PDA

View Full Version : Intex Pools



badflash
05-30-2010, 07:36 PM
This weekend you can get 8' intex pools for $25 at Big Lots and other discounters. These are not supplied with the cheap junk pumps, so it is just the pool. You can add a decent pump on your oun $. It looks like they are plumbed for pumps. I bought 4 for my project. Hard to go wrong.
This is http://www.intexcorp.com/easy8x30.htm model 56970/E

Ravnis
06-10-2010, 09:13 AM
a word of caution on the intex pools with the floating ring. I had set one up with the intention of using it as a tank for a greenwater experiment. All was going well till a hose came off. I came home to a fully emptied pool and 40 ~1lb tilapia dead and drying out in the bottom. Those kind of pools rise when filled and lower when empty. Extra precautions need to be added when using them.

catfish
07-20-2010, 09:07 AM
This weekend you can get 8' intex pools for $25 at Big Lots and other discounters. These are not supplied with the cheap junk pumps, so it is just the pool. You can add a decent pump on your oun $. It looks like they are plumbed for pumps. I bought 4 for my project. Hard to go wrong.
This is http://www.intexcorp.com/easy8x30.htm model 56970/E


So are the pumps that come with the intex pools not work using for anything like this? I ask as I have one left over from an older pool.

If not can you make a recomendation as to what pump to use and where to get one?

Whate are you using with your intex pool setup?

Thanks

badflash
07-20-2010, 09:24 AM
I don't know if they will work or not. I do have a spare I will try first and see if it has the head. Barring that I would use a small pool pump like I do for my basement system.

I've been eyeing the CWPPA-1/6 & PAQO-9000 at
http://www.jehmco.com/html/water_pumps_ ... heads.html (http://www.jehmco.com/html/water_pumps___powerheads.html)

catfish
07-20-2010, 09:42 AM
I don't know if they will work or not. I do have a spare I will try first and see if it has the head. Barring that I would use a small pool pump like I do for my basement system.

I've been eyeing the CWPPA-1/6 & PAQO-9000 at
http://www.jehmco.com/html/water_pumps_ ... heads.html (http://www.jehmco.com/html/water_pumps___powerheads.html)


Ok not to sound to stupid here, but could you try to explain to me the differences in the types of pumps that are listed on that page, and why I would want to choose one over the other one.

What does each one do and where would they be placed in the system?

Could these be used with an aquarium or stock tank setup?

Thanks

badflash
07-20-2010, 09:56 AM
In a system like I am building, these would go between the pool and the beds. The beds are higher than the pool so the water can gravity drain back. The pump needs to be able to lift the water to the top of the grow bed at a flow rate high enough for the fish.

I am shooting for 25 GPM in an 800 gallon system. This will give me 2 turn overs of the water volume every hour. I probably won't use the return on the pool as it isn't large enough to handle 25 gpm.

The CWPPA-1/6 looks to be better built. The PAQO-9000 looks to be made of plastic. The CWPPA-1/6 will need to be covered as it is metal. Once the greenhouse is up, that won't matter.

catfish
07-20-2010, 10:09 AM
In a system like I am building, these would go between the pool and the beds. The beds are higher than the pool so the water can gravity drain back. The pump needs to be able to lift the water to the top of the grow bed at a flow rate high enough for the fish.

I am shooting for 25 GPM in an 800 gallon system. This will give me 2 turn overs of the water volume every hour. I probably won't use the return on the pool as it isn't large enough to handle 25 gpm.

The CWPPA-1/6 looks to be better built. The PAQO-9000 looks to be made of plastic. The CWPPA-1/6 will need to be covered as it is metal. Once the greenhouse is up, that won't matter.


Would I need one of these types of pumps if I am just planning on using filtration and air. I do not want to mess with grow beds.

Are there pros and cons to having grow beds?

badflash
07-20-2010, 01:39 PM
I do not want to mess with grow beds.

Are there pros and cons to having grow beds?

Space is the only CON to grow beds. You get free food from them and it cleans the water and provides bio filtration. If you don't use plants to remove the nitrates and phosphates you have to do large water changes to keep the fish healthy. That means at least 30% of your water gets dumped each week.

catfish
07-20-2010, 02:34 PM
I do not want to mess with grow beds.

Are there pros and cons to having grow beds?

Space is the only CON to grow beds. You get free food from them and it cleans the water and provides bio filtration. If you don't use plants to remove the nitrates and phosphates you have to do large water changes to keep the fish healthy. That means at least 30% of your water gets dumped each week.



This may be a silly question but what do the grow beds do that bio filters can not?

Plus don't the grow beds tend to smell?

badflash
07-20-2010, 03:18 PM
Grow beds don't smell. They are gardens. Grow beds with living plants remove nitrates and phosphates. This makes it so you don't need to do water changed. Just add water to make up for evaporation. Bio filters only convert the ammonia to nitrate. The biproducts must be removed or the fish will die.

catfish
07-21-2010, 10:43 AM
Would there be any other opitons besides grow beds?

Do you have to have a certain number of grow beds for the amount of water or could you just pump all to one smaller bed?

Would I biofilter with plants in it like help remove the nitrates?

