Our pump is about 6" off the bottom of the 3 x 6 deep well (Old spetic
tank). The pump is in a 5 gal bucket with as many 1/2" holes as i
could drill. That way water and muck go easily in but stuff that
would clog the pump does not; The heavy and big stuff does collect
down there. I pull it annually with a pool net. The water is there
so that the fish would have a bit to sit in if somehow the pump
drained the pond.

Jim