How long does water stay good?

So if I kept a trash can full of pre mixed salt water in my garage, how long would it be good for? It is a brand new 35G trash can, never used for anything but mixing salt water, and it has a lid to keep stuff out of it but it isn't air tight. Without skimming or adding a power head, how long would you say the water would be good? It would be nice to have a reserve of salt water for refills and water changes.

 

its a tough call it really depend on the environment its stored in. like the bacteria already in the room . humidity etc.

some people say it doesn't go bad. but i have ended up with a couple funky smelling buckets. where i think it goes stagnant.

i would say a week or so. it will last longer in a tight seal container or if it has a powerhead

 

I always mix 2 days before a water change and keep a power head in there--why chance it?? Not that much of a pain

 

Buy a cheap power head to throw in there and you will be good to go! For 20 bucks it would be worth it...

 

With a small powerhead it is good for ever. But with no water movement, I don't know how long it will last, but I would not want to keep it over a few days.

Kim

 

Yea I have the trash can about half full right now, and it has been like that for about a week. It has just recently started giving off an odor. I have a cheapo powerhead in my tank right now that is going to be replaced next week. Then I will throw that into my can. I also have a 15G dog food container that is air tight(never had dog food in it). I have been using that to transport live rock and water from the LFS to my house. I am going to keep that full up as well. Thanks for the input

 

When I keep reserves of mixed water, I always test it for NH3, NO2 and NO3 before putting it into the tank. I also keep a MJ1200 in to keep the water turning. It's better to be safe than sorry. I lost 20G once because it did go bad, even with circulation and lid on the container. Ammonia levels were through the roof, turned dark green on my test. It got dumped obviously.

 

i keep mine unmixed and then mix it two days before with a PH

 

Bucket water

OK, I use a 32gal trash can, I have a 200w heater+300gph pump inside it.
I fill it up with tap city water, I treat it with tap water conditioner and after 24 hours i can use it to top off my tank, after i top off for a few days i must add more water "5gals" and i add more conditioner and wait 24 hours again before topping off..Yes there a smell to it when i only use a pump.. There was no smell when i had a pump running it w/air stone..I think it's because there's the top part of the water that stays there..My display tank did the same thing "smell" before i hooked up my overflow box, after overflow no smell.

PS. i stopped using the air stone because it makes the water evaporated to much and ends up dripping on the floor, and another thing thing is i don't put the lid on tight at all in fact it's 2/3 on and 1/3 off.

Thanks,
Mike


Edit:

Oh i just read you dont wanna use a powerhead or skimmer...I've been told always have the salt water turning. Friend told me that after it stops turning i have only about 2 hours then i cant use that salt water...Better safe then sorry

 

I'm guessing you used RO/DI for mixing so where did those impurities comes from? Has it happened again?