What to do with bleach solution after cure.

[MnFish1]

So it sounds like I need to figure out how to get it into an inside drain and not into the storm drain. This is getting a bit tricky.

Is it ok during the cure to have a lid on the garbage can?

yes

 

[MnFish1]

So everyone is debating minutiae - including me.... in reality....


1. If you're going to keep things in buckets for days - the chlorine therein shoudl be less (get a chlorine test)
2. If you live in an area where (as I do) - street drains drain directly into local waterways - DONT DO IT
3. If you want to calculate the amount of dechlorinator/peroxide, etc to fix the problem - do it.
4. Dont rely (unless there is circulation) that keeping something outside will be sufficient.

The goal here is not 'to get rid of the water' - and as others have said - If you're using saltwater thats a totally different thing). the goal is to get rid of it safely for the stuff thats exposed down the line

 

[Frysize]

bleach water (the kind you drink) has 1/8 of a teaspoon to 1 gallon of water.
This solution (a 1:10 dilution) meaning 1 teaspoon to 10 teaspoons of water is FAR more concentrated - and certainly not drinkable.



Its not recommended to mix more than several tablespoons of bleach and peroxide. I dont think this will work well for 80 gallons of bleach water.

Bleach water is not the same as 1:10 diluted bleach (unless you can give a reference) - there are reasons why municipalities dont allow it.


I agree with you - this solution is far higher than 20-30 ppm lol. 8.5% bleach (standard) is 85000 ppm. Diluted 1:10 ITS 8500 PPM - It would definitely kill grass, etc

That’s why you let it sit in the sun first. 1:10 dilution doesn’t tell you how much bleach is in the water. Is he using a sodium hypochlorite that is 10% or is it 5% concentration? Plus he has diluted this 1:10. It’s not as much chlorine as you think. But better safe.

 

[MnFish1]

That’s why you let it sit in the sun first. 1:10 dilution doesn’t tell you how much bleach is in the water. Is he using a sodium hypochlorite that is 10% or is it 5% concentration? Plus he has diluted this 1:10. It’s not as much chlorine as you think. But better safe.

Apologetixally - a 4o gallon brute trash can int he sun is not the same as a 2 inch plate of water. The whole amount needs to be exposed to sun - to be equivalent.

Come on. The point is - Just be responsible. Dont toss a bunch of chlorine down the street into the drain - because someone supposedly (which they didnt) drink it int he military).

Dont just make up - keep it in the sun for 24 hours then dump it - no now knows.

The fact is - the only way one knows - is to test the chlorine. Other than that its total silliness.

That is - if you care about the fish, etc downstream. There are so many misconceptions here - its really kind of unbelievable.

 

[MnFish1]

That’s why you let it sit in the sun first. 1:10 dilution doesn’t tell you how much bleach is in the water. Is he using a sodium hypochlorite that is 10% or is it 5% concentration? Plus he has diluted this 1:10. It’s not as much chlorine as you think. But better safe.

BTW - it does. you look at the amount of bleach - then you dilute it 1:10 - assume thats correct - you know exactly how much bleach is in that solution at that time. You're right - after 24 hours you dont know - but thats the key point - you dont know - so either measure it - or stop pretending you know

 

[Frysize]

Apologetixally - a 4o gallon brute trash can int he sun is not the same as a 2 inch plate of water. The whole amount needs to be exposed to sun - to be equivalent.

Come on. The point is - Just be responsible. Dont toss a bunch of chlorine down the street into the drain - because someone supposedly (which they didnt) drink it int he military).

Dont just make up - keep it in the sun for 24 hours then dump it - no now knows.

The fact is - the only way one knows - is to test the chlorine. Other than that its total silliness.

That is - if you care about the fish, etc downstream. There are so many misconceptions here - its really kind of unbelievable.

I’m not encouraging anyone to dump anything down a storm drain. I’m not saying that it’s safe to put on grass. I’m not trying to make an argument. I just think that after the chlorine has been in a container with rocks and has been sitting in the sun maybe after diluting it further I would pour it on my lawn or over a patch gravel. I don’t think it’s that big a deal. I wouldn’t spend money to get rid of this water. That’s all.

 

[Frysize]

I’m not pretending to know. That’s why I said awhile because I don’t know. That’s also why I said once it don’t smell like chlorine anymore because I don’t know.

 

[MnFish1]

I’m not encouraging anyone to dump anything down a storm drain. I’m not saying that it’s safe to put on grass. I’m not trying to make an argument. I just think that after the chlorine has been in a container with rocks and has been sitting in the sun maybe after diluting it further I would pour it on my lawn or over a patch gravel. I don’t think it’s that big a deal. I wouldn’t spend money to get rid of this water. That’s all.

Right - so I was just saying - when you don't know - dont recommend things? Test the chlorine level with a test kit as a minimum - before you dump it on your lawn lol. How much would it cost to reseed 80 gallons of lawn.

 

[WVNed]

I would dump it in the yard or on the driveway or whatever. It will do nothing.


Myth #5: Bleach is harmful to the environment.


The two substances that react to form bleach—chlorine and sodium hydroxide–are made by conducting electricity through salty water. As bleach is used to destroy germs, it reverts mainly to salty water.


