Go to Wal-Mart (or anny other store like that if you're a WM hater) and
buy a swimming pool leaf skimmer from the pool department. You can get
a skimmer with a 5 foot pole or get a skimmer "head" and a telescoping
pole if you need that much. You can dip out the perlite, leaves, even
sort of scoop at the bottom of the pond if you need to. They are quite
inexpensive, and work great. YMMV but it even scoops out lumps of
string algae that have broken loose from the sides of my little pond.
Good luck,
Herb


Unfortunately, the soil had perlite in it (miniscule balls
of styrofoam)