Barrel for water changes?

[citymouse]

I read that Brute is a good barrel to use for water changes, but I'm seeing a lot of different options and I'm wondering if some Brute barrels are not good for this use. This is a link to the one I was thinking of buying from Home Depot, but I want to make sure it's the right choice. It's a lot cheaper than the one they sell at the feed supply store, looks a little different too, but it says " Meets NSF 2, 21 approval and is USDA Meat and Poultry Group listed, ensuring regulatory compliance for food storage and ability to be cleaned." BUT it also mentions venting; "feature revolutionary venting channels that let air flow into the receptacle making liners up to 50% easier to remove." I'm not sure where that venting is or what this means. Can anyone help me with this? I'm trying to keep the cost down as much as possible but also want to make sure whatever I use is safe.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Rubberma...al-White-Round-Trash-Can-RCP2620WHI/100662697

 

[citymouse]

Actually, I'm just now seeing that the lid isn't included. So, is this one a better option? (hoping these links work here)
https://www.farmandfleet.com/produc...e-20-gallon-feed-seed-container-with-lid.html

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

The venting thing is just talking about a vertical groove so a bag doesn't get suctioned into the can when you are trying to remove it. Not something to get hung up on.

Are you ordering it online? Just go to the store and get the regular gray ones, they are safe and come with a lid.

 

[chefjpaul]

Whatever you get, make sure it says: NSF
It's Food grade material / restaurant standard.

 

[citymouse]

The venting thing is just talking about a vertical groove so a bag doesn't get suctioned into the can when you are trying to remove it. Not something to get hung up on.

Are you ordering it online? Just go to the store and get the regular gray ones, they are safe and come with a lid.

I was going to either order online or do a store pick up, I just wasn't sure if they were all the same quality and fish safe. The feed store is also nearby.

 

[Sacohen]

The grey ones at HD are safe and used by a lot of reefers that don't spend the money on a "water container".
But the feed ones should be fine since it is food quality.

 

[citymouse]

I'm getting a 215g tank. Any suggestions on how many gallons of water needs to be changed regularly? I was thinking of getting two 20 gal. barrels. I currently only have a 75g tank and use 5g jugs from the fish store, to mix the salt, but when they sit overnight they become room temp, approx. 72 degrees. I have to then spend forever heating each one up with the only spare heater I have right now.

My thought was that two 20 g barrels would be enough and I could keep heaters in them overnight. Although, I have no experience mixing this large amount of water with salt, will it be dissolved overnight? I won't be able to move them once they're full of water, so I figure they need to be mixed and sit beside the fish tank until it's ready. Right now I just lift the 5g jugs and shake them up. I'm new to a large tank and sump...well, I will be once it's all set up. Storage is also an issue, no basement, no garage space.

 

[moseley75]

I'm getting a 215g tank. Any suggestions on how many gallons of water needs to be changed regularly? I was thinking of getting two 20 gal. barrels. I currently only have a 75g tank and use 5g jugs from the fish store, to mix the salt, but when they sit overnight they become room temp, approx. 72 degrees. I have to then spend forever heating each one up with the only spare heater I have right now.

My thought was that two 20 g barrels would be enough and I could keep heaters in them overnight. Although, I have no experience mixing this large amount of water with salt, will it be dissolved overnight? I won't be able to move them once they're full of water, so I figure they need to be mixed and sit beside the fish tank until it's ready. Right now I just lift the 5g jugs and shake them up. I'm new to a large tank and sump...well, I will be once it's all set up. Storage is also an issue, no basement, no garage space.

You can get the barrel with wheels so you can move them around. An inexpensive circulating pump will stir the water for mixing and you can hook a pipe to it so you pump the water into your tank.

 

[Fin]

I would consider something bigger than 20 gallons. To me (and I have had a 200 gallon tank in the past), 20 gallon containers would be on the small side for a large system. The gray ones at Home Depot / Lowes are 30 gallon, I believe. I use the 30 gallon Brute's with the detachable dollies that I got from Lowe's for water changes on my 140. I also have two of the blue 55 gallon food grade barrels for fresh / salt water storage.

