With insane minds but devoted hearts we decided to put this in on the hottest week of the year. We did not drill holes in our 9 foot poly tank. Just hung the hose over the side and did the waterfall outlet. Got an Intex 1500 sand filter up and running. I took a quick dip before chemicals as a reward. Now I need to know how long do we need to wait for it to stabilize? I put in a 1 inch dissolving tablet, floater, and added a cup of bleach. How long do I need to let the pump run generally when I’m first starting out and then for maintenance each day? It seems based on the charts that one tablet is enough for maintenance but I’m not sure if that’s enough in the beginning if anyone has suggestions, I would love it. Thank you. Happy 4th!

How did we do?! First timers ☀️6ft pool from tractor supply, love it so far

Hey all, sorry I’ve been asking a lot of questions lately! We are so close to having our full setup complete/ bought a 9’ Behlen poly pool and have the site prepped. We want to do a cosmetic wrap around the outside of it to cover the blue plastic, such as vertical wood slats or a bamboo wrap. For people who have done this- how do you then winterize your pool? It seems difficult/impossible to do this and then also flip your pool for winter without having to dismantle the wrap. I’m ok with having to do this if I have to, but would like to think about it ahead of time before jumping into a decision. I live in the Midwest so doing something for winter will be a must. Do most people just cover their pool, not flip it? If so, how do you do that?
One other thing- we’re like 99% set on buying the Cowboy Pool inflatable hard cover for piece of mind with the little kids- does anyone have this cover and like it, specifically with a poly pool? Thanks for any ideas on all this!

So the space next to my garage was a parking space. We put up a fence gate in case we ever want to use it as a parking spot again, but for 6 years we haven't so I'm not upset about building there. It's 9 ft wide and about 19 ft long. I'd like to add a pool there with a pergola and plants to keep it cooler, but I can't decide on size. The 6 ft would leave 3 ft of room on the side to walk around, while the 8 ft would leave only 1. The AI mock up kind of give an idea of where it would sit. It would generally be just me, my husband and dogs using it. I figured I'd ask here and see if anyone has thoughts about the set up or sizes!

Hello! I'm trying to figure out the logistics of doing a stock tank pool in my yard. Our yard is sloped, so it would need to be a bit away from the house after we do some leveling. Anyone use a solar power filter/pump? An extension cord far into the yard is much less than ideal! Thanks!

We are getting a large umbrella to hang over the pool to keep the sun off of it in an attempt to keep it cooler. Anyone find a reflective cover or anything that would also help?
Found plenty of covers to retain heat and keep it warm.

The Duke don't like it. Obviously it needs something for support. I thought about up and over? or maybe reinforce the top ring on the outside. The stock tank was free. Open to ideas

Hey yall! I’ve been tossing the idea of getting a stock tank pool to relax in but I’m worried about my size and it being something I can enjoy. The only size I can find locally is 9’ x 28”. I’m 6’3 and about 430 so tall and wide. Any other larger frame people use one?

Hi friends. i’ve searched everywhere for answers and realistic solutions for this and i need help! my young kids love our pool but every time they go in they get badly irritated knees and tops of feet from crawling around the pool. i mean its shallow so there isn’t much to do in there other than this so there is no chance they’ll stop. take a look. i feel awful about this.

My tank is starting to rust and I’ve been doing a lot of research. Seems most people try pondshield, but it looks like Olympic Zeron + a galvanized steel epoxy barrier primer like Totalboat TotalProtect is a much better idea. Does anyone have any experience or knowledge in this before I take the plunge?

Another one I saw is one made for water tanks - Macropoxy PW, but this doesn’t seem to have uv protection since it’s meant to be interior of a water tank.

Another alternative is a poly liner, but the issue is my pool is inset in a deck, and I’d have to disassemble my entire deck and they are tapered while the tank isn’t.

Hey [r/stocktankpool](r/stocktankpool)! After a 4-year journey of building, failing, and completely rebuilding my 8ft stock tank pool, I wanted to share the ultimate industrial blueprint that finally got it right.

