Is Height Important for RTCs?

[Pile_O_Rocks]

AFAIK, they are all safe for fish as only the liner is in contact with water. They come with cheap and thin vinyl liners. I'd test the pond with feeder fish or some cheap fish before populating with the target fish anyway.

Most people use the cheapest above ground pools. This one looks like one of those. It just has a more elaborate metal carcass because it is not round and probably because it is taller than most for this small pond size.

I'd recommend lining the pond with a rubber liner, like EPDM rubber, because catfish would have a far harder time puncturing it but it has pros and cons, unless you can afford a box-welded liner. Otherwise, the folds will be bitten by pacu and gouramy.

I had heard Intex was alright quality however I trust you over Intex themselves considering some companies may exaggerate how good their products are. Are there any higher quality brands that are easily available?

Also. Are can you keep fish in an above ground pond indoors permanently? Or is it just a temporary option?

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

I don't know how brands stack up against each other. I'd read consumer reviews, if I needed that.

If one constructs any enclosure to last permanently, it might. We have already alluded to the liner integrity. If you avoid spiny and toothy fish, a rubber lined enclosure should last a lifetime, but there are other things to take care of - if the structure is metal, avoid rusting, if wood, avoid rotting and the rusting of metal fasteners, if plastic, avoid sun/UV light, if you place a pump inside the pond, avoid vibrations rubbing a hole in liner, if you use a soft liner, proper underlayment between the liner and the structure can be crucial, etc. Liner is a liability. So many things can damage it from the inside (fish and you walking around doing maintenance, catching fish) and from the outside and be totally unexpected, like mice or chipmunks, or moles / voles, or tree roots, or you misjudged the length of a nail or screw, etc.