how to clean external pump???

I bought a used pump and I want to clean it. How do I clean it with out using soap? They previous owner had used copper to treat disease. I'm setting up a reef and I know I can’t have any trace of copper.

 

As I understand it, one copper is used it will always be inside of the plastic on the housing. Replacing the housing for the impeller, and the impeller itself may be your only option. Running cuprisorb(by seachem) may take care of any copper traces as well.
Anyways, I guess we'll see what else other people have to say concerning this.

As far as general cleaning goes, I love white vinegar... let anything from this hobby soak it it and it's like new.

 

is this an internal or external pump?

~Will.

 

I guess bye the title its an external pump ?

I agree white vinigar is killer for cleaning in this hobby!

 

drrr, sorry I missed that.

I would plumb it externally somehow into a decent sized rubbermaid storage tote, or trash can and use a water / vinnegar mix to run through it for a day or so. you dont even have to drill, you can go up and over the side of the container as long as you prime it right and keep the inlet tube higher off the floor than the pump.

~Will.

 

I would soak it in bleach to kill any bacteria. Then rinse and run culpersorb for about the first 6 months the tank is running. I started with a used tank and ran culpersorb for almost a year just to make sure copper was not in the water.

 

Soak the pump in a bucket with a pouch of Cuprisorb for a couple days and then check the water in the bucket for copper, if no trace, you are ready use the pump. The second option is just soak the pump in fresh ro/di water for a couple of days and check it for copper, no copper means you are ready to use the pump.

 

I feel I should expand on this one based on my own personal experience...

I had live rock at one point at time that was leaching copper...
I rinsed, and rinsed, and rinsed in RO water. Let rock sit for a week, then another... tests all came back negative.
I then soaked it in saltwater for 1 day, and I got a copper reading.
This leads me to believe that salt water actually helps, or facilitates leaching of copper from equipment, etc.

 

Cuprasorb will help take out any leeched traces of copper that will come up. You can also use O3 to oxidize the copper molecules, but that is a whole different discussion in itself.

 

bleach and white vinegar

how much do i use. i wanted to soak it in bleach first (1 week) and then white vinegar.(1 week) then in Cuprisorb for a week (pump running). how much bleach is needed 50/50?(water/ bleach) white vinegar 50/50? can i use tap water?