I agree with
duanes
, those foldy-floppy gizmos are pretty temporary. As in most things, you get what you pay for. When you buy a $40 chunk of lightweight plastic, and then expect it to withstand sun and weather while remaining soft and pliable for takedown and re-assembly, you're going to be disappointed sooner than later. Indoors in your garage, it's partially protected, but it' still a flimsy short-lived product although it will probably last longer in that setting.
There's another factor at play here, IMHO. Anyone old enough to remember drinking out of the hose while playing outside, also remembers that the very first mouthful of water that was sitting in the hose for awhile...will absolutely be the last time you do that! Gotta run the water long enough to flush out the hose with fresh clean water. The plasticizers used in the manufacture of the hose...or kiddie pool...leach out into the water, they dont taste good, and they can't be good for you.
Many of the ultra-cautious rock-boiling school of aquarium keeping have claimed that these plasticizers are harmful. I don't know but I don't want them in the water...and I sure don't want a container constructed entirely of plastic that is emitting them. Yes, I know lots of folks use them and seem to be okay. Good for them! Lots of folks also smoke all their lives and seem to be okay...until they're not.
Those rigid black stock tanks like the one shown in post #8 above are the ticket. Durable, long-lasting, no maintenance required, come in lots of sizes. I just picked up my 7th one recently. I put one or two well-aged concrete blocks into each one, providing cover for the fish and also raised "shelves" on which to place pots for growing emersed plants. Plop a heavy, gritty, sharp-edged block on the bottom, slide it around as required, never a worry about damage or leaks.
I dare you to try that with one of those goofy collapsible things!
duanes
, those foldy-floppy gizmos are pretty temporary. As in most things, you get what you pay for. When you buy a $40 chunk of lightweight plastic, and then expect it to withstand sun and weather while remaining soft and pliable for takedown and re-assembly, you're going to be disappointed sooner than later. Indoors in your garage, it's partially protected, but it' still a flimsy short-lived product although it will probably last longer in that setting.There's another factor at play here, IMHO. Anyone old enough to remember drinking out of the hose while playing outside, also remembers that the very first mouthful of water that was sitting in the hose for awhile...will absolutely be the last time you do that! Gotta run the water long enough to flush out the hose with fresh clean water. The plasticizers used in the manufacture of the hose...or kiddie pool...leach out into the water, they dont taste good, and they can't be good for you.
Many of the ultra-cautious rock-boiling school of aquarium keeping have claimed that these plasticizers are harmful. I don't know but I don't want them in the water...and I sure don't want a container constructed entirely of plastic that is emitting them. Yes, I know lots of folks use them and seem to be okay. Good for them! Lots of folks also smoke all their lives and seem to be okay...until they're not.
Those rigid black stock tanks like the one shown in post #8 above are the ticket. Durable, long-lasting, no maintenance required, come in lots of sizes. I just picked up my 7th one recently. I put one or two well-aged concrete blocks into each one, providing cover for the fish and also raised "shelves" on which to place pots for growing emersed plants. Plop a heavy, gritty, sharp-edged block on the bottom, slide it around as required, never a worry about damage or leaks.
I dare you to try that with one of those goofy collapsible things!
