I have done plenty of reading on this topic because i have some used filters and tank that had lot of deposits and organic waste buildup in the filters. i have spent many hours cleaning up the 45 gal glass tank and filters with simple water. I soaked them all in freshwater for a few days. Then i would scrub at the deposits and calcium flakes would peel off. I found that the deposits scrub off easier when soaked in tap water for couple of days. I got out 80% of the deposits this way.
All the equipment is still in my backyard, and for the next step, i want to clean up all the buildup inside filter tubes and hard to reach areas. My idea to do it is to soak the entire equipment set in water + acid solution and let it sit for a day. I decided to use the 45 gal tank as the container (and it has some calcilum buildup still stuck to some parts of glass). I have bought 2 gal of vinegar, but its only 7% acid. My tap water is around ph 7.9 (with KH about 150 ppm). A weak acid + water solution may not do the job. So i am contemplating the addition of muriatic acid (15% Hcl at home depot) to the 45 gal of water and let everything soak and take away the calcium deposits.
I want to keep a weak acid solution of 45 gallons, so that the calcium and organic waste will dissolve into the water in about a day or two of soaking. I can keep testing the ph drop in the 45 gal tank, as i slowly add the water. The only thing i am not sure about is ......"what would be the optimal ph i should attain by adding muriatic acid, so that the 45 gallon water will be able to disslove away all the calcium deposit and organic waste thats sticking to the inside of the filter parts". I understand the answer would partially depend on the amount of deposit and wastes i have. The deposits are now minimal, and mostly i am doing this to reach the hard to reach parts of the filters (couple of fluvals and couple of biowheels and a acrylic 20gal). I dont need this 45 tank now, and can let it sit in my backyard.
I am also wondering if leaving a water + Hcl solution (say at ph6) for a couple days would etch the glass. I have read elsewhere that pure muriatic acid (at 30% concentration or more) is used to etch glass. But i have access to only a 15% muriatic acid, and that too i will be diluting by adding it to the 45 gal of water.
comments welcome (other than the usual warnings about using muriatic acid - i have read plenty on the net, and decided to use it - it is stronger than vinegar and the price is much better than vinegar at $8 for 2 gals here in SF bay).
All the equipment is still in my backyard, and for the next step, i want to clean up all the buildup inside filter tubes and hard to reach areas. My idea to do it is to soak the entire equipment set in water + acid solution and let it sit for a day. I decided to use the 45 gal tank as the container (and it has some calcilum buildup still stuck to some parts of glass). I have bought 2 gal of vinegar, but its only 7% acid. My tap water is around ph 7.9 (with KH about 150 ppm). A weak acid + water solution may not do the job. So i am contemplating the addition of muriatic acid (15% Hcl at home depot) to the 45 gal of water and let everything soak and take away the calcium deposits.
I want to keep a weak acid solution of 45 gallons, so that the calcium and organic waste will dissolve into the water in about a day or two of soaking. I can keep testing the ph drop in the 45 gal tank, as i slowly add the water. The only thing i am not sure about is ......"what would be the optimal ph i should attain by adding muriatic acid, so that the 45 gallon water will be able to disslove away all the calcium deposit and organic waste thats sticking to the inside of the filter parts". I understand the answer would partially depend on the amount of deposit and wastes i have. The deposits are now minimal, and mostly i am doing this to reach the hard to reach parts of the filters (couple of fluvals and couple of biowheels and a acrylic 20gal). I dont need this 45 tank now, and can let it sit in my backyard.
I am also wondering if leaving a water + Hcl solution (say at ph6) for a couple days would etch the glass. I have read elsewhere that pure muriatic acid (at 30% concentration or more) is used to etch glass. But i have access to only a 15% muriatic acid, and that too i will be diluting by adding it to the 45 gal of water.
comments welcome (other than the usual warnings about using muriatic acid - i have read plenty on the net, and decided to use it - it is stronger than vinegar and the price is much better than vinegar at $8 for 2 gals here in SF bay).
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I was only contemplating adding 1 gallon of either vinegar (6%) or muriatic (15%) to be added to the 45 gallons of water i would have in the tank and letting it sit for a day. Now that i have some idea, i will experiment with vinegar first and report here back in a week about how it goes. If that does not work then i would switch to Hcl. At these high dilution levels, i dont suppose i would need to use baking soda to neutralize anything before i throw out the water. I plan to simply dump the water out to by apple /orange trees and refill the tank/filters with water again to sit for a few days with some dechlorinator added.