water container that had chlorine - steps to ensure success?

[monkiboy]

i'm going to be picking up a water storage container for my new build that held chlorine.

 

i was trying to find information on how to clean it and any chlorine "residue" prior to its use with my reef system.

 

i was reading that about fish sensitivity to chlorine/chloramine and how it enters the bloodstream of the fish and can bind hemoglobin cells in concentrations as low as 0.001 ppm so i want to make sure i get this container cleaned and ready to go properly.

 

can i just rinse out with vinegar or with water? it's been used for bleach for a couple years, would it have permeated the plastic material and constantly leech?

 

once i do whatever is suggested, i can always easily test levels but i dont know if levels that are so low being harmful if any test kits on the market would have that kind of resolution. any ideas on that?

 

thanks for any input you can provide!

Edited April 8, 2013 by monkiboy

[Jan]

Hmm, good question. I wouldn't use it if you can't get the smell out of the plastic. I also wouldn't use vinegar and bleach together unless you know they wont have a negative reaction when mixed.

 

Why not just go to the Coca Cola plant in MD and try to p/u empty 55 gallon drums of their containers? They are food grade and used to house Coca Cola syrup. They rinse well.

[monkiboy]

Hmm, good question. I wouldn't use it if you can't get the smell out of the plastic. I also wouldn't use vinegar and bleach together unless you know they wont have a negative reaction when mixed.

 

Why not just go to the Coca Cola plant in MD and try to p/u empty 55 gallon drums of their containers? They are food grade and used to house Coca Cola syrup. They rinse well.

i don't know about the reaction or much about chemistry at all - i goofed off quite a bit in my science classes in high school. Mrs. Willer would slap upside the head right now if she heard me

 

i've gotten a lot of positive feedback about the coca cola plant containers like you have mentioned but those are much too small for what i want to do. the ones i'm going to be using are 160g.

 

thanks for the reply - hopefully we'll get this sorted. if not, looks like i'm going to have to buy new.

[scott711]

you can try clean it using decholorinator and/or vinegar to clean it. Then buy a chlorine test kit and fill it up with dechlorinated water and test the water.

[Muddy357]

I would fill it with water and then dump a bunch of dechlorinator in there and let it sit for a few days and then repeat.

[monkiboy]

ok, that's what i'll do then. i dont think many of the test kits out there have sufficient resolution to see such trace amounts if they exist which apparently can still be caustic to fish.

 

any other input on process or the testing or what i am trying to do is appreciated. thanks!

[jimlin]

+1 on the dechlorinator.

[swimmatte]

I got you covered on the chlorine removal. I have a couple thousand pounds of sodium thiosulfate. We can mix a highly concentrated batch inside the vat, let that sit, which will eliminate any chlorine residual, then we can rinse that.

[monkiboy]

I got you covered on the chlorine removal. I have a couple thousand pounds of sodium thiosulfate. We can mix a highly concentrated batch inside the vat, let that sit, which will eliminate any chlorine residual, then we can rinse that.

i dont know, you think that's enough? maybe i'll pick up a thousand or so more pounds at the nearby Na2S2O3 plant

 

thank you, sir!

[swimmatte]

We'll see, I'll just bring a 50 pounder with me and we can break into the rest if need be

 

Do me a favor, shoot me a text tomorrow morning to remind me to throw a bag in my car.

[DCReefer1964]

Rinse fill with water strong air stone, heater set to max. Chlorine will evaporate via gas. Rinse repeat and test for traces.

Edited April 8, 2013 by DCReefer1964

[Integral9]

Rinse fill with water strong air stone, heater set to max. Chlorine will evaporate via gas. Rinse repeat and test for traces.

+1 aka, Hot Tub.

[davelin315]

I have heard that saltwater binds up chlorine molecules which is why you can use regular tap water to top off without any adverse effects on your system. I have used tap water (OK, sometimes I just stick a hose in the sump and pump water directly in from the faucet) to do top offs without any issues.

[wade]

Put it outside in the sun. It won't take long to evaporate completely. If it still smells, your best bet is just RO/DI water (could try dechlorinator).

[monkiboy]

thanks for all the input - i think i should have my bases covered with the various options presented.