Purification of Water Tanks

[Shack]

Wlearl & Sansa,
Thanks for the pointers. I live aboard and want to avoid shocking my tank with beach and then dumping overboard. H2O2 sounds like a friendlier alternative and the info you laid out here is great. I just ordered a Hach test kit. It provides for 100 tests and will be well worth the money.

Fair Winds,
Shack

[Hiracer]

Originally Posted by Scott730

Shack
Still have not gotten an answer to my question, starting to wonder if anyone really has used peroxide to treat their tanks. A lot of talk but still no specifics. I think I'll stick to something I know works and use bleach.

I use H2O2. I use 1% solution for a minimum of one hour. I purchase food grade (35%) and do the math to dilute to 1%.

I wear goggles when dealing with the 35% grade.

* * *

This information was provided in post #3 of this thread.

[Bill_E]

Originally Posted by Hiracer

I use H2O2. I use 1% solution for a minimum of one hour. I purchase food grade (35%) and do the math to dilute to 1%.

I wear goggles when dealing with the 35% grade.

I'd say that 1% is pretty high but it won't hurt anything and will probably take care of the random organic material in the water as well. Where do you get food grade H2O2? That's pretty high concentration but it'd be the easiest way to both shock and treat the water. Goggles and gloves and a long sleeve shirt.would be a good idea.

Bill

[Hiracer]

Originally Posted by wlearl

Where do you get food grade H2O2?

Internet and mail. Surprised me too.

[swagman]

FWIW we manually check each tank each year and rare to find anything that needs wiping out.
But we do add a part teaspoon of tank cleaner every month or so to the tanks. No we do not flush it out. We leave it in - and we're not dead yet.
JOHN

[Pblais]

Actually, it's the hoses that get bad the most. Not sure why people think it's only the tanks. If the tank is dark you can't grow algae. It's one of those because it's bigger things. It's the things that grow that you are out to get rid of. Anything green requires sunlight, and it does not need all that much. The hoses usually get a little bit of light in several places even if it is not so obvious.

The drug store H2O2 is 3%. Household bleach it also pretty tame too. Both can do the job handily even at diluted concentrations. Bleach at 100:1 is enough. You really don't want to mess with strong stuff. You are gently cleaning the water system you drink from not eradicating toxic waste. Concentrated H2O2 or chlorine will trash the plumbing and do a nasty job on your skin.

At best you are attempting to kill off some pretty much not so bad algae and maybe some other critters you captured and held hostage in the water system. If your water system is worse than that then you should be in the hospital. Water born parasites will die from the same treatments, but if you have them inside you you need medical treatment and treating the water system won't cure you even if it should be done. If you are not sick then a very mild treatment on a couple times per year basis is a measured response.