vinegar in plasitic bottle ?

[fishflorist]

I just get my 2 bottles of 99.5% glacial acetic acid and is about to switch the carbon source from vodka to vinegar.

I got 2 simple qustions here :

1, can I dilute it to a higher concentration than the supermarket vinegar, like 10%, 15% or even 20% ? because I have no extra dosing pumps to dose vinegar and I have to dose it with a small syringe . 50ml/day vinegar is too much volumn .

2. can I keep the vinegar (5%-20%) in a plastic bottle , is it safe for both vinegar and bottle ? cause I find the glacial acetic acid is all kept in glass bottles.

Thanks !

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Yes, you can dose a higher concentration as long as it is slowly, but high concentrations may leach stuff from some plastic bottles.

I've noticed my dosing pump tubing that sits in 5% acidity vinegar 24/7 has gone from clear to cloudy, probably from leaching of the plasticizers from it.

 

[fishflorist]

does this "leaching of the plasticizers" have problems to the ethylic acid solution itself ?

will it possible to be harmful to the corals ?

I'd find a large glass bottle , that must be safe enough. But definitely not the metal bottles right ?

I saw they sell big glass bottles in Saipan Island when I went there for honeymoon. I didnt buy it bacause they sells $16.xx ,that is quite expensive for a 2nd hand glass bottle I think, nice bottles though i guess they are more than 5L , I almost bought them , a little regret.. I can not find big glass bottle here now, only got some beer bottles. People are using too much plastic things now, hard to get cheap and nice glass containers.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

It won't hurt the acetic acid, but it could potentially impact the creatures in the tank. In teh US, large bottles of vinegar (1 gallon) are usually plastic. I expect those are OK.

 

[fishflorist]

Thanks Randy ! I will give the pliastic bottle a try..... 15% concentration I will make.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Look for high density polyethylene if you can find it as it isn't plasticized. That is what our food vinegar comes in.

 

[fishflorist]

How can I tell ? is that these high quality looking plastic, harder plastic ? we do not have plastic bottled vinegar here

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Our bottles say what they are made of on the bottom to facilitate recycling. These say HDPE. I'm not sure if they are labeled in China or not. HDPE is an inexpensive but not clear plastic. It is cloudy white unless tinted.

 

[fishflorist]

Our bottles say what they are made of on the bottom to facilitate recycling. These say HDPE. I'm not sure if they are labeled in China or not. HDPE is an inexpensive but not clear plastic. It is cloudy white unless tinted.

I guess I know what you are saying now. I maybe saw these letters on the bottle before. I think these bottle containing CaCl2,NaHCO3,MgSO4 from chemical manufacturer are that kind of plasitc, white , completely not transparent, I will check later.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

That sounds likely.

Good luck.