Will I have precipitaion issues storing SW outside?

[COreef8]

I am thinking of setting up an automatic water change system but I do not have space for it inside. If I set this up in a shed outside and run lines to my tank indoors, would precipitation from high water temperatures be an issue during mixing or storage? I live in Tampa, so the typical high temp in the summer is around 90°F.

 

[glb]

I am thinking of setting up an automatic water change system but I do not have space for it inside. If I set this up in a shed outside and run lines to my tank indoors, would precipitation from high water temperatures be an issue during mixing or storage? I live in Tampa, so the typical high temp in the summer is around 90°F.

I would think so. Could you totally seal up the water? I also wonder if the high heat might affect the water quality. Let’s ask the #reefsquad.

 

[Ron Reefman]

I live south of you in Cape Coral. I mix new saltwater in my garage and do manual water changes, but it's a small system of 80g. I don't leave saltwater in the garage for more than 24 to 72 hours. In the past I've left it longer than that and I ended up with a lot of white sediment on the sides and bottom of my container.

Just how long do you think the saltwater is going to be stored before you use it? Or is the idea here for a big container or an automatically refilled container, or a slow daily water change system?

If I was you, I'd take the container you intend to use, or a substitute if you don't already have the holding tank you intend to use and test it yourself. Make some saltwater and put it in a container in the spot you want to use outside. Then check on it every day for a week or two and see how it does. If it ever looks like something is going wrong, test it like it was aquarium water. If it always looks OK, test it at the end of your trial run.

 

[COreef8]

I would think so. Could you totally seal up the water? I also wonder if the high heat might affect the water quality. Let’s ask the #reefsquad.

Yeah the plan was to use one of those 55 gal drums with a resealable lid.

 

[COreef8]

I live south of you in Cape Coral. I mix new saltwater in my garage and do manual water changes, but it's a small system of 80g. I don't leave saltwater in the garage for more than 24 to 72 hours. In the past I've left it longer than that and I ended up with a lot of white sediment on the sides and bottom of my container.

Just how long do you think the saltwater is going to be stored before you use it? Or is the idea here for a big container or an automatically refilled container, or a slow daily water change system?

If I was you, I'd take the container you intend to use, or a substitute if you don't already have the holding tank you intend to use and test it yourself. Make some saltwater and put it in a container in the spot you want to use outside. Then check on it every day for a week or two and see how it does. If it ever looks like something is going wrong, test it like it was aquarium water. If it always looks OK, test it at the end of your trial run.

Continuous AWC was the plan. A 55 gal would last about 4 weeks with 10% weekly water changes.
I like the idea and I thought about testing it to see what the precipitation is like but it isn’t quite warm enough yet to get a good idea so I guess I should probably just wait.

 

[glb]

Continuous AWC was the plan. A 55 gal would last about 4 weeks with 10% weekly water changes.
I like the idea and I thought about testing it to see what the precipitation is like but it isn’t quite warm enough yet to get a good idea so I guess I should probably just wait.

It’s an interesting thought. Keep us posted!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

If you use a low alk salt, it will be more likely to be ok than with a high alk salt.

 

[COreef8]

If you use a low alk salt, it will be more likely to be ok than with a high alk salt.

Thanks Randy, that's a good point. I've been using the Red Sea blue bucket salt which I believe is around 8-8.5 dKH but I was thinking about going to the Tropic Marin salt which is around 7 dKH so if that would help, I can definitely make that switch. I think the Red Sea salt also has a lot of undissolved particulates which I believe can accelerate precipitation as well, correct?

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

I am thinking of setting up an automatic water change system but I do not have space for it inside. If I set this up in a shed outside and run lines to my tank indoors, would precipitation from high water temperatures be an issue during mixing or storage? I live in Tampa, so the typical high temp in the summer is around 90°F.

The key is to seal them tight and you'll have very little water Loss, my display tank is in the boonies in a storage container we call it the Backwoods lab instead of moonshine we're trying to grow NPS softies. It gets up to 118° in this area of SoCal. Because I can get real ocean water dirt cheap I have about 500 gallons outside. I have more containers that are not in the picture

I don't live there but I go up there once or twice a week

 

[COreef8]

The key is to seal them tight and you'll have very little water Loss, my display tank is in the boonies in a storage container we call it the Backwoods lab instead of moonshine we're trying to grow NPS softies. It gets up to 118° in this area of SoCal. Because I can get real ocean water dirt cheap I have about 500 gallons outside. I have more containers that are not in the picture

I don't live there but I go up there once or twice a week

Nice! Yeah the barrels I’m looking at are the same as the one on the left in the first picture. The lid seals so I’m worried about evaporation, more about precipitation from storing and mixing artificial saltwater in the higher temperatures.

Glad to hear you’re not having issues with the natural seawater though. I’ll give this a test when it starts to get warm out to see if the temp has any effect.

 

[MnFish1]

Nice! Yeah the barrels I’m looking at are the same as the one on the left in the first picture. The lid seals so I’m worried about evaporation, more about precipitation from storing and mixing artificial saltwater in the higher temperatures.

Glad to hear you’re not having issues with the natural seawater though. I’ll give this a test when it starts to get warm out to see if the temp has any effect.

There should be less precipitation at higher temps than lower correct? (unless there is evaporation)

 

[Dominic Prezwanski]

G

The key is to seal them tight and you'll have very little water Loss, my display tank is in the boonies in a storage container we call it the Backwoods lab instead of moonshine we're trying to grow NPS softies. It gets up to 118° in this area of SoCal. Because I can get real ocean water dirt cheap I have about 500 gallons outside. I have more containers that are not in the picture

I don't live there but I go up there once or twice a week

Got any spare tubs?

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

G

Got any spare tubs?

I don't live out here but it's out in the boonies and water is scares for the children of the sea so I planned a head and picked up some barrels and on offerup kind of like Craigslist but friendly I got a 270 gallon water container for 40 bucks can't beat that.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Nice! Yeah the barrels I’m looking at are the same as the one on the left in the first picture. The lid seals so I’m worried about evaporation, more about precipitation from storing and mixing artificial saltwater in the higher temperatures.

Glad to hear you’re not having issues with the natural seawater though. I’ll give this a test when it starts to get warm out to see if the temp has any effect.

I found a 55 gal. Barrel I forgot with water sealed 4 years later still full of water.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thanks Randy, that's a good point. I've been using the Red Sea blue bucket salt which I believe is around 8-8.5 dKH but I was thinking about going to the Tropic Marin salt which is around 7 dKH so if that would help, I can definitely make that switch. I think the Red Sea salt also has a lot of undissolved particulates which I believe can accelerate precipitation as well, correct?

Calcium carbonate particulates will boost the precipitation rate.

You can also use a high alk salt mix and add acid to bring down the alk. I saw pics from someone who did this with normal IO. The mixing bucket was clean as a whistle due to low alk and low pH.