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Reefboy4life 
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 Topic: saltwater storage tank
Posted: February 16 2015 at 1:09pm |
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I want to set up a simple saltwater storage tank to make water changes easier, my question is do i need a heater and powerhead running 24/7 once the salt is mixed and how long will it stay good i was thinking of mixing a month supply.
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90 gallon mixed reef
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Reefboy4life
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Posted: February 16 2015 at 4:36pm |
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anyone?
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90 gallon mixed reef
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AcroNem
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Posted: February 16 2015 at 4:52pm |
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The longest I've ever stored water (with a power head off and on,but no heater) was about three weeks. Didn't have any problems with it.
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150G mixed reef, growing coral farm.
Thirteenth year keeping reefs, always here to talk fish.
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Reefboy4life
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Posted: February 16 2015 at 7:10pm |
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so would it be best to just keep a heater and powerhead on 24/7 or is a heater not needed until water change day?
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90 gallon mixed reef
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Reefer4Ever
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Posted: February 16 2015 at 7:20pm |
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I heat mine the day before as it takes quite a few hours. I have gone 4 weeks no problem. I run a power head 24/7 on it.
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90 gal reef w/refugium
24 gal softie tank
11 gal nano anemone tank
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ReefdUp
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Posted: February 16 2015 at 7:35pm |
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I've had a barrel without a powerhead get a nasty biofilm on the top before, so I always run a powerhead.
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Diving since 2009, reefkeeping since 2007, & fishkeeping since 1987
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Reefboy4life
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Posted: February 16 2015 at 8:00pm |
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Ok thanks for the help, I figured I would need a powerhead 24/7 but I will set up a timer for the heater for the day before water change
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90 gallon mixed reef
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: February 16 2015 at 10:19pm |
If it were me, I would store the RO water and mix salt in just before the water change. RO water can be stored for a long, long time. I never heat water for water changes because the temperature difference is nothing, really. I do like to aerate the water during mixing before pouring into the tank. Aeration does seem to make a positive difference. Aeration can be a powerhead breaking the surface, a bubbler, or pouring water back and forth a couple times between buckets.
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Reefboy4life
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Posted: February 17 2015 at 12:21am |
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That's what I have been doing but it would be easier to have it pre mixed and ready when I need it, is there any particular reason why you wouldn't do this?
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90 gallon mixed reef
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: February 17 2015 at 7:48am |
The only logical reason is that I avoid using electricity and spending money on another pump to keep the salt water stirred. LaRue told me the other day that I am a "reef hippie"  I actually grew up in the hippie era, so to me that was a compliment. 
The illogical reason - I have a personal aversion to using old salt water. One time I used salt water that had sat in a 5 gal bucket with sealed lid for about a month. Without aerating first, I poured 4 gals directly into a 15 gal tank for a 25% water change. Within hours everything, I mean everything, even macroalgae was  . That was almost 20 years ago but, it haunts me to this day. 
Edited by Mark Peterson - February 17 2015 at 8:05am
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