A gurgling brook, the light spray from a fountainhead the splashes from a bathing bird or the crash from a waterfall. Even if the pond is not immediately visible the sound will be there to relax, soothe and act as a drawing feature.

It is also important to consider your water feature from the perspective from inside your home. You probably spend more time inside your home than out in your yard, and if you have a view of the pond from the breakfast nook or your favourite reading chair you can enjoy its beauty at any time and might be privy to a lot of animal activity that you would otherwise miss.

This same idea goes for sound. Your neighbours may not share your views on this but perhaps your idea of heaven is being lulled to sleep by the croaking of frogs. Then, be sure to put the pond close enough to your bedroom window so you have a concert every night. If you don't get along with your neighbours and plan to keep it that way you may want to consider moving the pond a little closer to their bedroom window.

Other determining factors are sunlight, the existing landscape and the elements within it, as well as accessibility of utilities.

Sunlight is very important for growing most water plants and also gives the pond a magical reflective quality. Sometimes a shady location is the only location available for your pond. Do, however, be warned that, if this shade is provided by trees, their falling leaves or needles will become an endless source of debris in your pond. A lot of decaying material is harmful to other life within your pond and should be removed on a regular basis. A little shade is fine but ideally, for most gardening purposes your pond should have six or more hours of direct sunlight per day. If water lilies are your passion then, the more sun the better.

Another thing to consider is the existing landscape, its architectural style and size, as well as the elements within it. For example, a natural slope may work to your advantage as the basis for a waterfall, cascading steps or a meandering stream. Also consider the existing locations of trees, not only because of their leaves as previously mentioned but because their roots may cause a problem during excavation. They can be cut but you may harm the tree in the process.

The existing soil and site conditions are also very important. The pond should be situated on level terrain. This helps ensure a uniform water level around the entire circumference. Avoid the lowest point in the landscape because of potential run-off and drainage problems. A high water table or very rocky soil may make raised water feature more feasible than an in-ground pond.

It goes without saying that the style of the water feature should be in harmony with the rest of the landscape and the buildings. A natural shaped pond edged in fieldstone will look out of place in a formal English rose garden.
The size of the water feature must also harmonize with its surroundings. A very large water feature in a small residential yard will be out of scale, as would a relatively tiny pond in the middle of a six-acre lot. Its environment, its purpose, and the amount of money you are prepared to part with ultimately determine the size of your pond.

Is it meant to be the focal point of your yard or do you wish to place it discretely within the landscape where it will provide an element of surprise upon its discovery? Is it meant mainly for gardening purposes or are you interested solely in the acoustical quality of the water? The most successful water gardens are those that were thoroughly thought out and planned before the shovel and the wheelbarrow were ever removed from the shed.

Another important item to consider is the accessibility of both water and electricity.
Your pond may need to be topped up from time to time and should be within easy reach of your garden hose, unless you are planning to incorporate an automatic filling system which will require some plumbing work.
Electricity is needed if you plan on using a recirculating pump or underwater lighting for example. It is very important that the electrical receptacles be close to the pond (consult your electrician for current regulations regarding minimum distance requirements from electrical outlet to pond). Some cords use a paper wrapping around individual wires, which absorbs water, acts as a wick and draws water right into your pump motor. Make sure that your receptacles are properly grounded and Ground Fault Circuit protected. Contact your electrician for assistance. Exposed power cords are also dangerous when mowing lawns, and they can be tripped over. Extension cords are not a good idea around the pond.

The last consideration is wind. If you are planning a large spraying fountain, a fleur-de-lis, for example, and wind is a problem in your area, consider either lowering the height of the display or increasing the surface area of the pond. Unless you have an automatic top-up system it is crucial that the water returns to the pond and does not end up in your flowerbeds. You might want to think of a more sheltered location for a feature of this type.

A major clean-up requiring draining of the pond is the only time when it becomes advisable to add a large quantity of fresh water to your pond. At all other times we recommend adding small amounts of fresh water only. Keep an eye on the water level and top up the pond when needed, being careful not to alter the water temperature by more than a few degrees. Some people prefer to collect rainwater. The rainwater can then be added to the pond as required. This is especially useful if you are on municipal water that is chemically treated.

