Following up on this string. I have two 1 acre ponds, one I can treat chemically and keep algae free, the other I am going to mechanically remove. I have used a 30 gallon barrel without lid weighted to bottom with cement blocks (2) and a rope to the top rim. Secured the barrel off my dock so it is approx 1.5" below surface of water and run a large trash pump suction out of barrel w/o strainer to suck off surface algae and pump it away from pond to haul away with loader tractor.