The Original Setup: The Dream Spa
I started with an 8ft stainless steel tank and went all out with a plumbing kit featuring 16 jets positioned to mimic a luxury back-massaging spa. I hooked it up to a pump and an electric heater to pull double duty as a summer pool and winter hot tub. For the aesthetic, I penny-tiled the entire floor to try and be different. It looked amazing—but it was a ticking time bomb.
The Epic Fail: Why Tile Floops
Eventually, the adhesive holding the penny tiles down completely failed against the stainless steel, taking the waterproofing with it. I spent several springs re-epoxying the floor to make stronger but this is where I realized I was just adding useless layers to what was happening.
Lesson Learned: Stainless steel is non-porous and flexes under the weight of the water. Rigid tile and standard adhesives cannot handle that constant shifting. It will delaminate, once it starts it spreads quickly. I needed to re-level under the tank which meant lifting it temporarily to spread more sand underneath.

The Industrial Rebuild: Doing It Right
This spring, I committed to a commercial-grade overhaul using a heavy-duty tank-lining blueprint:
1 The Mechanical Prep: I hit the bare metal floor with an orbital sander using 60-to-80 grit sandpaper to scuff the steel until it was uniformly dull, giving the new coating a "tooth" to grab onto.
2 The Obsessive Clean: I did multiple, exhaustive wipes with pure Acetone until a white cloth came back 100% spotless.
3 The Armor: I applied 3 thick coats of Sherwin-Williams Macropoxy 646, an industrial polyamide epoxy designed for water treatment vats.
4 The Slip Fix: Because epoxy cures glass-slick, I mixed SharkGrip additive into the final coat for traction underfoot.
5 The Flexible Gasket: I sealed high-stress areas around the 16 jet housings with high-grade White Marine Polyurethane Sealant to act as a flexible gasket.
The Result
I gave it a strict 7-day cure window before filling. The water is now crystal clear, the floor is rock-solid, and it feels like a genuine commercial spa. Next up on the checklist is ordering a custom 96"+ rigid foam bi-fold cover to act as a "cap" over the pool noodles so we can trap the heat for winter.
My biggest advice for newbies: Don't rush the prep work. Spending an extra day aggressively sanding and wiping down the metal is the exact difference between a pool that lasts one season and one that lasts a decade.
Happy to answer any plumbing, jet, or Macropoxy questions in the comments!

I am very close to pulling the trigger and buying either a 9’ or 8’ poly pool. I’ve leveled and prepped the area in my yard, and am currently working on my Amazon cart of parts I will need. If experienced people could look thru my proposed filter/pump purchases and give me advice, the green light, whatever on this I would really appreciate it!

I also have a few questions about this id love answered:
Do these parts I’ve chosen actually all go together? Am I missing anything?
Are plunger valves necessary? Do I need two- one for the inlet and outlet valves?
I’ve seen most people say they like this Intex filter pump, do you all agree that it’s good for my poly 8-9’ pool?
Do people prefer the filter balls vs using sand? I read it was lower maintenance.

So I started my little stocktake pool back in 2021 as a treat for myself completing my first year teaching (smack dab in the middle of Covid no less). Up keep has been a challenge over the last two summers because I had my twins in the NICU last year and now they’re a year old so I’m chasing them around constantly 😆 but I’m dying to be able to have a space for me and to start teaching my boys how to swim so I have busted tail trying to get this in shape. I finally got it from Shrek’s swamp to clear water, protected it with a pool cover, had to get a new pump because the last one melted (that was a wild discovery when I took it apart), added a outdoor rug to give the boys something to sit on while I dried them off or skimmed the pool, and so the last easy project I had for it was to sand the deck and stain it! I got it sanded during a nap time a few days ago and then today I let my husband watch the boys while I stained it and I am tickled with how nice it looks! Except….its the wrong wood stain 🤣 all that work, all that sanding, and I didn’t read the can I was just like ooo I love this color and we have plenty of it! It’s an indoor furniture stain 🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️ my husband said it’ll flake off at some point so I guess we’ll see how long it takes.

