Pickle Bucket for mixing saltwater?

[Sarrakitty]

I have a 6 gallon plastic bucket that used to contain pickles. I got it from someone else, and rinsed it out with tap water several times, and did not notice much of a smell from it. I put about 2 and a half gallons of RO/DI water (the last I had stored in plastic jugs) in it last night. Today after returning home with many full jugs (went to a store that has an RO/DI water machine to refill) I started pouring one bottle of the fresh water into the bucket... but noticed that the water now smelled like pickles. It must have soaked into the water overnight. I'm not sure what to do here. Is there a way to permanently get rid of any residue on/in the plastic or is this bucket going to be pickle-y pretty much forever? Is water that's been in it usable? Will I just have to only use this bucket for waste water during water changes? I was planning on mixing saltwater in it. Got a new heater for getting the water to the right temp and everything.

[mcarroll]

I wouldn't worry about it in the short term...use the water.  And from now on, just use if for cleaning the tank/siphoning or for mixing new saltwater as you need it.  Simply don't use it for storage.

 

But yes the bucket will smell pickley for a long time.  (I had a pickle bucket back in the day as well.  Mine was from Subway i think.  LOL)

 

In the long run, ask your LFS for a salt bucket for free if they have lots of extras.  (Don't bother otherwise.)

 

Or come up off of $3.25 and buy yourself a new Homer Bucket:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/The-Home-Depot-5-Gal-Homer-Bucket-05GLHD2/100087613

 

[Tamberav]

I use a pickle bucket for waste. It stunk like pickles forever....

[MainelyReefer]

I bought a few pickle buckets from a local Sub shop and regretted trying to save a buck every time I used them... so nasty smelling when you get into your work truck and the whole thing smells like an old pickle.  Buy new and make sure it says HDPE on the bottom, I find the Lowe’s buckets to be better than homedepot in regards to wall thickness, the best is the super expensive ones from petco that come with a watertight lid great for transporting livestock when moving.  I would probably chuck the water as it’s a small cost to pay for tank safety.

[Sarrakitty]

Im still a little concerned using the water, but if there's a consensus that it wont harm anything ill use it. if theres the oposite i will toss it. I'll wait and see what anyone else says in this thread.

 

I must not have paid attention to any scent in the bucket when I cleaned it. I didnt exactly stick my face in it and take a sniff, lol!

[IHaveADegreeInMarineBioBut]

what are you guys doing with so many pickles

[mcarroll]

[mcarroll]

21 minutes ago, Sarrakitty said:

Im still a little concerned using the water

First, do you think something bad would happen if you dipped a pickle in your tank? 

 

(No.  Pickle juice is mostly things that people often dose into their reefs already, like vinegar and calcium carbonate.)

 

All you have in the water is merely the scent from a pickle.

 

Nothing to worry about.

 

That just doesn't change the equation that buckets aren't the place to save a dime if you're going to be storing water.   

 

Something better doesn't have to cost anything at all, and no more than $3 or so.

 

(That said, I would not store saltwater, personally.  Just RODI water.  And of that, I'd only store enough for a few weeks or a month.)

[Wingy]

If your supermarket has a bakery you can ask them for a bucket that held doughnut filling.  They usually give them away.  The buckets from a bakery are food grade and often have a lid.  The Home Depot orange buckets are not food grade and I always worry that someone set something toxic inside.  

[Sarrakitty]

1 minute ago, Wingy said:

If your supermarket has a bakery you can ask them for a bucket that held doughnut filling.  They usually give them away.  The buckets from a bakery are food grade and often have a lid.  The Home Depot orange buckets are not food grade and I always worry that someone set something toxic inside.  

I actually work at a supermarket. I should go over to the bakery department and ask them if they've got something like that. I know other employees and sometimes customers take cardboard boxes for things.

 

That's a good idea, thanks for the suggestion.

[banasophia]

I’m imagining my yellow clown goby, Hank, singing Arlo Guthrie’s song... 🎶 I don’t want a pickle... 🎶