Instant Ocean Buckets?

[reefmarker]

Has anyone ever used Instant Ocean Salt Buckets?



They are a little smaller than 5 gallons and come with a screw on gasketed top, the top even has little locking tabs so they won't loosen on their own.  They are super heavy duty, and I'm sure they are better than food grade.  They stack well (with each other, they don't play well with other 5 gallon buckets) and are strong enough to put a couple of hundred pounds on top of them.  The buckets full of salt are just under 70 lbs and it is routine to see them stacked 5 high with no bad effects in stores. 

People use these for their saltwater fish tanks with fish and live coral that cost thousands of dollars EACH, so I am very sure they are at least as good as what the FDA considers food grade.

I have access to a bunch of them.  My only concern is that the salt has an intense smell when you get it out of the buckets, but once empty the buckets don't seem to keep the smell.  The smell may well be micro dust particles that get sucked up my nose and it's actually a burn instead of a smell, but I can't tell.

I've been using a bunch of Home Depot buckets, but I couldn't find the lids I know I bought and never used, and I spied my old store of Instant Ocean buckets and thought this would be great for storage.

[donaldj]

I can't imagine the aquarium salt being too much an issue.  I think I'd just rinse it out and be happy.

Personally, I don't keep food in direct contact with the plastic bucket, regardless of it's rating. Just go out and get a bunch of the 5 gallon mylar bags, or smaller ones and put a few bags in each bucket. You then have a very reliable airtight seal, and the buckets add extra seal, protection from the environment, protection from vermin, stackability, and ease of transport.

Really, the $ you save on buckets over time will add up, and that money can pay for the mylar, or the People Chow that goes into it.  =)

FREE is better than for cost if the item will do the trick.  =)

D

[reefmarker]

Thanks donaldj!

I never really thought about the bucket just containing the mylar bag.  That opens up an nearly unlimited supply of drywall/sheetrock mud buckets also for use in storage.

[inthego]

I used to own an aquarium maintenance Co. back in the 90s.  I was a Marineland partner for the lobster type aquariums in the grosery stores.  I used Instant Ocean and at that time they were FDA approved for use on lobster tanks...  If you can get them free (the buckets) load up!   

Great Idea by the way I am going to check with a local pet shop that sells salt fish and see if they can let me have a bucket or two. 

[reefmarker]

inthego,

The stores usually get salt in boxes for their own use.  I forgot about the lobster tanks.  I still work with a guy that maintains those and gets salt buckets by the pallet a couple of times a year!  Thanks for that idea!

[inthego]

inthego,

The stores usually get salt in boxes for their own use.  I forgot about the lobster tanks.  I still work with a guy that maintains those and gets salt buckets by the pallet a couple of times a year!  Thanks for that idea!

George of Jungle only here to help...