QT -- HOW DOES THIS INFLATABLE POOL STAND UP?

[Mmathis]

I recall that several of you have said you have this pool [or one similar, maybe different size] that you use for a QT. This one holds 600+ gallons.
http://www.amazon.com/Intex-Inflatable-Above-Ground-Swimming/dp/B0009PU0UQ/ref=pd_sbs_t_4

My questions are, how sturdy is the material [puncture resistance]?

How well does the inflatable ring hold up [again, against punctures & deflating]?

Do you use it indoors or outdoors?

Do you use it year round?


This one was on sale. I'm just not ready to commit to a permanent QT build yet. But in the mean time, want something sturdy and large enough that I can easily relocate if necessary, for outdoor use. Currently using a plastic kiddie pool....

 

[koiguy1969]

the pool is constructed like an upsidedown funnel.(base is bigger than top) outward pressure keeps it up. and the ring helps. but it keeps the top above water line while filling. if the ring is deflated the pool will still hold the water as long as the top isnt pushed down.
my neighbor had one of these pools 18' x 48" for 5 years atleast... i had the 15' pvc frame pool. mine was still fine when i put the pond in. his was still fine when he had a 15' x 35' inground pool installed.

 

[Dave 54]

Personally I wouldnt want to use one of these for the job of QTing fish , though they seem to last has anyone looked into the efects of salt water or chemicals on the materials used to make these pools.?
The last thing you want is for it to burst at a seam if your QTing fish in one
One of the things many people turn too when wanting a large QT fasility are these large tanks you find on farms that are held in a large metal cage , after ensuring that any chemical residue has been negated
With a little modification here and there for valves etc they do make a good QT set up .

Dave

 

[Catfishnut]

Dave,

You are speaking of IBCs, Intermediate Bulk Containers. They DO work very well! Since they have the metal frame or cage around the poly container, the sides of the container won't bow outwards even if you cut the top of the tank completely open. My neighbor at the cabin has one which he uses for fish bait (minnows and such) and it is really nice.

Gordy

 

[Mmathis]

Anyone else with comments, input?

 

[Dave 54]

Dave,

You are speaking of IBCs, Intermediate Bulk Containers. They DO work very well! Since they have the metal frame or cage around the poly container, the sides of the container won't bow outwards even if you cut the top of the tank completely open. My neighbor at the cabin has one which he uses for fish bait (minnows and such) and it is really nice.

Gordy

Gordy the one thing I found was best to do ith this type of tank was to paint the inside with black pond paint , we noticed it used to wash out the colour of the koi otherwise.
They did recover their colour once in their new home but it was slightly off putting

Dave

 

[koiguy1969]

DAVE... i',ve been using pvc pools for years... intex makes all their pools out of pvc ...you can buy pvc pond liners...i have one.. salt and pond chems have no effect on them...pvc like hdpe is pretty much chemically inert. theyre fish safe. the pools stand up to salt water / chlorine generating filtration systems.
Mmanthis...they work fine.

 

[Mucky_Waters]

I agree with Koiguy that the PVC liner stands up to chemicals very well, after all chlorine is pretty corrosive and they are make to contain chlorinated water, but I disagree about the pools holding water if the inflatable ring deflates. I can attest to that because we had several different sizes of those ponds before for my kids to swim in when they were smaller. I once lost all the water out of one when the air valve opened up somehow, and once I lost a portion of the water when the air pressure just got low enough that it started to leak (spill) over the side. Fortunately when the rings deflate and water spills over the top it happens fairly slowly, so it's not like you have this huge wave of water taking out everything in it's path, but predicting where all that water might end up is something you want to think about when setting one up.
I have seen similar pools that have a floating ring like those except instead of using air in the rings they insert tubular foam noodles from open slits on the ring that open to the outside. These seem like a much safer option then using air pressure to keep the ring afloat. I was always afraid that a cat would jump up on the inflated ring and sink his claws in, or possible even a hawk or owl would land on the rim
There are other pools that use plastic pipes to hold the pool structure together too, but they cost a bit more.

 

[koiguy1969]

had the ring top ones too. of course i never had one go flat. but they can lose alot of air before its any kind of issue. seen my neighbors go pretty totally flat and sit for a couple days before he refilled the air in the ring..i was fine as long as nobody messed with it. with no kids climbing over the top ring, its doesnt seem to be an issue.
i had the 15' round 3' deep frame pool for 7 to 8 years. never even took it down for winter. dump 5or 6 gallons of chlorine in and covered it. michigan winter... very strong chlorine solution. the pool was still in decent shape when i got rid of it for the pond. exact same materials.
JUST A LAST NOTE... the koi show portable display ponds (soft side) not tanks are the same material.

 

[Mucky_Waters]

I's true that they can loose a lot of air before the water starts to spill over the top, especially if they are set up dead level, but once the water gets starts to spill over a spot the weight of the water pushes the ring down even more and creates a little channel for the water flow even faster. On uneven ground it can be hard to set them up dead level too.
I caught it starting to flow over the top the once when the pressure got too low in the ring. I think that was a combination of filling the inflatable ring with air on a hot low pressure day and having a high pressure system move in and the temperature drop, also the pond was admittedly not perfectly level. On the other occasion when the air valve had somehow opened up, the pool was empty before I noticed it. I just woke up one morning and looked out the window and the pool wasn't there anymore. It was a 18 ft pool and I lost pretty much all 5,455 gallons. I was surprised (and happy) it didn't do more damage then it did. I still don't understand why the air valve had opened up??? Perhaps I just forgot to close it properly? :dunno:

 

[koiguy1969]

i'd bet.no kids climbing in and out and flopping over the ring makes all the difference. it takes less than a minute to fill the ring from totally flat.if you have to add alittle air ocassionally, is that really alot of work?
and like i said, 6 years of using pvc intex pools for fry hatcheries and fry ponds i havent had any issues yet. they are safe!! hatched out 1000s, and raised 100s of fry in them.

 

[Mucky_Waters]

they are safe!! hatched out 1000s, and raised 100s of fry in them.

Turtle Mommy, it sounds like you have Koiguy's personal guarantee on the safety of those things. At least you know who to turn to when things go wrong. he he he

As for me, I would be a little hesitant about setting one up in my house, especially if I had cats around. :nono: http://www.troublefreepool.com/trouble-keeping-intex-easy-set-ring-inflated-t13011.html

 

[koiguy1969]

i wasnt gonna watch them so i just picked one.... intex pool quarentine tank

 

[Mmathis]

That thing is pretty big......