So I put in a bigger pump and a Skippy filter. The pump is a 3000GPH and
the Skippy a 100 stock tank. Of course I couldn't find that filter stuff
so I used lava rock.

Should work like a champ. How fine is your lava rock?

Anyway, you don't need fancy filter material. Look up "fluidized bed
filter" to see how simple it can get. Ordinary coarse grain silica sand,
with enough under pressure to keep the whole bit of sand turbulent.

I suspect this would require quite a pump for a pond sized filter.

I'm a fan of filters integrated right into the pond system, myself.

C//