Plastic water containers may not be a good idea for storing water.

danny zubot · #1 09-02-2009, 02:05 AM

Good info, thanks for posting. I'm always a bit nervous about plastic these days, and not just in relation to our hobby. Plastics aren't good for people either, that has been proven. Knowing that the water in his container reacted in that way makes it easy to identify potential issues when first trying out a new container. I myself use a 10 gallon clear plastic container for a fuge. I haven't, or didn't notice ill efects when I first put it into action. I'm lucky I guess.

As for the IO thing....

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Definitely good to know! I also had no idea about the Instant Ocean either. I just bought a brand new pail, and now I'm thinking I should take it back for Reef Crystals...

...however, I think I need more info first...

Isn't Reef Crystal made by IO? If they are, shouldn't the same suspect be placed on Reef Crystals? Not that I'm sure I believe what was said about IO to be true, just felt like added fuel to the fire.

PuffLuv · #2 09-02-2009, 04:00 AM

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Originally Posted by danny zubot

Isn't Reef Crystal made by IO? If they are, shouldn't the same suspect be placed on Reef Crystals? Not that I'm sure I believe what was said about IO to be true, just felt like added fuel to the fire.

Good point! It looks like other people have had similar observations with IO & RC.
http://bb.wetwebmedia.com/viewtopic.php?f=23&p=24051

Maybe its because IO is less expensive salt than others, but I think its kinda funny how IO was used in experiments to culture cyanobacteria! (Second from bottom, right paragraph).

http://resources.metapress.com/pdf-p...l&size=largest

However, after reading Bourneman's article, I think Reef Crystals may be at least a better choice than Instant Ocean.

http://forum.marinedepot.com/Topic10....aspx#bm101263

fkshiu · #3 09-02-2009, 06:56 AM

His single observation is hardly scientific proof that such containers are automatically evildoers. As Ron mentioned, did Borneman (or more likely one of his lab assistants) rinse out the Brute prior to use? As a former lab rat myself I can tell you that simple things like this can easily get missed when you're a unpaid schlub who just pulled an all night cram job for a midterm.

Further, using "food grade" containers is no guarantee either. The whole bisphenol A issue was such a big deal because it was being used on numerous "food grade" containers for years.

I'm now on the lookout for a 55 gallon Pyrex cylinder, BTW

danny zubot · #4 09-02-2009, 04:59 PM

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I'm now on the lookout for a 55 gallon Pyrex cylinder, BTW

That sounds just like my mother 'n' law.

mike31154 · #5 09-02-2009, 05:19 PM

I agree that a single article is hardly sufficient evidence to start getting overly concerned. I use a rectangular rubbermaid container for my water change container. Don't think it's considered food safe but that doesn't mean it's necessarily going to leach a deadly amount of toxins in the several days it takes me to mix up a batch & do the change.

I do however use glass wine making car boys for my top up DI water. Not due to any worries re plastic, but more because the form is convenient and they work well with my lo tech air pressure top up system. The drawback with them is weight, they're significantly heavier than a comparably sized plastic container. I have several food grade 55 gallon barrels, one of which I will eventually use to contain my DI water. Right now I'm using it to collect the RODI waste water for use in the garden etc. I'll continue to use the rectangular rubbermaid to mix up my water change batches though.

mseepman · #6 09-02-2009, 07:12 PM

Mike, where did you get your 55 gallon food safe barrels from? I've been trying to source something like these in Vernon for a while without luck.

rayjay · #7 09-02-2009, 08:46 PM

I bought a bunch of the 55g barrels that had olives shipped in.
I would think they are food safe. I've been using them for about 15 yrs now.
I start my water in these to age it and then transfer the water to the 26g containers after aging, to make the salt solutions and top up water from.

mike31154 · #8 09-02-2009, 09:34 PM

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Originally Posted by mseepman

Mike, where did you get your 55 gallon food safe barrels from? I've been trying to source something like these in Vernon for a while without luck.

Hi Mark, seems to me I may have answered this before, but happy to oblige, maybe with more details this time.

Two blue barrels originally filled with glycerine (by product of manufacturing bio diesel) I purchased early this year at Swan Lake Nurseryland for $24 each. I haven't been there all summer and last time I was there, they had none left. The glycerine is used to make that skin friendly soap the ladies like. They were sold as rain barrels and that's what I'm using one of them for. The second one I've used to store RODI waste water for subsequent use in the garden or whatever. I still notice a bit of foam buildup when pumping water out of these barrels so I'll need to take a pressure washer or steam the inside to get all the glycerine residue out before contemplating their use for RODI water.

One whitish translucent and slightly heavier guage barrel I got from Mad Capper's Brewhouse on 29th Str around 43rd Ave. I'm a customer there and go about every month & a half to order up a batch of beer. Burt charged me $40 for the barrel I have. These have malt or adjunct in them and are definitely food safe but will also need to be steamed to get all the sticky, sugary goo out of them. When I was there about 3 weeks ago he still had a black one sitting there empty. I preferred the translucent one for the ability to see the liquid level in them. These have level marks molded into them at 5 gal intervals... which doesn't really help me at the moment since I decided to build a rack and have it laying on its side. The advantage to that is I'm able to use the two water tight openings for filling and draining. The caps are threaded and can be drilled out to fit adapters for a ball valve or whatever you decide you want on there.

I'm sure if you check the phone book, you'll find a number of other brew on premises businesses in Vernon. They will all have some of these barrels empty at one time or another. I've even been considering going to one of the big box supermarkets and asking about the 'olive' barrels. Might even get them for free there.