Using bleach to clean filters????

[sarmo]

Does anyone use bleach to clean their filters? on some filter media i got it said to clean with bleach if filter was clogged and rinsing alone didn't clean the detritus out. it said to rinse until smell is gone then let dry. it seems every time i get the pads wet i can still smell the bleach. it's not strong but i have to much invested to kill it all.

any thoughts? thanks

 

[Krish]

I've never used bleach, but I would imagine if using bleach, you would mix many parts water: bleach ratio. Bleach is very strong and I doubt you would need much. If you are still smelling bleach, I'd keep rinsing the pad, and if still un-sure, then I'd just replace the filter pad just to be safe. Just my 2 cents

 

[sarmo]

i only used about a tablespoon in 2 gallons of water. so it was a weak mix. it did a great job of whitening the filters. i thought i heard once that if chlorinated water was left in a bucket the chlorine would evaporate?? if that is true shouldn't it be the same with the filters?

 

[Krish]

i only used about a tablespoon in 2 gallons of water. so it was a weak mix. it did a great job of whitening the filters. i thought i heard once that if chlorinated water was left in a bucket the chlorine would evaporate?? if that is true shouldn't it be the same with the filters?

Yeah...That was a pretty weak mix. I'm surprised you can still smell it! Just goes to show how strong that stuff is. About the evaporation with the filter pad, hmmm...not too sure...

 

[wrightme43]

Use prime to break the chlorine. Its a dechlorinator. If you can smell bleach it you know it doesnt need to be a tank.

 

[liveforphysics]

It will harmlessly raise the redox value of the water. Belive it or not, some people add 1/4tbls per 10gals of NSW when they do water changes.

Nothing to fear my friend, unless its a very small nano-tank or something, just a quick rinse will leave you more than safe.

 

[Paul B]

I have been using bleach for many things since the fiftees. I also use bleach on NSW at one tablespoon per five gallons. It makes the water much better. The only thing you should know is you should only use "Regular" bleach. If you use bleach with any additives or scents you could kill all of your animals in seconds. (don't ask)
Paul

 

[sarmo]

thanks a lot, why do you add bleach to your NSW? i used chlorox and i don't think it had any scents or other stuff... my total system is about 550 gallons.

 

[Paul B]

I add bleach because it raised the redox of water which is the water's ability to oxidize organics, it kills any bacteria, paracites or algae.
The first squid eggs hatched in captivity were hatched with Clorox treated water.
You can even salvage an entire tank (or store) of water that is infected with ich or any other disease by using a cup of Regular Clorox to fifty gallons of water. My 34 year old reef was treated this way in about 1975.
Paul

 

[uwscotch]

I agree with the use of bleach on filters. Especially those floss filters from Berlin type sumps. I cut those bags up and make small filters. Once flow is reduced, rinsing with water will not free them up. They need a soak in bleach. A good rinse and allow to dry/evaporate. A little bit of bleach into a tank will not do any harm. A Little Bit.

 

[Bouke]

Yah i use bleach to clean all the time works great just be carefull

 

[wrightme43]

Now straigten me out if I am way off base here. If someone is new, and unsure if it is safe to put bleach in saltwater, also more than likely having no idea of redox potentiol, also more than likely having no way of measuring ORP, how can you know it is safe for them to put bleach in the tank? I am not attacking anyone, I just disagree about adding bleach soaked filter media. If you have been doing this long enough, that you know what it will do chemicly yes I would say go for it, though there are better ways to raise redox, than bleach, or hydrogen peroxide, its your tank.
If a new person comes on and asks is it safe to add bleach soaked filter media to the tank, is it really wise to tell them to go for it? Or is it safer by far to tell them to remove, or nutrilize the chlorine?

 

[Paul B]

You always have to neutrilize the bleach. You don't ever want free chlorine bleach in your tank with animals. If you clean filters with it you have to rinse them for a long time or better yet air dry them. When I use bleach on NSW I wait a week and neutrilize it with chlorine remover.
When this hobby started we used to bleach our corals every couple of weeks to remove algae, dead corals of course, there were no live corals for sale in those days.

 

[liveforphysics]

The guys that "maintain" the salt fish torture tanks at the hospital my girlfriend interns for take the dead coral skeletons out once a week (maybe 2 weeks, i dont really pay attention) and toss them in a bucket with a bleach solution during the duration of the time that they dork around cleaning the glass and changing carbon and filter media.

That generally takes about 30mins or so. At that point, they simply lift the coral skeletons out of the bucket of bleach water, give them a shake and add them back into the tank. It really does wonders on removing the algae film that builds up on them.

I feel bad for the poor fish that live in those tanks with no places to hide, no nitrate lowering besides waterchanges, and a constant flow of new kids running up and pounding on the glass all day long...

 

[RockyHeap]

Geezus, I would never use bleach in any ratio near my reef tank, toss the old filter media, why risk it by "washing to make it whiter?".......I'm glad the rest of you are more brave than I.

Might as well clean your glass with some copper too, keeps all the bugs off the tank wall.

 

[spongebob lover]

well i just wanted to say i had no clue you could use bleach .
hmm yeah i'm not as brave as some of you are so i guess i'd just buy more filter media and more since i have no clue about measurements.

 

[sarmo]

other than adding a chemical neutralizer, how do you neutralize the bleach?
1-air dry the filter after several rinses
2-rinse several times to dilute

 

[SaltyTemple]

I use bleach in the laundry when washing my filter socks. But then I do another load with an addition of dechlorinator... Seems to work fine on my end.

 

[ethanriley]

Paul,

So with using natural saltwater you recommend adding bleach to it first before adding it to the tank? Should I treat with de-chlorinator after treating or just let it evaporate over night?

 

[liveforphysics]

Bleach (Sodium hypochlorite) is really not that scary guys. There seems to be quite a bit of ignorance baised fears about it. Its used in a ton of public drinking water.

Its made by just bubbleing chlorine gas through sodium hydroxide (NaOH). You end up with NaOCl. Now think about what your salt water is to begin with, HUGE HUGE amount of Chlorine and Sodium. The compounds in bleach have a very strong urge to react/bond with DOCs and other organic compounds in the water. Its nutralized in a matter of seconds, while cleaning the tank water and leaving no dangerous byproducts behind.

So, would I recomend doseing it onto corals or something? Hell no, it would be reacting with them. However, a little in the water(wont last past a few seconds) wouldnt hurt a thing, espically in a monster sized tank like he is describing.