Algae control is usually the largest maintenance problem in a pond. When setting up a new pond it is normal to have excess algae growth until an ecological balance has been achieved. This balance is achieved through the right proportion of floating, marginal and submerged plants, fish, and scavengers (snails and tadpoles). All plants provide oxygen and consume nutrients in the water. Submerged (also called oxygenating) plants are beneficial because they produce especially large quantities of oxygen and provide supplemental food for fish as well as a place to spawn. Floating plants are most beneficial for providing shade (important for keeping the water cooler - cool water holds more oxygen and is healthier for your fish), preventing water evaporation, and providing hiding places for the fish. Marginal or bog plants provide hiding places for small fish or scavengers and shade in the early morning or late afternoon. Fish excrement, once broken down, provides nutrients for the plants. Oxygen is converted to carbon dioxide by the fish. They also consume insect pests and a little algae, too.  Scavengers consume algae, decaying plant material and fish waste, thereby providing nutrients for the plants. It is a complete cycle with each element depending upon the others to provide what they need to survive.

A little algae is natural, will always occur and is necessary for a healthy pond but too much can be detrimental. The amount of algae in your pond depends on the weather, the amount of sunlight, the temperature of the water, the amount of oxygen in the water and the number of nutrients and different kinds of plants present. It can be at its worst in spring.  This is because the algae does not have any competition yet.  The situation will most likely clear up once all the plants have started growing again. Be patient. If it doesn't clear up on its own, something is out of balance. The easiest solution is to add more plants. Both algae and water plants compete for the same sunlight and nutrients in your pond. Adding plants can make the nutrients unavailable to the algae, and increasing the amount of surface area covered by waterlilies and floating plants can decrease the amount of sunlight available for the algae. This is of particular importance if your pond is small and shallow. Having only a few plants in an open expanse of water combined with sunlight will result in warmer water and increased algae production.

If you have a lot of plants and still have too much algae then perhaps there is an excess of nutrients in the water. This could be caused by a number of different factors or a combination of them. One of them could be a run-off problem. Check to make sure that garden or lawn fertilizers are not washing into the pond when it rains. Perhaps you are over-fertilizing your waterlilies or doing it incorrectly. Maybe you have too many fish, and their excrement is causing a nutrient increase. Maybe you are overfeeding your fish.

The amount of oxygen in the water is also important, as Algae needs carbon dioxide to survive. The higher the oxygen levels, the lower the carbon dioxide levels will be. Oxygen is needed in the water to support aquatic life like fish, tadpoles, as well as aquatic snails, all of which eat algae.

If your fish are coming to the surface gasping for air you have a problem in your pond, namely an oxygen shortage. You can increase the pond's oxygen levels by adding an aerating nozzle on a pump, planting more oxygenating plants or adding a bit of fresh water.

When water is exposed to air it will pick up essential oxygen. Other than for aesthetic reasons this is why many people use a recirculating pump to run a waterfall or fountainhead Moving water is aerated water.

Blanket weed or filamentous algae is another common problem in ponds. It has been suggested that blanket weed is the sign of a healthy pond as it removes excess ammonia from the water. A pond with blanket weed almost always has clear water. , but this is little consolation to the person whose pond has it. The most common solution is to simply pick it out. There are chemicals available, like Interpet’s pond balance that do not harm your pond and help eliminate blanket weed (you will still have to pick the old stuff out). Another way to reduce blanket weed is to install a magnet.  No one is entirely sure why this works. For best results, the pH of the pond should be between 7.0 and 7.2.

The edging material you choose for your pond should be in harmony with the pond itself. An informal shaped pond in a natural setting surrounded by square pavers results in a conflicting effect.
Instead, select irregular cut stone, river rock 10cm to 15Cm in diameter or larger irregular stones and/or boulders. In short, use materials that appear in nature itself. You could even have a natural landscaped border of grass, wildflowers or moisture-loving plants around your pond.

For formal pools choose man-made materials, for example symmetrical pavers, tiles, cut concrete blocks, etc.

No matter what materials you decide to use, the main objective is to make sure that the pond liner; pre-formed pond or concrete is not visible above the water line. To accomplish this, either blend the border into the edges of the pond or when using pavers, overhang them over the edge of the pond.