Rubermaid Brute trash can

[ElGuappo]

i just bought one of these and wonder if anyone else is using them for Ro stroage????

[parkinsn]

I use them for WC's. Works great.

[OceanicCorals-Ian-]

They are fine to use. Rinse new cans with a 50/50 Vinegar and warm water solution before using for the first time.

[banditpowdercoat]

Yup, got 2. Thinking of something a little more easy on the eyes though, considering they are in my dining room!!!!

[mark]

probably one of the more popular storage containers people use

[kien]

I thought Myka or someone posted this to canreef some time back but I couldn't find it for some reason... anyway..

http://www.barrreport.com/showthread.php/6196-BEWARE!-Rubbermaid-trash-cans?p=44964

[christyf5]

I've been using one for about the last 6 months or so. Water stored in it for about a week or so starts to have a funny sort of sour smell to it. I checked all parameters that I can test for and they all check out but I wouldn't be surprised if "something" leached from it. I've had too many tank problems, not caused by anything I can link to the brute can, but wouldn't be surprised if it contributed to future problems or was contributing to the present ones. No problems with coral growth or fish, mostly algae. As soon as I get my new tank up and running I will be storing RO water in a large topoff glass tank (not as large as the brute though) and return the brute to its ideal use, as a garbage can.

[OceanicCorals-Ian-]

Originally posted by Eric Borneman as documented by his experiences.....



"During our annual spawning work in Puerto Rico, we had one night where we collected about 600,000 gametes. On putting them under the scope, we found that sperm motility was bad to none. Hence, fertilization was very very low. This was very unusual. Over the next few days of development, many of the fertilized eggs had arrested development, abnormal development, died, or underwent embryonic fusion.

Since a major focus of the work was to cryopreserve sperm for genetic banking, we quickly wondered what could have gone wrong. I had purchased the standard grey Brute trashcan that almost everyone I know uses (you can put rollers on the bottom). When rinsing it, the water beaded on the surface but it was rinsed well and wiped with DI water. Nonetheless, the egg bundles were kept for experiments in 0.22 micron filtered water taken from that trash can that itself was filled with 0.5 micron filtered NSW.

Upon adding tiny amounts of this water to sperm acquired from another source and not exposed to the water in the trash can, the sperm became immotile within minutes.

Basically, the plasticizers in the trash can are highly highly toxic to sperm. Another group had a similar experience using new plastic containers (not the Brute trash can) on another night but did not test or have available healthy sperm to check for plasticizers being a cause.

The point here is that for all of you (including me) who use plastic containers, and definitely the almost industry standard" grey Brute trashcans to store water or kalkwasser, have highly toxic plasticizers. We do not know if these would leach out if soaked, exposed to UV, acid-base washed, if it is a coating, or impregnated. But, at the very least using water from these containers, definitely when new, will cause reproductive failure and who knows what other chronic effects it may have.

Some of you may be saying - as I have - that you have used them for years with no problems. Well, no problems you can directly find or can observe. It's like our test with Instant Ocean salt mix - I used it for years with no apparent issues, but in a controlled experiment, it perfomed terribly, caused chronic cyanobacterial films, and species died. Perhaps the resilience of healthy diverse tanks mitigates the issues, but when used alone, the effects are obvious. Perhaps the plasticizer is a new one, or perhaps it leaches out in time. We don't know.

I have posted a photo of the offending trashcan. Beware all plastic products that are flexible and that bead water when wetted."

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm288/EricHugo/181912_300.png

I still use them myself with no issues but the ones I use have been in use for a very long time.......

[fkshiu]

I've used brutes for years without issue as have many others.

I have a funny feeling that one of Borneman's lab assistants forgot to rinse out a Brute upon initial use which resulted in the bad things happening.

[OceanicCorals-Ian-]

I've used brutes for years without issue as have many others.

I have a funny feeling that one of Borneman's lab assistants forgot to rinse out a Brute upon initial use which resulted in the bad things happening.


I agree 100%, I totally recommend the Vinegar 50/50 warm water solution when new. I think it is the mold release chemical that is causing the issues.