shelf life of RO/DI water

[knutcracker]

hi guys,

how long can i keep "un-mixed" RO/DI water sitting around? should I seal the bucket or leave it open? Thanks.

[Samper]

I just learned this also a little while back but if your container is clean/sealed properly it should be good forever.

[knutcracker]

the guy at the LFS also told me that it is good forever, but DON'T seal the bucket. Keep it covered, but DON't seal it. any clues as to who is right on this? thanks

[knutcracker]

guys, any ideas as to whether the bucket should be sealed or left open? and how long i can keep them for?

TIA. i don't want to let my 15g of water go to waste, especially having to drive 1 hr to get them in the first place.

[Reefland]

I guess it depends on your definition of sealed. Keep the RO/DI water in containers with lids and it should last plenty long enough to be used for top-off and water changes. This can be 5-gallon buckets with lids or Rubbermaid containers (FDA approved for food storage) with a lid.

[knutcracker]

thanks scott.

when i say "sealed" i mean "air-tight", i was told to not do that, just keep it covered. what's your take on the suggestion?

[Reefland]

The more air-tight the better I would assume. I personally wouldn't want to keep enough water made up that had to sit around for 2 weeks, I would try to cycle it faster than that.

[pisomojado]

I highly doubt it would "spoil" enough to matter after 5 years if it was in a clean airtight container. If your RO unit is good your getting nutrient free water, and the absolute worse thing that should be able to happen is a little algae/bacterial growth which exists in our tanks anyways.

[Penguin]

FWIW I use plastic milk jugs (washed and rinsed thoroughly beforehand of course) to store my RO/DI water. These keep the water just fine for at least a couple of weeks, and probably much longer.