Cleaning with vinegar

[flyline]

I moved had to break down my tank. The equipment has sat for a while I need to clean the tank, skimmer, pumps, overflow box extra. What I was wondering is when using vinegar what ratio do you guys use? Just straight vinegar or 50/50 or what. Also when cleaning your pumps do you run them in the vinegar, and after cleaning just rinse with fresh water and your good to go? Thanks for the help

 

[xxkenny90xx]

I've always used 50/50 and yes run the pumps in the vinegar

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Straight vinegar is probably fine too but the wife get mad if I waste too much vinegar

 

[Paul Sands]

Straight vinegar is probably fine too but the wife get mad if I waste too much vinegar

You can buy gallons of vinegar at Costco for like $5. Go get your own vinegar!

Straight vinegar is fine and then rinse. Soak in 50/50 overnight will loosen up some of the caked on gunk.

 

[Sod Buster]

Dilute muriatic acid, 10 parts water to 1 part acid. Vinegar will permeate the plastic and corrodes the magnets on your pumps.

@redfishbluefish

Do you know the citric acid formula also?

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Dilute muriatic acid, 10 parts water to 1 part acid. Vinegar will permeate the plastic and corrodes the magnets on your pumps.

@redfishbluefish

Do you know the citric acid formula also?

Is Muriatic acid really easier on pumps than vinegar? Or is it just that it's diluted more (couldn't you do the same with vinegar)? I'm not up for a scientific argument but I have been using vinegar for years with no ill effects

 

[TexasTodd]

get the 9% vinegar at grocery store. I use it straight

 

[Sod Buster]

This as stated by @redfishbluefish

 

[redfishbluefish]

Dilute muriatic acid, 10 parts water to 1 part acid. Vinegar will permeate the plastic and corrodes the magnets on your pumps.

@redfishbluefish

Do you know the citric acid formula also?

OK, my vinegar spiel again. Vinegar (acetic acid) is great for tanks, and any parts that are not metals covered with plastic (magnets on pumps come to mind). The reason is that acetic acid does not dissociate very well....actually very poorly dissociates....that is, forms free ions in solution. So what you have is a small "neutral" acid that now has the ability to penetrate plastics. Doesn't happen overnight, but repeated cleaning with vinegar will eventually penetrate the plastic, getting to the metal parts within. And now they rust and swell and eventually crack open the plastic cover. I have five Vortech wetsides that I can show you, so I know first hand. I no longer clean pumps/magnets with vinegar.

Now muriatic acid (HCl) or citric acid dissociate completely or are too large to get through the plastic. So if you wish to acid soak your wetsides (or any plastic coated metal equipment, such as pump bodies or impellers), I'd highly recommend other acids that are less likely to penetrate plastic. Two acids I'd recommend that are inexpensive and readily available are citric acid (3/4 - 1 cup made up to one gallon), or diluted muriatic acid (diluted 1 to 10). Muriatic acid is available at HD and a five pound bag of Citric acid (a life time supply) is available from Amazon or eBay for 12 - 15 bucks.

And FYI, a 1:10 dilution of muriatic acid will work faster than straight vinegar. You'll actually see the carbonate fizzy away.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

OK, my vinegar spiel again. Vinegar (acetic acid) is great for tanks, and any parts that are not metals covered with plastic (magnets on pumps come to mind). The reason is that acetic acid does not dissociate very well....actually very poorly dissociates....that is, forms free ions in solution. So what you have is a small "neutral" acid that now has the ability to penetrate plastics. Doesn't happen overnight, but repeated cleaning with vinegar will eventually penetrate the plastic, getting to the metal parts within. And now they rust and swell and eventually crack open the plastic cover. I have five Vortech wetsides that I can show you, so I know first hand. I no longer clean pumps/magnets with vinegar.

