[passinetti2007]

I'm trying to figure out how to ask this question right. I'm going to get a 35 gal garbage can "the industrial type" to house extra water for when I need to do a water change. If I just mix it and let it sit in my closet until I need it, will it still be good to use? will it need to be mixed again or can i just bucket out the water and know it will work or will anything seperate if it just sits?

[chexwebson]

If you will put a powerhead in and keep the water moving as well as make sure you check the salinity and other levels before you mix to make sure that it will not affect your tank then this should be ok.

chex

[passinetti2007]

so keep the powerhead in the can all the time so it constantly moves the water or just before I do a water change?

[volitan_fa]

Yeah, and make sure that you get one with a pretty good flow rate, otherwise it won't move enough water to mix up the salt.

[chexwebson]

Needs to move all of the time.

chex

[dalamar96]

along with the powerhad you may want an airstone in the water as well

[FisH NooB]

ok, i'm fairly new to this but i gotta disagree with u guys on this... if u are into chemistry, which is a big help when using it for your marine aquarium, u should know that r/o water, which what i'm assumeing ur using, loses its osmosis filtration when exposed to air over long periods, not to mention the particles in the air u are exposing the water to... also, a fact, when u pre-mix the salt with the water it evaporates a whole lot quicker (then u gotta deal with salt creep, which is a pain). I use a r/o filter in my house but when i need to store large quantities or do a big water change, i store it in 5 gal bottles, similar to ozarka bottles, with a lid and low amounts of heat and light... keep a bucket and mix just b4 u refill ur tank, if needed... not to mention, u won't always need mixed water... if the evaporation is high, usually the salinity goes high and i just add fresh water to balance it out.... just my thoughts...

[Beeker325]

fish Noob, what is consitered a long period of time? it sounded like the orginial thread was talking about a 35 gallon water change and at this quanity 5 gal buckets sounds very labor intensive not to mention a RO system can put out 10 to 20 gallons per day with a good one. I am also new to the hobby so I don't pretend to know everything. My question is doing a 35 gallon water change means that you have 2 days of water collection and the time to stablize the salt mixture which I can see taking at least 8 hours to match the tank salt level. Seven 5 gallon buckets compared to 1-40 gallon trash can makes more sense? Is there a chemical change over the 3 days of this action?
I was planning to make a 50 gallon fresh reserve and have another 50 gallon mixing container that is hard lined into the tank for changes. if this is not a good idea let me know.
I appreciate your input and point of view it forces me to think more through the design that I am building.

[volitan_fa]

Chemistry major here

Housing your water in a 35 gallon bucket will give you less pollution than 5 gallon buckets. I do disagree with adding an airstone, but freshly mixed saltwater is very caustic and harmful to the fish's respiratory system. That's why you're salt has to be mixed at least 24 hours in advance. I would simply have the bucket (35 gal) with a good power head and a temperature accurate heater. Let the water circulate for a day or two and then it's ready to go.

[FisH NooB]

volitan... i gotta agree with u about the whole 24 hour period thing when restoring water to a reef or to the smaller tanks... As for causing serious harm to the fish in a larger tank, the amount of harm caused, even in a 25% water change, is completely insignificant and similar to the minor salinity changes of the evaporation of water... And the comment of having more pollution using 5 gallon ozarka bottles rather than a 35 gallon trash can is simply ludacris... 1st off, u have a lot larger opening in the trash can, which means more dust, pollen, and other pollutants have a larger window to seep into; second the surface area of the lid and walls is definantly larger than that of an ozarka bottle... it may seem like a bit more work but to me it is just more managable... try moving a 35-gal bucket of water just 2-3 feet and find out what i mean... But, i guess it all will be different to everyone, it's about what u think works out best for u....

[RyanG]

Guys lets keep it friendly, there are several ways to do things here

[Beeker325]

Hey, its all good. I know that there is many different ways to do things and I certianly don't understand the point of view that you may be seeing but its a big world. Personally i'm lazy and i don't want to move any resevoir. I believe in using an external pump and some hose. Happy day.

[volitan_fa]

Sorry, I'm not trying to get into a battle here, this hobby is full of opinions. I PERSONALLY mix salt 24 hours before because freshly mixed salt is abrasive, not because of salinity changes. I think that's pretty widely held. I like mixing in a bigger container that is clean and used only for mixing salt. I have a lid with a notch cut in it for the power cords for the heater and powerhead and I close the lid on it while salt is mixing. When I'm ready to do the water change, I siphon out into one bucket then use a pump and tubing to add the mixed water. I shouldn't argue with your ways FiSH Noob, because I can see where you're coming from with your views.