This is our second WGP 95 Little Giant as an unsupervised pup broke the line the first after years of heavy use. We liked the pump so much we replaced it with a duplicate. Our ponds have been around for about ten years now, we have used a variety of pumps including external pumps designed for swimming pumps. It is by far the best pump for typical carp ponds. To keep the inlet from clogging we took the milk crate and added a 1/4 inch wire mesh with a cut out for the pump hose and power cord. Now it is easy to disconnect the pump from the mains. Pump and use a net to remove leaves etc around the "pump cage". If we wanted a larger cage we would use one of those pump cages found in pond outlets for non-pond waterfalls, or for a cheaper DIY route we planned to use the white plastic molding available in the side walkway to screw and attach wire mesh to it , but so far the milk crate is working fine, and because it's dark it's not visible at the bottom of the pond. I highly recommend an EPDM rubber liner such as Pond Liner, 45 mil x 10' x 10' for use with this pump for a typical carp pond - be sure to order a liner large enough. If in doubt, choose the next larger size. When ordering this pump, be sure to get 1" hoses and hose clamps. If the hose connection is loose, you can attach a piece of cut rubber to the hose retainer. There are two drains so plan accordingly. We have an outlet that goes into the filter box and one that goes straight into the pond, although I'll add splash guards later.