All About My Stock Tank Pool

It’s no surprise that Florida earns the #1 spot in the US for the highest number of residential swimming pools per capita, averaging 14 people per pool while California comes in at #2, averaging 29 people per pool.

As a born & raised Floridian, every one of my childhood summers involved swimming pools; from the community pool where I learned to swim, to a friend’s in-ground pool with water slide, to the local beach resort pool where I ordered Shirley Temples on the weekends. I was a water baby and swimming pools are in some of my fondest memories, I wanted the same for my daughters.

With Florida holding the top spot for most residential pools, almost all of our family, friends & neighbors have pools that we get to enjoy, but being able to send the girls out back to swim is a different story. With the astronomical cost to build and delayed timelines, a stock tank pool was the perfect solution.

I was super close to DIYing one when I discovered a new company near me called Gypsy Pools – the premier Florida stock tank pool company. I got in touch with the owner, Samra, and few weeks later our pool was delivered, installed & we were swimming the same day.

Is it the same as an in-ground pool? Of course not. I’m aware this is a glorified farm animal watering trough, but for the price, convenience & versatility, it provides all our family needs for splashing & relaxing this summer, plus it’s simple to maintain and stylish thanks to the custom paint job.

Answers to the questions I received on Instagram about MY stock tank pool

How big is it?
My stock tank pool is 9′ in diameter and I’d say it’s ideal for 4-6 people, but it depends on the type of activity. It will fit all 5 of us, although it’s usually either all three girls in there splashing & playing around or just me and Sam relaxing on our floats.

How deep is it?
Metal stock tank pools are usually 2′ deep. You can’t dive or jump in, but it’s the perfect height for my kids. While the risk of drowning is possible in any amount of water, the shallow depth allows me to keep eyes on my kids at all time.

Does it get hot?
It’s been in the 90s here lately and the stock tank water temperature has remained in the mid to high 70s. When the tank is filled, the water helps regulate the temperature of the water and tank itself. We do have a very large 11′ offset umbrella which pivots to create shade, thus adjusting the temperature slightly.

Is there a pump?
Yes, the pool package I got comes with an Intex 16″ Krystal Clear Sand Pump for above ground pools. Although it’s a sand pump, we don’t use sand as the filter media. Samra introduced me to these innovative filter balls which are reusable so they are eco-friendly & they replace the need for dealing with messy & heavy sand. For every 100 pounds of sand, you only need 1 pound of filter balls. Your pump doesn’t have to work as hard and you backwash less often. Win win.

What chemicals do you use to sanitize the water?
Hydrogen peroxide! Yes, you read that right. No chlorine is used in my pool. Although chlorine is the industry standard when it comes to pool sanitizers, more people are opting for alternatives. H202 is safe for people who suffer from asthma, skin sensitivities and allergies to chlorine. It’s a strong oxidizer and controls bacteria and prevents algae growth, but not at the 3% you find in brown bottles at the store. It’s stored in those dark bottles to protect it from a chemical reaction.

Using 35% food grade H202 (which will cause a chemical burn so use gloves when handling) and ultraviolet light from the sun in your pool produces reactive oxygen radicals that oxidize and disinfect.

It’s important to filter your water before the initial fill to remove chlorine, calcium and other hard water minerals.

I will have a blog post coming with more details as I consult pool professionals and my dad, a retired chemist, but in the meantime, I found this post about H202 very helpful, as well as this one from Bulk Peroxide.

Do you need to keep it covered?
That’s a personal choice, but something I learned when maintaining my Softub hot tub at our vacation rental is to never cover your pool or hot tub after immediately after adding pool chemicals.

How do you clean it?
The pool pump/filter, a handheld skimmer and pool vacuum will help keep your pool clean, but to make life even simpler, I may eventually upgrade to a robotic pool vacuum (think underwater roomba) and this ultra fine mesh pool net which filters sand and fine sediment.

Two other things we have that prevent dirty water from occurring is an outdoor shower to rinse off before entering the pool and a Scumbug that floats on the surface to absorb body oils, scum & grime.

How much did it cost?

Gypsy Pools includes pricing on their website, but this is subject to change. If you add up the cost for all the supplies that are included (listed at the bottom of this post), as well as delivery & installation, it’s a really great deal – AND – for my Florida friends who want a stock tank pool of your own, Gypsy Pools is offering $250 off for the first 5 people who put down their security deposit.

How do you paint the exterior?
I’ve already said it, but please do not even think about painting the inside, no sealers, nothing. As for the exterior, my paint job was an add-on feature from Gypsy Pools so that was an amazing option to have!

If I were to paint it myself, I would start with a squeaky clean tank and then start with a coat of bonding primer, specifically the Rustoleum Stops Rust Universal Bonding Primer. It’s made to bond to metal and it inhibits rust so a no-brainer when it comes to a stock tank. Then, I would use either a spray paint designed to or roll-on high quality exterior paint.

Will the kids get bored?

So far, they have been in the pool every single day, multiple times a day, since we got it. Granted, it’s still new and fresh, but I never got sick of playing in the water as a kid and don’t think they will anytime soon. We found a few pool toys and even created games that are perfect for stock tank pools and hours of fun.

Will it leak?

No, it shouldn’t leak. Hastings galvanized tanks have 4-ply lock seams with contained sealant for maximum leak protection and come with a 5 year warranty, but that warranty is void once you cut a hole into the tank for your pump plumbing so I recommend filling the bottom and spraying with a hose to test for any leaks.

What about rust?

Hastings tanks are the highest quality on the market, they are made out of a galvanized steel with a protective zinc coating to prevent corrosion, but this coating will eventually wear off over time, perhaps 2-5 years with proper care. The tanks are designed to hold water, however once you introduce chemicals to sanitize and balance the water, that can speed up the process. That’s another reason why I like the idea of H202.

There are a few things you can do to minimize the risk of your tank rusting:

-Do NOT paint the inside of your tank. Ideally, you probably shouldn’t paint the exterior either, however with a high quality exterior paint, it should be fine. If you paint the outside, avoid painting the top rim which will regularly come in contact with pool water.

-Do NOT seal the inside or apply epoxy/pond shield, etc. Many have done this and learned the hard way that if/when water gets trapped underneath, it’ll only exacerbate the problem.

-Do NOT toss chlorine tabs into the pool if you choose to use chlorine as your sanitizer. Either use a floating chlorine dispenser or granulated chlorine with the pump on and cover off to circulate.

-Do NOT cover your tank immediately after adding hydrogen peroxide if you choose to use H202 as your sanitizer. The hydrogen peroxide is a strong oxidizer and needs to dilute, ideally in the sunlight, with the cover off and pump on to circulate.

If you unfortunately encounter rust, consider a poly/vinyl liner for inside of your stock tank pool. You could also do this from the start to prevent rust from occurring, as they are made to line above ground pools.