What do you use to store your water in?

[cookiemn]

I was thinking of buying a food grade 30 gallon barrel from a manufacturer in ID. The barrel has a snap lid, so the entire top can be taken off versus the ones you normally see with the two small access holes on the top. I am planning to store RO water in here or possible use it for storing pre-mixed water for wtaer changes, etc.

What do you use to store your water in?

 

[Dr B]

Brute trashcans on rollers. The grey ones are food safe.. they will hold like 25gallons comfortably... i think they are 30-33g rated tho
The nice thing is you can wheel them around.

 

[Nautilus]

I use the 45 gallon Rubbermaid trash cans and fill them to the top. Never had an issue with these.

 

[j.stagner]

Are there any concerns about storing the fresh water for extended periods?

 

[esmith]

cookieman: I use the Brute trashcan like DrB, they are extremely sturdy and like he said foodgrade, and you can also buy the roller stand for them.

I am sure there are concerns that it might leach items from the air, but if you seal it correctly it should be alright for short periods. How long are you wanting to store it, and in what kind of a container?

I personally use the water jugs you can buy at Fred Meyer, they are for drinking water, and come sealed. The bottle recommends cleaning them every 6 months with a drop of bleach (but I wouldn't recommend that for the tank water, as we can withstand greater chemical diversity than our tanks). I would just use a little vinegar and water, soak it and then wash it out; you could also use a little baking soda when you wash it, as this will nuetralize the vinegar.


Eliyah

 

[Gordo]

For the last year I've been using a 35 gallon Rubbermaid trash can you can buy at Home Depot (non food grade) and wasn't having any issue mixing saltwater in it for a couple of days. A couple of weeks ago I filled up the can with RO/DI water with the intent of making saltwater, but I got busy and the water sat in the can for ~2 weeks with heaters and power heads running. When I finally got around to adding salt I decided to check it with my TDS meter just to make sure it was okay. I was amazed that I got a reading of almost 2000ppm. To ground myself I tested the water coming out of the filter and it was 0ppm.

I guess I'll be buying a new storage container.

~Gordo~

 

[esmith]

Sorry to hear that Gordo...but thanks for sharing.

I'm sure glad that I decided to buy the food grade one, but as I don't have a TDS meter I can't be sure of the TDS levels in mine. I usually keep 10-20 gallons of water mixing at all times, guess I better get my hands on a meter so I can be sure that nothing is leaching into my water.

Did you notice any differences in you tank when you did water changes...were there signs of contamination?

Eliyah

 

[NaH2O]

I have the Brute cans also on rollers. One will have the pre-mixed water and the other fresh. I have rinsed them with RO/DI just in case there was some residue in them from transport, home improvement store, etc.

 

[cookiemn]

Thanks for everyones comments. You guys/girls saved me some a chucnk of change. I am going to take the money and get more LR.

 

[Nautilus]

I test my water in my rubbermaid can before I use it. Most of the time I empty the can every 2 weeks. I have 4 FW tanks and 1 reef tank running so it is not hard to keep fresh water in the can.
I clean the rubbermaid can every month. TDS reading 0 and once I forgot to turn the valve off on the hose I use and it siphoned back into the can from a FW tank and needless to say I had to dump that water out and clean the can again.

 

[Curtswearing]

Because good ole H2O is the universal solvent, saving a few bucks on a plastic trash can is not a good idea. The plasticizers used in el-cheapo trash cans are usually not food grade and they usually leach phosphates into your water over time.

Gordo,
This is what you are dealing with. However, you MIGHT be able to use that can now. The "universal solvent" did it's deal like it always does. It is POSSIBLE that that all of the phosphates have been "dissolved" and removed.

 

[empty]

I use a 2 quart Rubbermaid pitcher to drip makeup water, and a different one to mix waterchange water.

~Empty (I have a 5g nano )

 

[mojoreef]

good post Curt your dead on.

Mike

 

[Aiptasia]

My R.O. unit has a ten gallon resevoir attached to it under the sink in my kitchen with a little pump for the ice maker/sink dispenser. Works for me!

 

[Macbeth417]

Curtswearing:

You have me concerned now. I have always used rubbermaid trashcans from HD and have heard of almost everyone else using these as well. What can we use instead if there is a large threat of these leaching compounds back into the water?

Where can I get food grade cans?
-Erik

 

[szidls]

You can get the Brute containers at Costco buisness center in Lynnwood. Not sure if they are carried at other Costco stores?

 

[NaH2O]

Macbeth - I bought my Brute cans at Home Depot. They are the grey cans. You can also buy rollers that lock on the bottom for easy rolling.

 

[Macbeth417]

Thanks guys, I'll get rid of my old green roughneck rubbermaids and pick up two gray ones.

-Erik

 

[NaH2O]

Erik - I rinsed mine out with RO/DI when I brought them home to make sure that any residue from shipping or storage at the home improvement store was cleaned out.