Top off containers, what you should not use....

[Gerwin]

So how many of you keep water in plastic containers for topping off for evaporation or water changes? most of you more than likely.
So I got this good customer who goes on vacation and tells his friend to add water to his tank every couple days (reef tank), and he does as told except this one day he grabs the container from outside the front door. You see this customer used plastic gas cans for his make up water and had several of them near his tank for convenience to his pal, apparently his friend only remembered the gas cans and not location, well lets just say this customer no longer has his tank and on last talk was wanting to sell it all out of disgust for his loss of beloved corals. From the discussion it seems everything dies REALLY FAST!

So what kind of plastic should you use? I would use plastic that has that recycle symbol on it or I believe the number 1, and mark them FOR FISH ONLY!!!

Story is absolutely TRUE no names have been given to protect the innocent and guilty

[Tyler]

What size tank was it and should we be expecting some new items to pop up on the classifieds section?

[don]

food grade containers marked[ FOR AQUARIUM USE ONLY!]

[bluwtr]

For my top off/water change water I bought 5 gallon buckets with lids from Lowes. I wrote on the lid of each one EXACTLY what goes in it. If i have someone sit my tank I put containers by the tank for them. I use a 20qt clear acrylic food container for the actual ATO. It's the kind large commercial kitchens use for stock, sauces etc. It has the graduations on the side and small handles. I like it because I know exactly how much water I've got in my ATO.

Not sure I'd want any of the "wet" equipment though...

[Doug]

My research on this was a few years ago, and for a slightly different reason-- building a hydroponic system. I wanted everything safe b/c all the nutrients and plant roots were going to be in constant contact with all the different plastics. IIRC, plastics marked 1 or 2 are OK, and look for the NSF symbol. I even called the manufacturer of Husky trash containers, who make some identical containers in white for foodservice use. I was told even their grey trash cans were food safe, which, as was said above, you can pretty much count on to be fish safe.

[Gerwin]

good info for storing water you might want to drink after a hurricane as well

[bluwtr]

Yeah, bit not my ATO if it got desperate--mine.has kalk!!

[TJW68]

For the last 6 months or so I just reuse the crack water jugs with no problems. Every water change I just swap the old ones out.