Now muriatic acid (HCl) or citric acid dissociate completely or are too large to get through the plastic. So if you wish to acid soak your wetsides (or any plastic coated metal equipment, such as pump bodies or impellers), I'd highly recommend other acids that are less likely to penetrate plastic. Two acids I'd recommend that are inexpensive and readily available are citric acid (3/4 - 1 cup made up to one gallon), or diluted muriatic acid (diluted 1 to 10). Muriatic acid is available at HD and a five pound bag of Citric acid (a life time supply) is available from Amazon or eBay for 12 - 15 bucks.

And FYI, a 1:10 dilution of muriatic acid will work faster than straight vinegar. You'll actually see the carbonate fizzy away.

OK well I've learned something new!

 

[Sod Buster]

Make that a sticky if vinegar is mentioned again. I've used muriatic on my vortech wet sides for years w/out a problem. My nyos skimmer instructions say to use the diluted acid. I am going to try the citric acid recipe soon, as my kids are 3 and 5, I don't want the muriatic around anymore, even though it's on a shelf in the garage.

 

[Paul Sands]

I’ve had a frag rack for about 20 years that I clean every couple of months with vinegar. I’ve left it in vinegar and water for a week or more occasionally when I’m lazy about finishing my cleaning. I’ve got sicce pumps that are over a decade old and get bathed in vinegar at least a few times a year. I feel like if this was a real issue, those things would be toast.

Seems like it’s more likely dependent on how good or crappy your equipment is as to whether vinegar is an issue.

 

[redfishbluefish]

I’ve had a frag rack for about 20 years that I clean every couple of months with vinegar. I’ve left it in vinegar and water for a week or more occasionally when I’m lazy about finishing my cleaning. I’ve got sicce pumps that are over a decade old and get bathed in vinegar at least a few times a year. I feel like if this was a real issue, those things would be toast.

Seems like it’s more likely dependent on how good or crappy your equipment is as to whether vinegar is an issue.

Vinegar is a fine choice for cleaning fish tanks and any and all plastic parts....including your frag rack. The issue becomes ferrous metal pieces that are encapsulated in plastic. The primary example are magnets in pumps. Specifically for me, the magnet on Vortech wetsides.

If equipment will be impacted isn't so much "dependent on how good or crappy your equipment" might be, but more the type and thickness of plastic encapsulating the magnets. I would surmise that different plastics have differing permeability to acetic acid. In addition, the thickness would also have an effect. All I know is that the type and thickness of the plastic on Vortechs eventually allows acetic acid to get to the magnet. I mentioned above, this doesn't happen overnight. I think my wetsides were 7+ years old. It all dependents on how frequently and how long you allow them to sit in vinegar. If I were to guess, I'd say I cleaned my wetsides 4-5 times a year by soaking in vinegar overnight.

I no longer use vinegar on my wetside magnets. On occasion the cage will be soaked in vinegar or diluted muriatic acid to clean off the coraline.

 

[flyline]

Thanks everyone for the replies, definitely food for thought

 

[nly04]

Sound like Vortech Wetside had issue or poor quality. I been use vinegar for years for cleaning all kind of stuff from magnet cleaner, magnet probe holder, tunze magnet and all kind of other stuff without issue. I notice recently I have few Ecotech Vortech Wetside magnet start cracking on me. And Ecotech does nothing to solve their problem.

 

[redfishbluefish]

Sound like Vortech Wetside had issue or poor quality. I been use vinegar for years for cleaning all kind of stuff from magnet cleaner, magnet probe holder, tunze magnet and all kind of other stuff without issue. I notice recently I have few Ecotech Vortech Wetside magnet start cracking on me. And Ecotech does nothing to solve their problem.

It's not that Vortech wetsides are poor quality. It's that the type of plastic and thickness of plastic eventually allows vinegar (acetic acid) to penetrate to the magnet, causing it to rust and swell. As I mentioned above, simply switch to using dilute muriatic acid (1:10 dilution) or citric acid (1 cup made up to one gallon), and you won't have this issue.

 

[ZoWhat]

Straight vinegar but be prepared when your head/nose are in tight enclosed spaces like your head down inside the tank..... your eyes/nose will water like crazy.