RO and Saltwater life

[Maridia]

I think my last message timed out, so sorry if I'm sending this twice. But I recently acquired an 18 Gallon tote/rubbermaid container with lid(not air tight, but it snaps in place). I will be out of town for a week or so and I plan to dilute some saltwater while I'm out. The container is in my pantry, which is room temp. My main questions are:

1. How long can RO water last in that container before quality is compromised?

2. How long can Saltwater last in that that container before quality is compromised?

2A. How long if no ciculation?
2B. How long if I have a pump circulating water?

3. I also have 1 gallon jugs that used to be distilled water from a store. I kept them and store my RO and mixed saltwater in them. Will they last a long time since the water is pretty much sealed? I usually give my saltwater a good shake before doing my pwc. It's not too critical as they don't last too long, but I was mostly curious. Any info would be awesome. Thanks

 

[Mebbid]

The water movement will help keep it safe as well as keeping it in well sealed containers. Either way it will be fine for a very long time. I would be worried about bugs laying eggs in it if was uncovered and not moving though.

 

[Maridia]

Would like to resurrect this old topic and get more opinions. Would salt water quality stay good for a long time if kept in the 6 and 7 gallon containers from Walmart? Would the salt settle? Would it need a good shake before using? How long can it/should it be kept in a container for?


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[buxndux]

Good questions. I keep my 20 gallons mixed in a 32 gal Rubbermaid trash can. I think that as long as it's covered and gets circulated it should be fine for a long time. I would refrain from keeping it uncovered and uncirculated. Also, make sure the water isn cooled down if you use a pump to circulate the water as it will probably heat it up to some degree.

 

[Maridia]

Good questions. I keep my 20 gallons mixed in a 32 gal Rubbermaid trash can. I think that as long as it's covered and gets circulated it should be fine for a long time. I would refrain from keeping it uncovered and uncirculated. Also, make sure the water isn cooled down if you use a pump to circulate the water as it will probably heat it up to some degree.

I do something similar, I have a water pump circulating my salt water in a 35Gal Tote for my 55G Saltwater tank. I have the lid sealed on it and it should be fine from dust and bugs. But like I mentioned previously, I was interested in storing some salt water in the 7gal and 6gal water jugs. They would be totally sealed, but not circulating. I would put already circulated salt water in them. I can always try it for myself, but wasn't sure if anyone out there had exp doing this. Or if salt water had to ABSOLUTELY be circulated at all times. Thanks anywho for the input.

 

[buxndux]

Never done that but would be interested to see if anyone knew the shelf life of saltwater in jugs..

 

[Dav3]

If it is in a sealed container that is safe for potable water there would be no evap and no contamination. I doubt it would ever go bad. What is the shelf life of the ocean water sold in stores like petco...?

 

[Sniperhank]

If it is in a sealed container that is safe for potable water there would be no evap and no contamination. I doubt it would ever go bad. What is the shelf life of the ocean water sold in stores like petco...?

There should be a long shelf life as long as it was sealed. If it was pre-mixed water like petco sells, I would want to test salinity to be safe. When I used it, was a tad low at 1.023 for my tastes. If I had water sitting for a whole year I'd want to let it 're mix' for 24 hours just to be safe...if it wasn't sealed water can evaporate and will drastically increase the salinity.

 

[Dav3]

There should be a long shelf life as long as it was sealed. If it was pre-mixed water like petco sells, I would want to test salinity to be safe. When I used it, was a tad low at 1.023 for my tastes. If I had water sitting for a whole year I'd want to let it 're mix' for 24 hours just to be safe...if it wasn't sealed water can evaporate and will drastically increase the salinity.

My thoughts exactly

 

[Gregcoyote]

It theoretically should never go bad. It can get contaminated. That's why sealing it off is a good idea, or keep it aerated if to be used soon. Salt doesn't drop out of solution unless evaporation raises it's concentration dramatically. If it did, the worlds water issues would be over. If you sterilized it by boiling before sealing it up it should last 1000 years.


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[Maridia]

Cool! Thanks guys! I just stored the pre mixed salt water in 7gallon and 6 gallon containers, they are sealed tight. My SG is 1.023. Perfect since I have FOWLR. I plan on storing this a long time. I will test the water again when it's time to use and update this thread. Thanks again for the input.


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[BigRedsReefs10]

I'd still put it in a bucket with a power head for around a day before you use it.