Water Storage

[Mando77]

I just bought the Extreme RODI unit from AirWater&Ice and wanted to store water so that I have about 50 gallons on hand. I was thinking about going to Home Depot to look for these items. Does anyone else have any advice on water storage.

[TonyInVa]

it is common to use a trash can.

[bigffish]

I just bought the Extreme RODI unit from AirWater&Ice and wanted to store water so that I have about 50 gallons on hand. I was thinking about going to Home Depot to look for these items. Does anyone else have any advice on water storage.

 

ME personally am gonna go food grade. Eric Borneman has a recent post on the forum at Marine Depot

about some disturbing issues they had with the classic rubbermaid Brute! I reccomend reading that before you decide what you will use as H2O storage. Bigffish

[DDiver]

ME personally am gonna go food grade. Eric Borneman has a recent post on the forum at Marine Depot

about some disturbing issues they had with the classic rubbermaid Brute! I reccomend reading that before you decide what you will use as H2O storage. Bigffish

 

 

gotta link?

[Stephen]

http://forum.marinedepot.com/Topic101230-9-1.aspx?Highlight=rubbermaid+Brute

[DDiver]

thanks Stephen..

[Origami]

Before people get all bent out of shape from a single observation by a single individual (even if it is Eric Borneman), let's remember that this was not a controlled experiment, that we do not have information about the source, handling, or treatment of the can, or any of a myriad of other factors that may have played into his observations. There are, on the other hand, a large number of aquarists that are using these very successfully in this hobby.

 

Perhaps of further interest is this thread:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1787677

 

Scroll on down to post #19 if you want another well-respected individual's (Randy Holmes-Farley's) take on the matter. I believe that he uses the highly technical term, "crap" to describe many aspects of the referenced post.

[Stephen]

I'll admit I didn't read more than the first page of the marine depot thread but it's not enough to change my opinion or continued use of the brute cans. I really respect Eric and his contributions to the hobby but concerning the cans for water storage I'm of the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" mindset.

[ebman74]

I beleive the Brute Trash Cans are Food Safe. They should have a marking on them stating so. I have used Brute trash cans for years, but now I have two 35 gallon water storage tanks from Tractor Supply:

 

http://www.tractorsupply.com/leg-style-storage-tank-35-gal--2137324

[flowerseller]

I'm not quite sure how to take that long thread since it comes up every couple of years. Although I only half heartedly skimmed the first and last page, I tend to think something else or poor handleing might have played as big a part as plasticizers. I always thought ALL plastics had plasticizers in them.

 

Been using a baby blue rubbermaid trash can from Hechingers for 20 years and also use a 44g brute can for the last 15.

 

Anyone switched from brute or rubbermaid to "food grade" and noticed any difference.

[Origami]

I always thought ALL plastics had plasticizers in them.

 

One might think that from the name, but that's not the case. Plasticizers are used to soften, or to increase the flexibility or fluidity of materials by "opening up" their molecular structure, usually through interference with molecular crosslinks /interactions or increasing the spacing between the molecules of the base plastic. For example, plasticizers are added to hard PVC to make flexible PVC.

[paul b]

I use a 7 gallon water tank which is really a taping compound bucket but then the water travels through a 25 foot long PVC tube to feed the tank. The water spends a lot of time in the plastic so I like to remove the plasticicers and anything else that could contaminate the water so I built a small container and hung it on the reef tank just before the float valve that feeds the tank. The water goes through the container filled with resins just before it enters the tank. These resins last for years because the water has already went through an RO and DI before it went into the storage tank. There is only a few ounces of resin in the small container but I am assured that no foreign chemicals get into the tank.

[Origami]

Paul, that would work if the plasticizers that came off soft plastics (not PVC) were charged (ions). I don't think that they are, however. DI resin doesn't work on uncharged molecules, unfortunately. Many plasticizers, by the way, are also volatiles. For example, you know that "new car smell" everybody likes? Yep, plasticizers. That's one of the reason that the plastic on dashboards becomes brittle with age.

[paul b]

Tom, I figure it can't hurt.

My water storage bucket has an open top and all sorts of things could get in there.

I really put this thin acrylic tube filled with resins on my tank inlet so I can tell if my main resins become depleted. If they start to change color, I know my main DI resins are no longer working.

Thanks for the information.

[George]

I used to use (and will again) storage tanks from US Plastic. The reason was mostly that I could get a small footprint, tall tank that was rigid walled so that the cover stayed on. My biggest problem with the tub/trashcan method is the distention the container undergoes making it impossible to cover them effectively which leads to contamination from all kinds of things.

[alan mcilvried]

I just bought the Extreme RODI unit from AirWater&Ice and wanted to store water so that I have about 50 gallons on hand. I was thinking about going to Home Depot to look for these items. Does anyone else have any advice on water storage.

 

I am using 37 gallon Tuff Stuff feed storage bins from Tractor Supply. Round with snap fit lids. They are black plastic composite, inert plastic, VERY, VERY, VERY heavy and durable. And they are only $27.00. I had two garbage cans split on me previously.

 

These things can't be beat in my opinion.

[zygote2k]

I've been using a galvanized garbagecan for years and never had any problems.

[reefhunter]

I have used brute rubbermaid trash cans with no issues. I had NAGA make me an acrylic holding tank for RO water, it cost $65.00 and fit exactly how I wanted it.

[Origami]

I used to use (and will again) storage tanks from US Plastic. The reason was mostly that I could get a small footprint, tall tank that was rigid walled so that the cover stayed on. My biggest problem with the tub/trashcan method is the distention the container undergoes making it impossible to cover them effectively which leads to contamination from all kinds of things.

 

A heavy duty Rubbermaid Brute is thick walled and has not, in my experience, distended. The lids fit on as easily today as they did the day I bought them. This would not be the case with a thinner walled plastic trashcan.

[davelin315]

Mike Henley was at the SECORE that that happened at and posted here about it.

 

FWIW, I use them and also have one that is submerged in my sump with a RDSB in it. I have not had any issues with it as of yet.

[Mountaineer]

The problem with the "study" (as I recall it and to be fair I did not read it again) and a bit of a surprise to see the conclusions from a "scientist" is that there was not a control. It was merely an observation. This does not mean that it is not a valid conclusion, just that it does not appear to allow for valid scientific conclusion.