Salt question

[SaltwaterAdict]

If I were to mix up say 40 gallons of SW in a brute rubbermaid tub would it be alright to let the saltwater sit for a long period of say a month? Would this have any effect on the salt's buffering capacity, cal/mag/alk?

The reason I'm asking this is I'd like to mix up a bunch of saltwater and start to do partial waterchanges every week. This seems like it would be the easiest approach rather than mixing up a new batch every week. It would be ready on hand at all times.

What do you large tank guys think?

 

[ginger7286]

I mix mine ahead as well (although only 2 weeks in advance not a month) and don't have a problem (I use SeaChem Reef). I keep a lid on it so it cannot evaporate which I think would throw a wrench into the equation. Try it, and take tests of the water a day or two before using it to adjust anything if you need to. That will give you the best idea as to if the chemistry changes with time.

 

[wells284]

I would think that it would be fine with a lid and a powerhead. I left some stagnant in a brute for a week once, and the water smelt really musty and like plastic. I still used it though, and had no ill effects. When I keep a powerhead going, it never seems to smell.

 

[Dyzio545]

My friend does that in a 55 gallon container. He has a heater in there, along with a powerhead. His salinity and temp are always stable during water changes.

 

[mixedreeferhead]

a clean brute trashcan, powerhead and lid... you will have no issues.

 

[blue736]

keep mine for 2-3 weeks usually, 4 weeks on occasion and all was good. have a 55g barrel + heater + pump. I do clean the barrel out every few batches with hot water & ro/di water rinse.

 

[Ninong]

If I were to mix up say 40 gallons of SW in a brute rubbermaid tub would it be alright to let the saltwater sit for a long period of say a month?

Rubbermaid Brute containers in "Gray, White and Yellow are USDA Meat & Poultry Equipment Group Listed and assist in complying with HACCP guidelines."

Why is the color important? Well, it's because based on actual experience reported here on the board (about 10 years ago) we know that a brand new Rubbermaid Brute container in some of the other colors can cause stored R.O./D.I. to test high TDS within days. That was determined by testing the R.O./D.I. water as it was produced and then testing it after storage five days later. It tested over 100 TDS.

So we called the Rubbermaid factory and they told us we should use only Brute containers in "Gray, White or Yellow" because those are not as likely to leach into the stored water, especially R.O./D.I. water. This is not as big an issue with stored saltwater because R.O./D.I. water is much more likely to cause chemicals to leach out of the plastic but why take chances.

In my own experience the White Rubbermaid containers work best because it's a lot easier to see any sediment that might settle to the bottom after the saltwater has finished mixing.

Anyway, just thought you might want to know that. It can be very hard to find the White or Yellow at the neighborhood Home Depot or Lowes but you can order them online and the shipping is not all that much. If you order more than one of the same size, they're stackable. I got my White ones from U.S. Plastic.

Good luck!



P.S. -- I forgot to say that I have stored saltwater for three or four weeks in three different Rubbermaid Brute containers: 1 Gray 32-gal and 2 White 20-gal, using heater and powerhead and sometimes just heater and a couple of airstones.

 

[SaltwaterAdict]

Rubbermaid Brute containers in "Gray, White and Yellow are USDA Meat & Poultry Equipment Group Listed and assist in complying with HACCP guidelines."

Why is the color important? Well, it's because based on actual experience reported here on the board (about 10 years ago) we know that a brand new Rubbermaid Brute container in some of the other colors can cause stored R.O./D.I. to test high TDS within days. That was determined by testing the R.O./D.I. water as it was produced and then testing it after storage five days later. It tested over 100 TDS.

So we called the Rubbermaid factory and they told us we should use only Brute containers in "Gray, White or Yellow" because those are not as likely to leach into the stored water, especially R.O./D.I. water. This is not as big an issue with stored saltwater because R.O./D.I. water is much more likely to cause chemicals to leach out of the plastic but why take chances.

In my own experience the White Rubbermaid containers work best because it's a lot easier to see any sediment that might settle to the bottom after the saltwater has finished mixing.

Anyway, just thought you might want to know that. It can be very hard to find the White or Yellow at the neighborhood Home Depot or Lowes but you can order them online and the shipping is not all that much. If you order more than one of the same size, they're stackable. I got my White ones from U.S. Plastic.

Good luck!



P.S. -- I forgot to say that I have stored saltwater for three or four weeks in three different Rubbermaid Brute containers: 1 Gray 32-gal and 2 White 20-gal, using heater and powerhead and sometimes just heater and a couple of airstones.

thanks, I'll definitely take that into consideration! Crazy how some of those tests could come back '100' TDS!!! Seems like that would defeat the point of filtering the water. I'm currently using the gray brute containers. I'm kinda weary of storing the saltwater considering those results you got. Do you think I'll be fine with the gray brute containers?

 

[SaltwaterAdict]

thanks everyone else for your experience..

 

[Ninong]

thanks, I'll definitely take that into consideration! Crazy how some of those tests could come back '100' TDS!!! Seems like that would defeat the point of filtering the water. I'm currently using the gray brute containers. I'm kinda weary of storing the saltwater considering those results you got. Do you think I'll be fine with the gray brute containers?

Yes, gray Brute containers are fine. The color of the one that my friend used back in 2000 or 2001 to store his R.O./D.I. water was green. R.O./D.I. water is so pure that it will cause chemicals to leach out of some new plastic containers.

The reason you are better off using Gray, White or Yellow Brute containers is because those are made to meet very strict federal guidelines for storage of food for human consumption, therefore the Rubbermaid guys have to be careful what goes into the blend. Don't forget, a lot of recycled plastics go into the making of these containers and if they know that they have to meet these food safety guidelines then they won't throw in some stuff that they know could cause problems. On the other hand, if the container is just going to store trash or grass clippings, then anything goes.

Bottom line: stick with Rubbermaid Brute containers in White, Yellow or Gray if you want to follow the advice we got directly from the Rubbermaid factory that makes these things.