Acid to clean pumps of Calcium and corline?

[Freezerburn]

I saw some guy a while back in my old reef club took a bucket out and pour some kind of acid in it and would drop pumps and such that need cleaning in it. after a while he would pull them out looking brand new. He poured some on cement and it stared to bubble up. anyone know what that stuff is called?

[tonkadawg]

sounds like muriatic acid. I just run my in some vinegar water for about an hour - comes out looking good as new.

[GaryL]

sounds like muriatic acid. I just run my in some vinegar water for about an hour - comes out looking good as new.

 

 

most likely muriatic.... but not too safe in the tank....i agree with tonkadawg vinegar is probly the best cleaner we have for our tanks....and goes good on salads and subs too

 

 

http://www.skammich.com/crab.html

 

OMG!!!ROTFLMAO!

Edited June 29, 2008 by GaryL

[davelin315]

I wouldn't use straight up acid on a pump. I have a bottle of muriatic acid that I bought that was going to be used for pump maintenance but I don't want to melt anything with it... vinegar is enough to do the trick. I usually will soak the impeller in straight vinegar and pour vinegar into the impeller housing. For the rest of the pump I dilute vinegar and soak it in there for a bit.

[johnnybv]

Another option -- we stock it

 

http://theaquariumsolution.com/?q=node/186

[ctenophore]

I pour about a tablespoon of muriatic in a gallon of water. Cleans pumps quicker than vinegar, and the water is reusable for many pump cleanings. Just dedicate a small bucket with a lid for cleaning. One jug of muriatic will last you forever, and is a lot cheaper than vinegar (you have to use 100x as much vinegar)

[davelin315]

Justin, how long do you leave the pumps in the water and do you clean impellers and metal impeller shafts with this mixture, too?

[tonkadawg]

Justin, how long do you leave the pumps in the water and do you clean impellers and metal impeller shafts with this mixture, too?

 

yeah and do you do any sort of rinsing before moving the pumps back into the tank? Also, where's a good place to get the acid?

[ctenophore]

I run the 6200s in a 5 gal bucket (3gal water) for about a half hour. The pH of this solution is about 2, so it's pretty dilute. Still 10x as strong as vinegar though. You can put your hands in this water with no harm but if you have any small cuts they will remind you they're there. Adding the acid is very inexact, I use the "about right" technique

[ctenophore]

yeah and do you do any sort of rinsing before moving the pumps back into the tank? Also, where's a good place to get the acid?

Definitely rinse them! Tap water is fine. You can get the acid at home depot, one jug is about $9. In the garden section near pool supplies.

[flowerseller]

I too use muriatic acid to clean but NEVER put the impleller/magnet unit in because it can/will cause the bonding glue to come loose. I have learned this the hard way.

 

 

 

From a "hobbiest first" stand point, maybe John will let you try some of the stuff before requiring you to buy it from his store.

[YBeNormal]

Also, where's a good place to get the acid?

 

Home Depot or Lowes. It is sold as a cleaning solution for bricks and concrete and for reducing alkalinity and lowering pH in pools. It is very caustic though and must be handled with extreme care. In fact, it is so caustic that they are required to store it outside!

[jamesbuf]

It is very caustic though and must be handled with extreme care. In fact, it is so caustic that they are required to store it outside!

 

No need to say anymore, Vinegar it is.

 

And for what its worth, I got a free bottle of the E-Z clean stuff from the guy I got my deltec from, and it is pretty darn good.