Just wondering.

thanks

keith_r
07-21-2010, 11:10 AM
sounds like you're looking for straight aquaculture.. have you looked at RAS?
aquaponics is the purposeful use of growbeds to provide the filtration necessary to keep your fish happy and growing.
a good starting point with aquaponics is 1gal of growbed to 1gal of fishtank (from what i have found the "ideal" ration is 2gal growbed to 1gal fishtank

you base how much fish you raise on the amount of growbed (filtration), 100 gallons of growbed can support 25lbs (grow out size) of fish

my small system is 1:1 (110 gal ft, 110 gal gb) getting nice production on veggies after adding 30 perch, it started with 15 bluegill and 2 dozen crays - i've since added 3 dozen crays and put them all in 1 tank, i was experimenting with duckweed (after i gave up on it it started growing like crazy) with a couple crays and a couple in each of my flood tanks - i based my system on travis hughey's "Barrelponics" manual, complete instructions to make a system using 1 barrel for the fishtank, 1 barrel for growbeds, and 1 barrel for the flood tank

catfish
07-21-2010, 11:23 AM
That may be more of what I am wanting to do then.

Do you have any pictures of your system?

How long have you been working with yours and do you have to change wanter much?

Basil1
08-09-2011, 06:06 AM
Used that exact pool as a tropical pond on my patio for a while. Made my own filter for it, just plugged the built in filter holes. Worked great unless you have large fish with teeth that like to taste everything(school of pacu) or long spines(2 foot hybrid catfish). At that point you too can possibly come home to a flood and dead fish. Other than that it worked very well, allowing my monsters to grow and swim.

bsfman
09-13-2011, 05:45 AM
[quote="badflash"]In a system like I am building, these would go between the pool and the beds. quote]

I have one of these that came with my 8' Intex pool. With the pool, the pump runs externally. Do you know if this pump can be used as a submersible?

urbanfarmer
09-13-2011, 06:47 AM
I have one of these that came with my 8' Intex pool. With the pool, the pump runs externally. Do you know if this pump can be used as a submersible?

I REALLY doubt it. Examine the pump. You should see evidence of the air cooling mechanisms in place or any exposed wiring. If so, that's a clear NO!

bsfman
09-13-2011, 07:32 AM
I have one of these that came with my 8' Intex pool. With the pool, the pump runs externally. Do you know if this pump can be used as a submersible?

I REALLY doubt it. Examine the pump. You should see evidence of the air cooling mechanisms in place or any exposed wiring. If so, that's a clear NO!

I did that and that was why I asked about it. There is no exposed wiring or air vent in evidence. There are two small deep holes in the base that look they might be used for screws or rivets to hold the back plate on it but nowhere in the literature can I find a caution against using it IN the water. Better to be safe than sorry though. I think I'll plumb it externally in my soon-to-be-revamped system.

Bioritize
09-15-2011, 09:00 AM
I just got a job to build a small 300 gallon system for education purposes for this company I teach for.

If I go with the 8 x 30 intex pool, what would you guys use for the Grow Beds? How many would I need and what size pump should I use? This is a bit larger than they would like but for that price why not. $50 bucks for 639 gallons seems like a good deal.

I was thinking of using 3 - 4 of the 50 gallon rubbermaid stock tanks for the growbeds and possibly adding a vortex and bio filter to increase our fish capacity.

This pool does not take up much more room than a 300 gallon tank, I guess I could go with an IBC but I think this pool would be better.

Thanks ahead of time guys,

urbanfarmer
09-15-2011, 09:23 AM
I have one of these that came with my 8' Intex pool. With the pool, the pump runs externally. Do you know if this pump can be used as a submersible?

I REALLY doubt it. Examine the pump. You should see evidence of the air cooling mechanisms in place or any exposed wiring. If so, that's a clear NO!

I did that and that was why I asked about it. There is no exposed wiring or air vent in evidence. There are two small deep holes in the base that look they might be used for screws or rivets to hold the back plate on it but nowhere in the literature can I find a caution against using it IN the water. Better to be safe than sorry though. I think I'll plumb it externally in my soon-to-be-revamped system.
Try looking up the model number or serial number if you can find one. That should come right up.

bsfman
09-15-2011, 04:03 PM
Try looking up the model number or serial number if you can find one. That should come right up.

I just installed it externally. Workin' like a champ! The hardest part was coming up with fittings to match the inlet and outlet on the pump and the drain on the fish tank. I sure wish they made pumps that would accept standard PVC fittings. I get sick of buying weird sized, expensive vinyl tubing and hose clamps just so I can step the outlets up or down into standard plumbing.

urbanfarmer
09-15-2011, 04:11 PM
Try looking up the model number or serial number if you can find one. That should come right up.

I just installed it externally. Workin' like a champ! The hardest part was coming up with fittings to match the inlet and outlet on the pump and the drain on the fish tank. I sure wish they made pumps that would accept standard PVC fittings. I get sick of buying weird sized, expensive vinyl tubing and hose clamps just so I can step the outlets up or down into standard plumbing.
I only buy pumps that accept standard PVC fittings! :-)

bsfman
09-15-2011, 05:35 PM
I only buy pumps that accept standard PVC fittings! :-)


Yeah, but this one came free with my 650 gallon Intex pool - less than 50 bucks for both! I HAD to use it! :D

urbanfarmer
09-15-2011, 06:06 PM
I only buy pumps that accept standard PVC fittings! :-)


Yeah, but this one came free with my 650 gallon Intex pool - less than 50 bucks for both! I HAD to use it! :D
Can't beat that :lol: