Many people actually put a screen just below the surface of the water. The screen would need to be cut to fit inside the basin. Then when they want to clean the debris out, they simply lift the screen out of the fountain. You can't even see the screen and it keeps the debris from getting in your pump. There are some cleaning products out there to keep algae and white scale build up at bay as well. NOTE some are safe for animals and some are NOT. Pay careful attention. Here are some of the cleaning products we like the most: http://www.serenityhealth.com/water-fountain-cleaning.html
Hope this helps :)

Can you tell me what you mean by screen?

LOL Cleaning for mold/mildew/mosquito larvae not sticks etc. Depending on where your fountain is they tend to grow nasties that are unattractive and harmful to birds...plus if your water feature isn't moving i.e. bird baths, they can become breeding grounds for insects. Organic materials break down and feed the nasties...I dump bleach in mine every so often..it evaporates off quickly but kills the algae.

Check where th holes are in the bassin and put a piece of screen over the sucking hole so the debris dont go to the pump ,hold the screen whit a big tie wrapp.