Mixing Station Questions

[ReefWithCare]

Hi All,

I have 2 44 Gallon Brute cans that I'm using as a mixing station. One holds RODI and the other will hold mixed saltwater. Both cans are covered and have piping to allow for circulation from the top (There is piping in the contain that pushes the water down)

• How long can I keep RODI Water in the freshwater container?
  
• How long can I keep saltwater in the saltwater container? Do I need to worry about swings in salinity due to evaporation? I use Live Aquaria Salt.
• Do you clean our your containers? How often do I clean them?

 

[Gareth elliott]

Several people keep mixed salt water for a month or more.
My main worry would be making sure no part of the plumbing is leaching anything into the containers as they sit.
One errant piece of metal might not add anything meaningful after a few hours but will add a lot by week 3.

 

[Cjud7982]

my rodi container always has water in it. I let it fill completely then shut off my rodi unit to prevent tds creep from turning on and off all the time. The container doubles as my ato so it will sit in the container for many many weeks. I also pull the water into my saltwater barrel once every couple weeks. There is always some leftover salt water in my mixed barrel after water changes, but I never worry about it. I usually use most my saltwater in the mixed barrel within 3 days of it being mixed so there never is much in it between water changes. And you should always be checking your temp salinity and ph of your mixed water before considering it going to the display. As for cleaning them, its really only necessary if you notice something you arent happy with, dust, rising ammonia, funky smell, etc. just my thoughts, hope this helps.