I was one of the first to "graduate" from an Intex Donut to a full-sized AG pool, and I have NO regrets. The Intex served us well for 3 years and the FantaSea is going into its 12 season this year. There is NO difference in how you care for the water other than size and scale. And, my sand filter is easier to use and maintain than the old Intex cartridge filters.

Don't be spooked! Test your fill water to get an idea what's in it. Then just add chlorine and stabilizer as it fills, and test normally. There really is no magic "start up" when filling with new water.