Cleaning out bottles...? Safe yet?

ooja3k

The Reef Producer
I have a twin dosing pump coming and I had to get some containers to drill an airline into to hold the 2 part that i will be dosing...

So I purchased 2 32oz. bottles to hold the b-ionic 2 part. These bottles however were not empty. They had mrs. meyers organic cleaning concentrate.

Found Here

I thoroughly rinsed the containers in warm tap water, and once no smell nor bubbles remained, i now have them soaking in a bucket of hot water and "chlorine free bleach". Will the bleach neutralize any cleaning agents left in the bottles???

Basically I want to make sure these bottles are thoroughly cleaned before anything placed in them is dosed into my system..

Will they be totally clean tomorrow after air-drying???

Should I do anything else to clean them out better???


Thanks in advance!!!
 
32 fluid oz is only 4 cups... you can find better containers at lowes or homedepot. Plastic mixing tubs, 2g buckets, etc.
 
no i know its a small amount. But it will hold plenty of b-ionic, yet still fit under my sump. my tank is only 30 gallons and only requires 15ml each part per day. at that rate, the small containers would last 2 months.

and plus, they have to fit in the extremely limited space under my sump..

But again, as far as cleaning them, what more should I do?
 
I went to the market to get some full strength regular bleach... I don't think the chlorine free bleach was very potent...

They are now soaking in 3gal of hot water with some bleach. They already smell like nothing and should be plenty clean when they are done soaking overnight...

Thanks for the help guys!


More comments / suggestions are welcome!
 
Truthfully, I wouldn't risk it. I know the cleaner is "organic", but there could potentially be some nasty stuff in there as far as the tank's concerned, and it could have been absorbed into the plastic. Ask this question in the Chemistry forum to see what they say. I'm thinking they'll advise against it as well. What about those 1g Orange Juice jugs? That's my primary container for 2-part mixes.
 
I agree with everyone else. It's not worth it. Bottles or utensils that were around chemicals would never get near my tank and that includes any type of product that is marketed as organic.

However, even after all the advice to find a different container, it seems like you are set on using them no matter what everyone has said.

Joyce
 
Im not totally set on using these.

I appreciate the opinions of everyone else. I will try to find some alternatives to what I already have that have never held a chemical in them.

The tricky part is finding containers small enough to put behind my sump... Between the wall and back of the sump. Which is roughly 3 inches.

Some sort of drink container sounds good, as once its cleaned, there could be no chance of a chemical residue on it.

Any other options for containers you guys might think of?
 
well i have the 16oz bottles now, and the airline for the doser couldn't be inserted into the bottle... im assuming the 32oz bottle has the same lid.


I have been thinking of other options, and I realized that a 32oz. Gatorade bottle would be perfect. I think. How would I rinse it thoroughly though to ensure no gatorade residue would make it into my tank??? Or, if the 32oz bottles have a non-spout lit, then I could make that work no problem...
 
The Gatorade bottle should be just fine. Nothing in there is going to be toxic to your tank. That's my container of choice for culturing phytoplankton, and phytoplankton is very picky about many foreign chemicals.

It may still be a little too big, but have you looked at those skinnier drink bottles, like the ones used for Ruby Red Grapefruit juice or Tropicana Twister? I also have very limited space under my sump, and that's what I use for my skimmer overflow.

3" isn't much to work with. What I ended up doing was buing a fairly inexpensive cabinet (Target special) to put beside my tank, and that's where I hide all my dosing equipment, plust test kits, cleaning supplies and all sorts of other things. Since it's right up against my tank stand, you can't see any of the tubing running from the cabinet to the sump.
 
I got 2 of the 20oz. Gatorade bottles. That amount of 2 part should last a little over 30 days...

I have definitely thought about the cabinet idea. I only have 3 inches where the side of the stand is closest to the wall. Once past that, i have about 4.5 inches to work with between the sump and the wall itself as the back of my stand is open. But as soon as the stand is full, (soon), I will most likely do the cabinet thing to hold the future extras.


Once again, thanks for your help everyone. Who knows, the cleaned bottles might have been ok, but like everyone has said, "Its not worth it."

Thanks!
 
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