Cleaning PHs

koralias are getting pretty nasty. my plan is to mix up some vinegar and water (heavy on the water) and run them for a few minutes in a 5 gal bucket. i've also got a tire brush that i use for scrubbing rocks to get any stubborn stuff off. when i'm done, i'm planning on rinsing with RO water. will a minute's soak work or should i run them in the RO for a while? how worried should i be about any lingering vinegar?

 

I would leave them running in a 50/50 white vinnegar / water bath running over night. you shouldn't need the wire brush at all after that, an old toothbrush works just fine.

~Will.

 

Like Will said, the "stuff" will come right off after an overnight soak - I just use a soft bristle brush. I also use about 50/50 vinegar and just tap water. After it's clean, I'll actually run the PH for a bit in some RO water, just to make sure all the residue is gone.

 

Straight distilled white vinegar, don't dilute it. Its only $1.50 a gallon at wallyworld and lasts a long time if you don't cut it. I strain the big chunks out with a paint filter or a pair of the wifes old panty hose and put it back in the jug for next time. A gallon lasts me a year and still has low enough pH to be used over and over.
Undiluted works much faster and cleans better. There is no fear of screwing the tank up since it rinses right off, heck you can even put it on your salad!

I take my pumps completely apart so I can scrub the impeller magnet slots out well. If I plan to soak things for more than overnight I remove all rubber parts like shaft bushings and o rings since vinegar will attack rubber given time.

 

overnight, huh? then i'm assuming i would just run and airstone in my DT? my Fluval and skimmer contribute a little flow but i guess the airstone wont hurt matters any...

 

Straight vinegar works in less than 1 hour. Soak it maybe 30 mins, pull the pieces out and hit them with a toothbrush, soak again and rinse and they are ready to go.

 

right, right. thanks all! it's scrub-a-dub time! laters