Its hard to tell from those photos but the 4in. suction hose goes down the bank about 20 ft. to the creek. There are some large rocks on the bottom of the creek bed that I try and lay the hose on to minimize solids from getting sucked up. Pointing the hose down stream helps also. I had to quit using the strainer on the end of the suction hose because it kept getting clogged with dead leaves floating down the creek. One thing you probably thought of is there is definately a greater than zero chance that a fish and or eggs will go through your pump and survive. This will obviously affect your pond biology. It has mine.
I added that larger tank (about 12 gal.) and have never had any problems. You just have to make sure it is secured well and also mounted above the carburator on the motor. You still will have to deal with adding fuel, that is where AC/DC comes in to play. My pump is about 1/4 mile from my house and I am always wondering if everything is ok while it is running. With an electric set up, I would think that there would be less to deal with and worry about.
Good luck,
Eddie
