Aladdin no niche skimmer

I am thinking of installing one of these skimmers and am wondering if
they work well? I thought one of you may have one in your pond already.
I am going to split the intake of a 3500 gph pump between a Tetra
bottom vac and the skimmer.
I am wondering if anyone has any easy method for anchoring anachris?
This will be the one impediment to the leaves getting to the skimmer. I
currently have a giant tangle of it floating on the pond surface. I do
not think a hoop will look right and the bottom of my pond is just a
liner, no rocks. Does anachris root or is it just a floater?