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11/06/2017, 07:28 PM | #1 |
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Vinegar “shelf life’
Perhaps a dumb question but I was wondering about all the gallons and gallons of vinegar I throw away after various pump cleanings. Could it be stored and repurposed a couple of times? I realize it is not as expensive as so many other things in our hobby, but every penny adds up. Your thoughts?
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Jack "Shellsea" 120 mixed reef, Reef Breeder Photon 48, Apex and a proud owner of a Lifereef Skimmer |
11/06/2017, 07:39 PM | #2 |
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I reuse mine but do a quick filter of it before I place it back in the containers.
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11/06/2017, 08:02 PM | #3 |
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That's hard to determine. Once the pH rises, bacteria might start growing in what's left. Personally, I'd just pitch it, but I used 10:1 diluted vinegar for cleaning most larger items. Do you have a pH meter that take pH 4 and 7 calibration fluids?
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Jonathan Bertoni |
11/06/2017, 08:41 PM | #4 | |
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Quote:
Yes I have 2 ph probes connected to my Archon. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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Jack "Shellsea" 120 mixed reef, Reef Breeder Photon 48, Apex and a proud owner of a Lifereef Skimmer |
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11/07/2017, 10:19 AM | #5 |
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FYI, the pH of 5% acetic acid vinegar is around 2.4. Most bacteria grow best at pH values in the nuetral range (7.0 give or take) Some can tolerate pH as low as 1.0. I reuse vinegar for cleaning from time to time but not for dosing.
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Tom Current Tank Info: Tank of the Month , November 2011 : 600gal integrated system: 3 display tanks (120 g, 90g, 89g),several frag/grow out tanks, macroalgae refugia, cryptic zones. 40+ fish, seahorses, sps,lps,leathers, zoanthidae and non photosynthetic corals. |
11/07/2017, 01:30 PM | #6 |
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Okay, with the a pH meter, you could try keeping the vinegar if the pH is above 4 or so. I'd be careful about mold growing, though. They can survive a lot. I'd watch the container and discard as needed.
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Jonathan Bertoni |
11/08/2017, 06:03 PM | #7 |
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Or just dilute muriatic as needed rather than storing gallons of smelly acetic acid.
You guys also save your shampoo for reuse? lol |
11/08/2017, 07:46 PM | #8 |
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I should have said, "as long as the pH is less than 4". More acidic solutions will give a better chance of stopping any growth.
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Jonathan Bertoni |
11/09/2017, 12:52 AM | #9 |
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Muriatic acid is much stronger , requires care and ventilation as the fumes are harmful. It is useful for large cleanups like tanks taken outside . For pump cleaning a soak in 50% vinegar and 50% water is strong enough , convenient and affords less risk to the user , the household and the pump seals. Obviously, covering / capping the muriatic acid or vinegar is prudent ; more so for the muriatic acid. Using stronger acid to clean a a pump would be like washing your hair with bleach and or or lye. I usually use a plastic coffee can to soak pump parts .If I'm doing several pumps or othr equipment over the course of a few days reuse works ok.
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Tom Current Tank Info: Tank of the Month , November 2011 : 600gal integrated system: 3 display tanks (120 g, 90g, 89g),several frag/grow out tanks, macroalgae refugia, cryptic zones. 40+ fish, seahorses, sps,lps,leathers, zoanthidae and non photosynthetic corals. |
11/10/2017, 08:26 AM | #10 | |
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Quote:
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Jack "Shellsea" 120 mixed reef, Reef Breeder Photon 48, Apex and a proud owner of a Lifereef Skimmer |
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11/10/2017, 08:36 AM | #11 |
RIP Ludinano
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If you keep the vinegar too long it will turn to wine.
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- Ken Current Tank Info: 240 gal Fish-Only, 13-gal w/ clowns |
11/10/2017, 10:07 AM | #12 |
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I think it's the other way around; ethanol oxidizes to acetic acid.
Shellsea, you are welcome. One other note: when using acetic acid ( vinegar in this case) to clean it dissolves precipitated calcium carbonate from abiotic precipitation, coraline algae buildups etc.;as it does so the acid is neutralized in adtion to CO2 weakening it.
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Tom Current Tank Info: Tank of the Month , November 2011 : 600gal integrated system: 3 display tanks (120 g, 90g, 89g),several frag/grow out tanks, macroalgae refugia, cryptic zones. 40+ fish, seahorses, sps,lps,leathers, zoanthidae and non photosynthetic corals. |
11/10/2017, 10:11 AM | #13 |
RIP Ludinano
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Bummer. I thought I had a great business idea for a second.
Guess I needed to use the sarcasm font.
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- Ken Current Tank Info: 240 gal Fish-Only, 13-gal w/ clowns |
11/13/2017, 07:24 AM | #14 |
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I re-use vinegar all the time. I do filter it into a separate bottle to store. At some point it doesn't work as well as it should and I pitch it. But I have also used muriatic acid mixed 1 part acid to 10 parts water and it's just a bit stronger than the straight vinegar. And in it's mixed form it's cheaper than buying a gallon of vinegar. A gallon bottle of muriatic acid costs more than a gallon of vinegar, but it makes 10 gallons when mixed to equal vinegar.
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11/17/2017, 10:35 AM | #15 |
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I recently dosed .25ml of vinegar 2 days in a new 50G system as an effort to normalize elevated Alk ad Ca in a new tank and see what effect it would have on PO4 at .5 ppm while I waited for my rowaphos, ozoneator, refugium substrate to arrive. Although I found the desired parameter change, I also found a huge cyanobacteria outbreak. I think all these elevated levels came as a result of hyper wet skimming and readjusting salinity with water changes. At this point the rowaphos will be online in a day or so but I'm also looking for a chloride based additive that won't effect Ca, Alk, of Mg.
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