BA wrote:

We have a 500 gallon pond with plants and WAY too many fish (2 koi and
multiple shibunkin, gold fish and cats).

I'm not a cat lover, but I'm pretty sure you really shouldn't keep them in a
pond :-)

As pond experts would have predicted, a new situation: the pump's leaf
basket gets so clogged that the outflow of the pump diminishes to

I'm not sure we'd predict it - most ponds probably don't have _that_ many
leaves, daily.

almost zero every day; now instead of cleaning the sponge filter once a
week, I need to clean the pump leaf basket every day. A mesh bag
around the intake pipe in the pond helps a bit, but then there is a lot
of crap left in the pond, and then the bag needs cleaning.

You need a surface skimmer...

and can be untended for 1-2 weeks, and occupies little space?

But with that many leaves, I'm still doubt 1-2 weeks.
--
derek