 

[citymouse]

I would consider something bigger than 20 gallons. To me (and I have had a 200 gallon tank in the past), 20 gallon containers would be on the small side for a large system. The gray ones at Home Depot / Lowes are 30 gallon, I believe. I use the 30 gallon Brute's with the detachable dollies that I got from Lowe's for water changes on my 140. I also have two of the blue 55 gallon food grade barrels for fresh / salt water storage.

So you would change more than 40g of water per regular water change? My thought was that it would be easier to have 2 small vs one large and also that it would make more water unless I had 2 large, but that also seemed like too much.

 

[Homer Allman]

Check your nitrate in those brute cans. I have one that gives my water nitrates when mixing. Water goes in clean and comes out dirty. It's now a trash can. haha

 

[citymouse]

Check your nitrate in those brute cans. I have one that gives my water nitrates when mixing. Water goes in clean and comes out dirty. It's now a trash can. haha

Which one did you buy and how long ago? I was reading somewhere that they made some changes over the years? This is why I was asking, because I'm wondering if some Brute barrels are not safe to use while others are.

 

[Fin]

So you would change more than 40g of water per regular water change? My thought was that it would be easier to have 2 small vs one large and also that it would make more water unless I had 2 large, but that also seemed like too much.

I use two 30 gallon cans when I do water changes on my 140. I don't fill them up to the top. Only 20-25 gallons (I have the inside of the can marked). I use one to drain my water into and another to hold the water going back in.

 

[citymouse]

I use two 30 gallon cans when I do water changes on my 140. I don't fill them up to the top. Only 20-25 gallons (I have the inside of the can marked). I use one to drain my water into and another to hold the water going back in.

I use a python to drain my tanks, so much easier. So you change a little less than 30g on a 140, do you do that every week or every other? I'm thinking if I get 20g it won't be full all the way, so I guess it would be less than 40g change. But I'm also thinking I'm going to have to lift and dump whatever is left at the bottom that the pump doesn't get, so it would be easier to lift the 20's?

I heading to Home Depot to see what they have now. Thank you everyone! Now I have some ideas on what to do. I also wanted to be sure the barrels are safe, that's what's most important really.

 

[Idoc]

Here's what I recently purchased and setup... They are 32g, come with a lid. The dollies that attach to the bottom of them run over $35 each! Another option are regular furniture moving carts, they work great.

https://www.farmandfleet.com/produc...ducts-brute-32-gallon-container-with-lid.html

I don't know about leaching anything into my water, though...I guess I gotta check!

 

[citymouse]

Here's what I recently purchased and setup... They are 32g, come with a lid. The dollies that attach to the bottom of them run over $35 each! Another option are regular furniture moving carts, they work great.

https://www.farmandfleet.com/produc...ducts-brute-32-gallon-container-with-lid.html

I don't know about leaching anything into my water, though...I guess I gotta check!

Those are the same ones I just bought at home depot but I got the 20g, I lifted them and decided I'd rather have the lighter ones. The wheels are so overpriced, but I don't need them, I couldn't roll the barrels full of water across my carpeting anyway. I plan on filling and mixing next to the tank and letting them sit overnight while the salt dissolves then pumping the water into the tank. I use a python to remove the water and we have RODI water tanks set up in the garage with a long hose to reach the fish tanks inside the house, this is the easy part...finding somewhere to store all these supplies is going to be impossible without a basement or garage space...I assume I can't store salt under the tank because of humidity.

 

[Sacohen]

I used the 20 ones also, but the 32 is cheaper at HD than what that place sells it for.

 

[Homer Allman]

Which one did you buy and how long ago? I was reading somewhere that they made some changes over the years? This is why I was asking, because I'm wondering if some Brute barrels are not safe to use while others are.

I purchased them this spring. 2017