How Much Vinegar?

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A

AVALover5498

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Feb 24, 2007
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Sioux City, IA
I'm about to run to walmart to pick up some vinegar to clean out an old 40 gallon breeder. I'm going to fill it all the way to the top and run it for 24 hrs. How much vinegar should I pick up? I was going to get 4 gallons but If I need more I'll get it. Any answer is appreciated, I just need it quick!:) :nilly:



-Chris-
 
It depends on how much scale there is. I'd assume a quart would do, but a gallon would be about the same price. Dampen the towel with the vinegar and scrub away. You may want to get some razor blades to do a preliminary scraping. You can also spray the tank with vinegar a few times to let the acid in the vinegar do the work for you.

Brandon
 
AVALover5498;743981; said:
...I'm going to fill it all the way to the top and run it for 24 hrs. How much vinegar should I pick up? ...
Click to expand...

If the idea is to fill it and let it soak, then you will want 40 gallons. It needs to be used straight. It is the pH that does the work. By diluting it, you will average out the pH with the pH of the water. In other words, by using a 50/50 solution, the pH will be too high to do any good. Buy some muriatic acid and use that. It can be diluted without greatly hindering its ability to clean the scale. Still, muriatic acid used straight will remove it almost instantly. The fumes are nasty though.
 
Just a heads up...
I have been warned to be careful with using acids undiluted...or leaving them for long periods beacuse of the possibility of etching the glass.
Most common food grade vinegar is fairly weak and should be safe I would think, especially if used in an empty tank along with a little elbow grease and rinsed promptly afterwards. ;)
 
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