Mixing Station - Does Salt Water Go Bad?

[Scottiemac]

Maybe, maybe not. Easy enough to solve with food grade containers. 44 gallon brute is one of the more popular in our hobby. Gray but double check.

And the end of the day you can do a search here or whatever search engine you prefer and put in saltwater mixing stations. You will see plenty of examples with hobbyist storing water for auto changes and emergency use.

Food grade only means it's safe to eat food out of it. It can still leach chemicals into the water that are more or less harmless to us in small quantities.

 

[Sdoutreefer]

Food grade only means it's safe to eat food out of it. It can still leach chemicals into the water that are more or less harmless to us in small quantities.

Is there any sort of proof that food grade plastics do leach? It seems that if it is food grade, there would be ZERO leaching, whether it's solid food or liquid. There shouldn't be any sort of leaching, at least that's how it plays out in my little brain.

 

[hart24601]

I keep a brute of sw for months with no issues. Have done this for many years now. No heater of circ.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Is there any sort of proof that food grade plastics do leach? It seems that if it is food grade, there would be ZERO leaching, whether it's solid food or liquid. There shouldn't be any sort of leaching, at least that's how it plays out in my little brain.

That’s not true. Plenty of additives are approved for food and pharmaceutical grade plastics, including tin compounds.

Applications of Methyl Tin Stabilizer

Methyl Tin Stabilizer ensure that the PVC insulation remains intact, doesn't degrade due to heat, and provides consistent electrical

www.pishrochem.com

https://www.baerlocher.com/fileadmin/media/0.5_Service/0.5.1_brochures/0.5.1.3_product_brochures/2016/pb_organotin_stabilizers_12p_2016.pdf

 

[Sdoutreefer]

That’s not true. Plenty of additives are approved for food and pharmaceutical grade plastics, including tin compounds.

Applications of Methyl Tin Stabilizer

Methyl Tin Stabilizer ensure that the PVC insulation remains intact, doesn't degrade due to heat, and provides consistent electrical

www.pishrochem.com

https://www.baerlocher.com/fileadmin/media/0.5_Service/0.5.1_brochures/0.5.1.3_product_brochures/2016/pb_organotin_stabilizers_12p_2016.pdf

Love it! Thank you Randy!! Seems I can always count on you to come through with some sort of citation or article

 

[Sdoutreefer]

I keep a brute of sw for months with no issues. Have done this for many years now. No heater of circ.

No issues with algae growth? I'd assume you keep it in a dark room?

 

[hart24601]

No issues with algae growth? I'd assume you keep it in a dark room?

Never have seen algae in the tub. I keep it in my basement, there is a window but not direct sunlight. Covered in gray brute.

 

[Scottiemac]

Is there any sort of proof that food grade plastics do leach? It seems that if it is food grade, there would be ZERO leaching, whether it's solid food or liquid. There shouldn't be any sort of leaching, at least that's how it plays out in my little brain.

Here's from the NIH.

I plan to use plastic containers when my water change station is set up. With food grade the leaching is at a minimum, but some still exists.

My only point was that if it sits for a long time the water may absorb enough of the chemicals to actually be dangerous for fish and corals. Most people I know only keep about a month's worth of water change water on hand anyway, so no big deal.

Plastic Food Container Safety - PMC

Plastic containers are a huge part of modern life. Perhaps their use is nowhere more significant than in the storage of foods. Stored food comes in contact with plastics, plasticizers, intentional additives, and inadvertent contaminants. Plastic ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A friend of mine was going to move off grid and wanted to get a huge plastic water container to prevent trips to town for refills. I was helping and we learned that you only want to keep about as much water as you'd use in a month or two in storage. It would probably still be safe to drink if any longer, but might taste and smell funky.

Edit: Oops - Randy got in here before I did.

 

[Red_Beard]

Anything HDPE has been good in my experience. These 55 gallon drums are what i use. This has been sitting a few months now, but i have had some sit longer than a year now worries. I also havent cleaned it in a few years either... I have not seen any appreciable difference between that and fresh mixed.