Treating new water with some hydrogen peroxide

[chicago]

Been thinking about this.. I use Hydrogen Peroxide to keep some of my aqua tools and equipment clean. I like using it better than bleach.. anyways so on my vat I use as a mixing station it tends to keep a little bit of water at the bottom. so it is never really dry.. I am concerned that the unused water that sits for a week or two in between making water takes on some bad bacteria.

So Randy your thoughts.. can I add lets say half a cup or so of Hydrogen Peroxide to the that left over water.. and then add 50 gallons of new water and add salt to make a new batch?

in other words.. 1/2 a gallon of old salt water, plus 1/2 a cup of Hyrdrogen Peroxide, plus 50 gallons new RODI water and 50 gallon bag of salt. Issues?

thanks

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I'm not convinced that hydrogen peroxide is as benign as most people assume.

For example, I expect that a number of trace elements such as iron will be converted into the ferric (Fe+++) form which is much less soluble than the ferrous form and may precipitate from solution.

I think it is even possible that this effect is specifically why some people see positive effects on dinos when dosing their aquaria.

While I'm not sure that "bad" bacteria grows in new salt water (I kept mine permanently wet for years at a time), it is certainly fine to kill what may be there, and hydrogen peroxide is an OK way. I'd just rinse it out after doing it.

Why were you putting it into some old salt water instead of, say RO/DI?

 

[chicago]

They way my vat is set up. It’s hard to rinse and clean. Have suck water out from top. The vat has a bottom spiket to discharge water. But it’s in the side. Not underneath. So there is always a little salt water left in the bottom.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

What salt mix do you use? Some (like Reef Crystals) have organics in them that might spur bacteria growth. Most others do not, and I would not worry about those.

 

[chicago]

Yep. Your right on point. Forty years of going this. Used instant ocean and then Reef crystals. And got ugly brown organic sand clay build up. Then cleaning the vat mixing station was a marathon chore.
Using ESV , and or trying now aqua forest. Your thoughts. ? Thanks

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I'd avoid the Aquaforest Protiotic Reef Salt in this application since it may encourage bacterial growth, but their other salt mix lines and the ESV product should be fine.