Can RO/DI water storage go bad?

[californiarob]

Been noticing a funk in my tank, all parameters are normal.

I use RED SEA SALT, and my tank seems to be depressed, very light algae is growing on the glass and the algae I do see does not have any pigment.

I have not changed my lights (LED)or anything just the way I store my water.

I am starting thinking it its my water storage.

I use a Spectrapure RO/DI unit for water, all cartridges are less then 2 months old and are fine, but I am storing more water now in a 55 gallon Rubbermaid trash cans with lids, it sits for a couple of weeks before I use it.

wondering if the water goes bad if not aerated or maybe the plastic cans are leaching into my water.

 

[californiarob]

for got to mention I am on Well Water.

 

[Mike J.]

Not sure what you problem actually is, but you don't need aeration or circulation in your stored RO/DI container and it won't "go bad" in a couple weeks or even a month.

 

[Bry]

Not sure what you problem actually is, but you don't need aeration or circulation in your stored RO/DI container and it won't "go bad" in a couple weeks or even a month.

I agree.. I store my RO/DI water in Rubbermaid's as well, sometimes for several weeks. Have you tested your RO/DI water to see if something is getting by the filter?

 

[Rob Top1]

As I understand it RO/DI water is extreamly aggressive. It will "suck" contaminants out of the air, which is why it is suggested you store it in air tight containers. Don't know if that is the cause, but when I switched from using trash cans to sealable polypropylene vats my system improved.

 

[californiarob]

Rob...

I will try the closed container method.

I do notice a mold smell when I open the lid.

As I understand it RO/DI water is extreamly aggressive. It will "suck" contaminants out of the air, which is why it is suggested you store it in air tight containers. Don't know if that is the cause, but when I switched from using trash cans to sealable polypropylene vats my system improved.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

RO/DI itself doesn't go bad or need aeration, but the Ruibbermaid might possibly leach a small amounts of chemicals. That's why many people use Food approved grey Brute trash cans. Whether that is an important difference, however, I do not know. Many people (not me) get a moldy smell, but that shouldn't impact the suitability of the water for a reef.

Are you dosing organic carbon?

When you say the tank looks depressed, can you elaborate?

 

[Cory]

I've wondered this myself. Sometimes I notice a protein skimmer foam effect in my ro/di water. Where the bubbles don't collapse quickly, as if they are coated In Organics. I always assumed pure water wouldn't make foam easy. I bet it's bacteria causing this.

So I'd say yes it can go bad because bacteria can grow passed the ro membrane. But if tds reads 0, it's probavly good to use. What's your tds?