Cleaning tank with vinegar question

[jbjints]

Hello:

I am hopefully going to be able to set my tank up in a few weeks and I was wondering how I can clean about the salt buildup on my overflows and the tank in general? Is vinegar okay to use to soak the salt buildup with and then wipe it off after allowing it to sit for awhile?

I tried using warm water but I literally have to scrape the buildup off. What would you recommend I do to clean my tank?

Thanks,

Joe

 

[jledon4]

vinegar will make any type of calcification disintegrate in a moment. the best way to do it is soaking it for a while and then just remove it by wiping it with a cloth or sponge. this is how i clean all the my powerheads and skimmer, it will make your life easier. just make sure non of that vinegar gets in your running tank, many bad things may happen.

 

[gparr]

Yes, vinegar will get the job done. Just rinse it off when the deposits are dissolved. On large, flat surfaces, soak paper towel in vinegar and lay the paper towel on the surface. It'll soften up the deposits and make them easier to scrape off. Whenever you scrape surfaces with a blade, be sure water is involved. It will help minimize scratches.
Gary

 

[jbjints]

vinegar will make any type of calcification disintegrate in a moment. the best way to do it is soaking it for a while and then just remove it by wiping it with a cloth or sponge. this is how i clean all the my powerheads and skimmer, it will make your life easier. just make sure non of that vinegar gets in your running tank, many bad things may happen.

Thank you very much for the replies. I was going to soak my tank with vinegar because it needs it but if I miss some of the vinegar I will run in to problems when I finally get my tank up and running? If that's the case I am not sure using vinegar is a good idea. I know there always could be bumps in the road when setting up a tank but I do not vinegar to be the reason that my tank has issues. With hot water and a little elbow grease should the salt buildup also eventually come off?

Thanks,

Joe

 

[skinz78]

What I do is place the tank outside on my patio and fill it with water and a gallon of vinegar. Then I place all the powerheads that I have to clean in it as well and turn them on. Let it sit overnight soaking and then drain and start scrubbing.

I don't think you will have a problem with vinegar in the tank.

 

[btkrausen]

Yeah, I clean all my equipment that stays in the tank with vinegar. Usually get a rubbermaid container, fill it up water and vinegar, and let it soak for a few hours. The calcium build ups usually just fall off after that.

 

[gparr]

I use vinegar as much as I use water to clean reef equipment. Just rinse thoroughly. Keep in mind that many people dose vinegar as a carbon source. In small amounts it won't hurt a thing.
Gary

 

[skinz78]

I have also heard of people using vinegar in their Kalk mix just to help break it down a bit further.

 

[Anthony Calfo]

really safe indeed to use vinegar. I use the strongest I can find and I have even used (careful!) dilute muriatic acid to clean some equipment.

For the tank water line, plumbing fittings, overflows...places above water, or ones you can expose briefly enough, I like to soak a cloth or paper towel (if strong enough) with strong vinegar and lay it wet on the encrusted surfaces for some minutes (or hours LOL). When possible, this is more effective than a dilute soak, short of using a lot of vinegar.

Running your pumps and skimmers overnight in a bucket of strong vinegar water (say, a cup of vinegar per gallon or two of water) cleans impellers and venturis like a whistle. have chatted with many aquarists through the years that never cleaned their skimmers and after a year or three decided the declining performance meant they had to buy another skimmer! Oi! Just an overnight vinegar run quarterly insures you get your money's worth.

Some great skimmers such as Aqua C HOBs are notorious IMO for needing such attention. When clean, they work superbly and quite plug and play.

Stream pumps, return pumps, etc...give them all a good rinse a few times per year at least. It would br ironic to keep paying for the electricity to run them and not get their potential performance. LOL