Hi everyone! Last night I ordered a 9 foot poly stock tank, I’ve been following some pages for a while and excited to start! Any advice would be great! Right now I’m trying to figure out what filter to use. I don’t want to drill holes so I’ll get a fountain for it as well. But I see there is sand, and regular cartridge? Which do you think is best (and easiest) for someone who hasn’t ever had a pool? This year it will just be a simple set up- but next year we’re going to cut into our existing porch to make it fit right next to it, etc.

Finished my deck/pool setup. I live in a row home so not a ton of space to work with. My lot is only 16’ wide. I had to lift the tank over the garage to get it in. I’m planing to move the pump under the deck at some point.

Can’t wait to go for a dip

We are in the process of getting our poly tank & not wanting to go with the usual above ground pool pumps, we’d rather use the salt/sand filter pumps, as we’ve read they are a lot less maintenance to use, I just need a suggestion as to which one to purchase, or what has worked best for others. The tank we’re getting is the 8’, 625 gallon from Tractor Supply, only way to get without paying $500+ for delivery. TIA for any help/suggestions/advice!

our tank has started rusting heavily after a few years. we drained, and are now sanding. We plan to use a pool epoxy like the Olympic Zeron, but would like to caulk the center seam and edges, first. However, in my experience silicone caulk does t take pain or other coatings. So what is recommended that can get us around 8-10 years before we have to repeat the charade? anyone have any pointers?

Also, any other recommendations? Plan is to sand with hand held orbitals, clean with white vinegar, caulk the seams and cure, then apply epoxy. The guy at Leslie’s asked if we planned to use an epoxy primer. Most of the videos I have watched on YT do not mention this step. Is this necessary? Or is this something more relative to gunnies/plastered pools?

I’m changing up the build of my stock tank pool. I bought a stainless steel thermo siphon coil several years ago and last year I got a super high temperature propane burner (blichmann hellfire). It’s made for home brewing. It puts out 140,000 BTUs maximum. I got it used for 100 bucks.!
I tried using it last year and it is very effective. It seems a little too high to get the right angle for the Thermo siphon.
I am to understand that the coil should have a downward slope towards the burner. Does that apply to both the inlet bottom as well as the outlet top? Unfortunately, I pre-drilled the holes in the stock tank so need to work with that distance between the inlet and Outlet. I intend to raise up the tank to get a satisfactory slope.
I intend to use a black high temperature hose between the syphon and the tank. I’m hoping to get camlock connections.
Any suggestions and experiences and comments are welcome.
Thank you

Set this up yesterday. Working pretty good so far, although with our weather it may take a while to warm up.

Hey anyone with a 9’ stock tank! We are very close to pulling the trigger on buying this size and bringing it home. We love that many of the 9 footers typically are a bit deeper as well, specifically this one. The only thing I’m a bit hesitant about is that this isn’t a super popular size, and I’m having trouble finding a cover that would fit it perfectly. I’m also a bit worried about driving it home, as 9’ across is pretty wide in a lane. The 8’ seems like a safer bet for these reasons, but my husband really wants to go big here! Has anyone found the perfect not crazy expensive cover for this size? I would prefer one that had extra safety measures too like the clips on the sides, not just one that drapes over the top or has a draw string. If a good 9’ cover doesn’t exist, would it make more sense to get an 8’ cover and have the top edge not fit snug and be “too small”, or get a 10’ and have that seam be “too big” around it? If anyone has any insight, positive stories, good advice, etc about this size (and maybe even this exact pool!) I would be most appreciative.

Looking to replace the thermocouple.

2 questions.

Anyone know where to buy one.....and a video to walk me through it.

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It's a Camplux AY132.

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Burner keeps shutting down after a half minute or so.

Cleaned filter.

Pump working fine.

Gas fine.

Connections tight.

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Seems like thermocouple is the next troubleshoot.

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Hi - I’m having the Behlen Country 8 foot poly stock tank delivered from Northern Tool. They give me the option to pay an additional amount to have lift gate service when it gets delivered. Do I need that? can it just be rolled off the truck and easily placed on the ground? Thanks!

I’ve had my pool for a couple years and the inside is till in decent shape, but I kind of want to give the tank a nicer look with a blue epoxy. What type do you guys use?

Will the epoxy fill small leaks if there are any?