After reading mixed reviews for the various commercial pond vacs, I decided to make Ron Boedeker's DIY model, here:
http://www.midcolumbiakoi.com/articl...wn-pond-vacuum
It took me an insanely, embarrassingly long time to decide exactly which parts to buy from which venders (quality, price, availability); if anyone else is interested in making this pond vac, I can send you info from my order lists (prices, part numbers, coupon codes, etc) if you pm me. Please be patient as I recently quit smoking so I never know what I'll be able to accomplish on any given day.
I placed my orders on Tuesday, so I haven't actually received most of the items yet, much less assembled the pond vac. But I wanted to post this now, while I can still find my lists, in case anyone else can make use of them.
Cheers.
Victoria