How long will LFS bought water stay "good"

[5881]

I'm new to this, and like the idea of buying my replacement water from my LFS at $1.00gal. Seems easier than making my own for my Biocube 29. Is this stupid in that I am exposing my tank to disease, and if not should I be airating or agitating the water to keep it good for weeks? I store it in a 5gal. water jug.
Thanks

 

[nikkipigtails]

Are you purchasing fresh RO water or salt water?

If you're purchasing fresh RO water, you'll find it cheaper in the long run to get your own RO/DI unit for your home. Then you can make water when it's convenient to you and you can mix it with salt for the exact salinity you need.

If you're purchasing saltwater from your LFS and you store it, you'll have to keep an eye on the salinity. As the water evaporates, the salt kind of stays behind and the salinity will rise. By the time you use it, it may be to "salty".

My advice would be to get a small RO/DI unit that you can use at home and a small package of salt so you can mix your own. Personally, I like having more control over what goes in my tank.

 

[5881]

My plan is to purchase both if it is OK. They sell RO for .50 gal. so I would use that for top offs. The salt water I would use for changes. I hear you re. buying a used RO unit, but I don't have a lot of room, and frankly am lazy ( I know; wrong hobby!), and do not mind spending the extra $ on water.

 

[Shermy]

That is some pricey water ours here is .89 for natural salt and .49 for RO.

Glad to see this question, we were wondering the same thing, but have found that with our 6 gallon jugs we move through the water quickly with top offs and water changes so it isn't sitting around for to long.

 

[nikkipigtails]

You can buy an RO until small enough for what you need for probably around $75. It'd take you the same amount of time to make the water as it would to drive to the store to get it but if you decide not to buy one, here's a big "Thank you for supporting your LFS" coming from a LFS employee! Just make sure to test the salinity of the SW to make sure it's the right salinity. You may also want to keep a little bag of salt on hand in case it's a little too low and a little extra FW on hand in case it's a little too high.

 

[ZaNe]

I think that if you are lazy buying a RO/DI will be less of a pain then going each week to the LFS to buy water then going back home and etc.

With your own RO/DI you just have to open water then put the line ni a bucket and let it go for 2-3 hours then come back, if their is enough then you can either mix it or whatever. I definitely think that is less of a hassle to have your own RO/DI

 

[doubleduece]

If stored properly water is good for a long, long time. I agree that making your own water is cheaper, and IMO it is only a hassle if you make it one. Once I use 5gal of my 10 gal. reserve(2-5 gal. bucket), I make more water, I also set a timer so that I can walk away from it for a couple hrs. Oh Yea heres a little secert MOST LFS dont want you to know, there filtration system is only DI w/ a large carbon prefilter so that the DI is'nt used up so fast. If you think about how long it takes to make water, how much is wasted, and there water demand, they would have to store a whole lot of water.....

 

[nikkipigtails]

we use an actual RO/DI unit

 

[doubleduece]

Im curious, how much water do you store, and how much do you use, and sell in one day.BTW I'm not downing any LFS anywhere, it was an observation I made at a LFS, and had it confirmed by a local coimpany that supplies DI filters...:hug1:

 

[nikkipigtails]

We have a 700 gallon holding tank for freshwater and between water and between selling it and water changes in the tanks every week, we go through the whole tank. I'm not sure how large the SW holding tank is but it's smaller than the FW tank. We mix the SW at 1.021 so the salinity is actually gets higher as it evaporates. We mix new SW every week and a half or so.

 

[moymch]

That is some pricey water ours here is .89 for natural salt and .49 for RO.

Glad to see this question, we were wondering the same thing, but have found that with our 6 gallon jugs we move through the water quickly with top offs and water changes so it isn't sitting around for to long.

I pay .25 for DI and .75 for salt. Good thread