Storing water

[Korbin]

Can storing aquarium water in a closed container be bad for your fish?  I mean, if you have aquarium water sit in a plastic jug for weeks and then put it in your aquarium again, will it have concentrated anaerobic bacteria or something.  

[pulpsmack]

yes.

Back in the days when I bought pre-mixed seawater I would make the trip worth my while by stocking up. It took a long time to use that water. When I finally bought the nano I used some old water on a water change. My nitrites were worse than before! I tested the stored water and the nitrites were off the charts. Storing water is fine, just don't store it forever. Keep enough on hand for a water change or two.

[Cam barr]

yea i store seawater mine dosent go bad that quick though i live in orange county ca and they get the water directly  off the coast bout  10 miles for the island of catilina i like real see water too i think its much better

[pulpsmack]

I'd be too scared to fool with it, but I assume you are taking the proper measures to ensure that parasites don't get introduced. Synthetic is inferior in so many aspects to natural seawater, but I know mine is clean and have a good idea of what is in it.

[groove machine]

i mix my water and store it in a water butt,but before i use it i  aerate it with a couple of powerheads and airstones for at least 8 hours ive been doing this for years and it works for me

[pulpsmack]

I did that too and my nitrites were still insane. Perhaps this works well for you because you don't wait too long to use it. How long do you store the water for?

[groove machine]

i usually make up some r o and mix it the week before i use it and i aereate the night before i use it, my girlfriends says its like a military operation and why cant i be as precise when i clean the house!!

[mattdog]

My girlfriend asks  me the same question.  She thinks all I care about is my fish.  While it's close to the truth, it's not the whole truth.

[Strife]

i prepare 1 gallon of water a week...then i do a cup of water change every day.....so the max i store water is not more than a week

[quiksilver5768]

Tell me how that whole changing a cup a day goes and i'll inform about my dwarf seahorse project haha...But are you going to do this instead of adding trace elements now? What about calcium also?

[Strife]

i prepare saltwater in a 3 gallon container...the only thing i have in there is an airator but seems like the red sea salt mixes well.....then i take about a cup out of the main tank....and "slowly" add water from the container...

since i replenish part of the water every day...additives is no longer needed....and i have calcium additive's too and a test kit for calcium....but so far, my calcium level has stayed at 385 mg/L by just doing water change a day....so i dont see any need for calcium

 

when you do it....make sure that the saltwater in the container has the same  temp and SG as the main tank...so when add water it doesnt cause your water parameters to fluxuate ...

 

have fun

[kovu]

thats a very interesting theory, how long have you been doing this 1 gallon water change a day? no false effects id assume so it sounds like a plan!