It was probably me posting about trash pumps. I've drained and refilled my forage pond dozens of times, and I've got a pretty good feel for what works and what doesn't with the pumps. 24-30 hours to drain, and another 24-30 hours to refill, does test a pump. Full trash pumps are made to pass bigger objects, not smaller, so that doesn't help much either.
If you decide to try a pump, here's a few thoughts. Make absolutely sure that replacement pump housings are available. I buy Northern Tool NorthStar semi-trash pumps with the Honda engine, and the 8 hour fuel tank. N Tool sells the complete housings, and after doing a few, it doesn't take that long to do the replacement. I keep one dedicated 20' hose to connect to the pump, that I know doesn't leak air at the pump inlet fitting. Overlooking this, and assuming there's a pump problem, will open up a whole new colorful world of cuss words when you figure out the time you wasted trying to fix the pump. Pump inlet hoses are extremely rigid, and it makes them difficult to move on the bottom of the pond. Also, most pumps require 80-90% clean water to work their best. Following that would mean it would take eons to de-muck a pond, and keep those numbers in play. Finally, if you're going to really work that pump hard, and don't give it a mani/pedi after each usage, then bite the bullet and buy the warranty. If I drain and refill the pond 3 times in one year, I change the oil 3 times, and have had very few issues by doing that.