Fred Reiff, P.E., is a retired official of the Pan American Health Organization.
Argue with these guys.

The Water Quality & Health Council is an independent, multidisciplinary group sponsored by the Chlorine Chemistry Division of the American Chemistry Council, an industry trade association. The group comprises scientific experts, health professionals and consumer advocates who serve as advisors to the Chlorine Chemistry Division of the American Chemistry Council.

 

[Frysize]

Right - so I was just saying - when you don't know - dont recommend things? Test the chlorine level with a test kit as a minimum - before you dump it on your lawn lol. How much would it cost to reseed 80 gallons of lawn.

Ok man. I guess you bested me.lol, I only chimed in to attempt to help someone save some $ because I work with chlorine everyday. And I do know that the sun destroys this stuff really quickly without the presence of cya.

 

[MnFish1]

Ok man. I guess you bested me.lol, I only chimed in to attempt to help someone save some $ because I work with chlorine everyday. And I do know that the sun destroys this stuff really quickly without the presence of cya.

I didnt best - you - and I never tried to 'best you'. But - I'd be interested in your experience with 1:10 diluted chlorine bleach on a day to day basis. (seriously) - Most people dont. Most people who think they do - don't.

 

[j.falk]

 

[Stigigemla]

Chlorine is harmful for the environment. In Europe it is forbidden to bleach paper with it in paper mills.
When it is reacting with organic substances some organic chlorinated compunds will occur that is poisonous and have long breakdown time in nature. (search dioxin)

In 1971 i was canoing with a friend near a paper mill in Dalsland, Sweden. We were fishing and my friend did get a pike of about 7 pounds. The lenght of the head was almost half the lenght of the whole fish. Normally the head of a swedish pike is about 1/5 or 1/6 of the total length. We didnt eat it and stopped fishing. We knew that we couldnt eat any fish from that water. That was before chlorine was forbidden. Still today some fishes from the Baltic sea are restricted to use as human food because of dioxines spreading from the bottom sediment.

You can get a chlorine test in any shop selling pool stuff.

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Can we just leave the bleach out?

Live Rock Curing - The Ultimate Guide to Curing Live or Dry Rocks

Everything you need to know about how to cure live rock and dry rock, the many benefits of cured live rocks and what you need to know before cycling a tank.

arcreef.com

 

[Crabs McJones]

Reminder to keep it friendly everyone. Healthy debate is definitely encouraged, back and forth bantering is not. Some comments have been cleaned up.
Now back to our regularly scheduled program

 

[MnFish1]

Reminder to keep it friendly everyone. Healthy debate is definitely encouraged, back and forth bantering is not. Some comments have been cleaned up.
Now back to our regularly scheduled program

Sorry - I knew that was coming. Apologize @WVNed

 

[Anchor]

Storm Drains are usually environmental dumps so you don't want to send you chlorine there.. Municipal grey water and sewage systems are made to handle this. Bleach from the store is not that environmentally bad on the sewer system but sure can be if you have your own water treatment buried under your yard. It may kill the bacteria that breaks down your sewage for a time anyway.. Now, dumping this in your yard is another alternative. If you have nothing but weeds, dump it. an alternative is to dig a hole and pour it in the hole and allow it to percolate into the soil, the chlorine will get chemically used up much faster there than in a water drainage system, if you are too far to put it down your home drain.. You might pump it using a watering hose that you use to wash your car from your bucket to the nearest sink in the house.. Use a good pump you might use for your aquarium? Borrow one maybe? I would poke a hole in the lid to allow the gas to escape some.. Keep in mind the chlorine gas used in bleach for home use might smell bad but is not in all that high of concentration to really hurt you, unless you trap it. So either tip the lid some or poke a hole in it.

Lastly, there is always the Lug-A-Bucket method.

 

[bblumberg]

It is probably not a good idea to dump barrel quantities of bleach into the storm drains or sewers. Definitely illegal in some places. The solution is here:

http://www.edspumps.com/water-treatment/documents/Antichlorination.pdf

Get some sodium thiosulfate from Amazon or wherever you prefer. Add an amount equal to that required to neutralize the amount of bleach you used. Add 5-10% more for good measure.

Mix this for a few hours until you can no longer smell bleach. Dump down the drain. Give your rocks a rinse, powerwash or whatever you want to get gunk off then put in salt water to equilibrate. I like to leave rock processed in this way in a Brute container for some weeks afterward with a few pieces of real live rock to re-seed it, but you can also do this in a new tank that you are cycling.

I attach a calculator I made to determine how much bleach to use and how much sodium thiosulfate you need to remove it afterward. The calculator is intended to calculate amounts required for sterilization, but will accommodate whatever amount of bleach you decide to use.

 

[Scott chilton]

How is it going down the drain of your house any different than it going down the drain the street?
They both go the same place, at least around here

the street drains in NJ have pictures of fish on them. The tub or utility sink would be a better option imo. at least ur 10:1 solution would get treated

 

[GlassMunky]

the street drains in NJ have pictures of fish on them. The tub or utility sink would be a better option imo. at least ur 10:1 solution would get treated

I’m my neighborhood these are not around so maybe we are different areas?
And I see people washing their cars in their driveways all summer long so a little bleach won’t be any worse than any of the other stuff getting washed down the drains.