Will Salt Water Go Stale?

raddog1 · 07/31/2007, 11:13 AM

I purchased 5 Gallons of salt water to do a water change with, then had to leave town before I had a chance to do the water change. When I get back it will have been a week. The water has sat in my garage in a sealed container. Is it usable still? Should I bother testing it first? Should I test for anything besides NH3, N02, NO3 or ph?

Is there a limit to how long you can store salt water mix?

brward5 · 07/31/2007, 11:17 AM

you may need to mix it some more to be sure the salt hasn't come out of suspension - test specific gravity. test for the standard 4 - nh3, no2, no3, ph and make sure they're in range. as long as it tests fine, you should be fine.
~Brian

der_wille_zur_macht · 07/31/2007, 11:23 AM

Where did it come from - a "live" system, the ocean, or did someone make it up from plain water and salt mix?

If there's nothing biologically active in it, it should be pretty much 100% stable as long as the temp and atmosphere aren't extreme. Aerate it a bit before you use it, by stirring or with an air pump.

raddog1 · 07/31/2007, 11:47 AM

The water came from my LFS, so its RO/DI already mixed with salt. I also by my RO/DI water for top offs there, since I don't have my own unit yet.

der_wille_zur_macht · 07/31/2007, 12:05 PM

It'll be fine then, just get it aerated and up to temp before using it.

ahullsb · 07/31/2007, 04:50 PM

agreed

07/31/2007, 11:13 AM	#1
raddog1 Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Vancouver, WA Posts: 36	Will Salt Water Go Stale? I purchased 5 Gallons of salt water to do a water change with, then had to leave town before I had a chance to do the water change. When I get back it will have been a week. The water has sat in my garage in a sealed container. Is it usable still? Should I bother testing it first? Should I test for anything besides NH3, N02, NO3 or ph? Is there a limit to how long you can store salt water mix?

07/31/2007, 11:23 AM	#3
der_wille_zur_macht Team RC Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: NY Posts: 17,749	Where did it come from - a "live" system, the ocean, or did someone make it up from plain water and salt mix? If there's nothing biologically active in it, it should be pretty much 100% stable as long as the temp and atmosphere aren't extreme. Aerate it a bit before you use it, by stirring or with an air pump. __________________ Inconveniencing marine life since 1992 "It is my personal belief that reef aquaria should be thriving communities of biodiversity, representative of their wild counterparts, and not merely collections of pretty specimens growing on tidy clean rock shelves covered in purple coralline algae." (Eric Borneman)

07/31/2007, 12:05 PM	#5
der_wille_zur_macht Team RC Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: NY Posts: 17,749	It'll be fine then, just get it aerated and up to temp before using it. __________________ Inconveniencing marine life since 1992 "It is my personal belief that reef aquaria should be thriving communities of biodiversity, representative of their wild counterparts, and not merely collections of pretty specimens growing on tidy clean rock shelves covered in purple coralline algae." (Eric Borneman)

07/31/2007, 04:50 PM	#6
ahullsb Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: sacramento, ca Posts: 2,729	agreed __________________ Andy Sacramento, CA Current Tank Info: 55 gallon reef w/20 gallon sump/ER135/ 75 pounds of live rock, 4 in sandbed, 2 b&w ocellaris clowns, yellow watchman/pistol, rosy scaled wrasse, Mystery wrasse, Copperbanded Butterfly, Lighting 48" outer orbit 2 150 mh/ 4 t5 actinics

07/31/2007, 11:17 AM	#2
brward5 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Washington, DC Posts: 131	you may need to mix it some more to be sure the salt hasn't come out of suspension - test specific gravity. test for the standard 4 - nh3, no2, no3, ph and make sure they're in range. as long as it tests fine, you should be fine. ~Brian

07/31/2007, 11:47 AM	#4
raddog1 Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Vancouver, WA Posts: 36	The water came from my LFS, so its RO/DI already mixed with salt. I also by my RO/DI water for top offs there, since I don't have my own unit yet.