BT, Not sure what you are meaning here. Are you using a shop vac as a skippy or just to get the water out?? In any case if you are pumping out the gunk from the bottom of the pond I wouldn't put it back into the pond under any circumstances, unless you pump it through a good mechanical filter and a mature bio filter. As you probably know when you disturb that muck it gets stirred up into fine particles and that will contribute to a cloudy pond. Let us know exactly what you are doing, what you skippy is made from and how you will connect it to your pond, what other filtration do you have and what pump you are using. This will help.

Cherokee, no, the shop vac will not be the skippy, only hoping it would give the skippy a boost by getting some off of the floor of the pond so it doesn't have to all go through the skippy. We are making a skippy out of a real sturdy Rubbermaid trash can as I've seen it made on the Internet. The filter itself will operate just like the original skippy, water pumped through bottom, up through filter material and out I to the pond. The pond is about 900 gals. I am using a 1200 gps Sunterra to pump water into the skippy. I'm using plastic scrubbies and quilt batting for filter material. Hope you get the picture. I don't know how else to describe it.

OK. Better picture now. Where is your pump located, in a skimmer, in the pond, or external? I'm just going to assume that it is in the pond (and I hope not on the bottom). When you clean the bottom use that water to put on your garden or plants. It will be wonderful for them. As I said before try not to pump the bottom water back into the pond via the skippy. Are you putting a bottom drain in the skippy for clean outs?? I think it's important to do so.

The pump is in the pond I have no skimmer and I have the pump inside a Plastic container (inside another plastic container ) and I have a Lot of scrubbies and quilt batting around it. Now I will say this they catch a tremendous amount of dirt and I clean it very often. Guess that's why I'm hoping if I can get some off the bottom with the shop vacI wouldn't have to do cleaning so doggone often. I sure this makes sense. Thanks so much for your help. I do appreciate it more than you know.

Oh also no bottom drain.

brownthumbia,
I used an old kitchen broom, to get a lot of the leaves out of the bottom of my pond.
I was amazed how well it worked. I got a ton of leaves and other stuff out of the water.
Some people have recommended using a rake also, but I have frogs and didn't want to hurt them, so the broom worked well.
It took several tries to totally clear it up pretty good, and a lot of patience, but it worked.
For what it's worth.

Butterfly, I'm so glad it worked for you but my problem is there are no leaves, or very, very few in the pond because I have emptied it twice, hosed it down GOOD, then vacuumed it thoroughly even brushed it down with a garage broom. Obviously I am getting a little tired of brownish water so I think this skippy will be the last thing I try. The next thing I hear will be a dump truck with a load of dirt to fill the hole. One thing---the fish seem extremely happy and healthy. Well good for them. Again So glad it worked for you, though.

Sucking up the muck from the bottom with the shop vac does a good job. You just have to keep moving the nozzle. Replace the water as you would with a water change. I had a shop vac like that and someone stole it.

If you are sure the muck is the problem and not stain from tannin(peat moss in potting soil?)the Skippy and quilt batting will work very well for you if it is big enough. If there is stain you need some Activated Carbon(AC or Activated charcoal).

I replace the quilt batting entirely in the spring and fall. Little or no extra cleaning needed. The scrubbies are for aerobic bacteria that helps control excess nutrients in the water. I use one complete queen size batting in a 100 gallon Skippy for 1000 gallons of water with a 2100 gallon per hour pump.We have far too many trees that litter the pond.
What you currently have just deposits most of the muck it collects right back in the pond. It is just barely a prefilter which is only good for larger debris. Way too much maintenance!!

Thanks Sleepless, we set up the skippy, seems to be working well but I think it will take a few days. One question---where do I find charcoal, how much and do you put it in the skippy with the quilt batting? Oops 3 question. Thanks so much for your input. BT

I look at hardware, plant and pet stores. It isn't too difficult to find. I use a half gallon container of AC in a perforated planting box with another box on top as a lid. I put it in the Skippy but anywhere there is a good water flow is fine. Some people use a cotton sock. There are many inventive options.

brownthumb,
I went to my local fish store and they sell charcoal pads that last 30 days each, they are rectangle, you can cut the put to whatever shape you need.
They worked great! Easy too, I just threw it right in the skippy filter.
The one pack had 2 pads for around 3.00.

Add more plants cover 60% of the waters surface with water lilies and your problem will disappear. Add more oxygen producing plants as well. It keeps my 9 ponds crystal clear and I don't run pumps or filters. More plants is the key to a great healthy pond.

Here is a link that might be useful: makemoneygardening.org