Possibly sand source.

[George Patterson]

My mother recently bought some sand to fill cracks in her brick walks. She
complained that it's so fine and white that it's stained the brick. She's unsure
if it will ever wash off. Sounds like it might be a high-calcium sand? If so, it
might be good for aquariums.

She got hers at Ace Hardware in the East Tennessee area.

George Patterson
If you torture the data long enough, eventually it will confess
to anything.

[Pszemol]

"George Patterson" > wrote in message news:10SZh.2383$KP1.2203@trnddc02...
> My mother recently bought some sand to fill cracks in her brick walks. She
> complained that it's so fine and white that it's stained the brick. She's unsure
> if it will ever wash off. Sounds like it might be a high-calcium sand? If so, it
> might be good for aquariums.

Advice your mom to use muriatic acid (HCl) to wash of this white residue :-)

[KurtG]

Pszemol wrote:
> Advice your mom to use muriatic acid (HCl) to wash of this white residue
> :-)

btw, can I use Muriatic acid on encrusted aquarium parts assuming that I
rinse well?

Soaking in vinegar works, but it does take a long time.

--Kurt

[Susan]

Just be sure to use "extreme" caution when using muratic acid.

Susan :)
"KurtG" > wrote in message
news:MC1_h.20498$vD4.13408@bigfe9...
> Pszemol wrote:
>> Advice your mom to use muriatic acid (HCl) to wash of this white residue
>> :-)
>
> btw, can I use Muriatic acid on encrusted aquarium parts assuming that I
> rinse well?
>
> Soaking in vinegar works, but it does take a long time.
>
> --Kurt
>

[Pszemol]

"KurtG" > wrote in message news:MC1_h.20498$vD4.13408@bigfe9...
> Pszemol wrote:
>> Advice your mom to use muriatic acid (HCl) to wash of this white residue
>> :-)
>
> btw, can I use Muriatic acid on encrusted aquarium parts assuming that I
> rinse well?
>
> Soaking in vinegar works, but it does take a long time.

Sure you can... it disolves in water very well so it is easy to rinse.
Just do not destroy your clothes or something else valuable,
it is much more aggressive even diluted than vinegar.

[Wayne Sallee]

Yep, that's what I use. Just remember that some
plastics such as nylon can't handle hcl acid. If you
find that your carpet is too soft, just poor some
hcl acid on it :-) All plastics are harmed by it
from long term contact. Also, it has a lower residue
risk for the fish, and corals, than does vinegar.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets


KurtG wrote on 5/2/2007 9:57 AM:
> Pszemol wrote:
>> Advice your mom to use muriatic acid (HCl) to wash of this white residue
>> :-)
>
> btw, can I use Muriatic acid on encrusted aquarium parts assuming that I
> rinse well?
>
> Soaking in vinegar works, but it does take a long time.
>
> --Kurt

[Wayne Sallee]

It's probably not just sand. It's probably also
Portland cement. Portland cement is not harmful, but
you would want to read the ingredients to see if it
has any other ingredients such as plasticizers. Also
if it is portland cement, it won't be very loose in
your aquarium :-)

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets


George Patterson wrote on 5/1/2007 8:42 PM:
> My mother recently bought some sand to fill cracks in her brick walks.
> She complained that it's so fine and white that it's stained the brick.
> She's unsure if it will ever wash off. Sounds like it might be a
> high-calcium sand? If so, it might be good for aquariums.
>
> She got hers at Ace Hardware in the East Tennessee area.
>
> George Patterson
> If you torture the data long enough, eventually it will confess
> to anything.

[Wayne Sallee]

Wayne Sallee wrote on 5/2/2007 4:29 PM:
> If you find that your carpet is too soft, just
> poor some hcl acid on it :-)

And then you will have a lump of hard melted
plastic, instead of soft carpet :-)

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets

[Wayne Sallee]

Also the swing arm in a hydrometer, is nylon.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets


Wayne Sallee wrote on 5/2/2007 4:34 PM:
> Wayne Sallee wrote on 5/2/2007 4:29 PM:
>> If you find that your carpet is too soft, just poor some hcl acid on
>> it :-)
>
> And then you will have a lump of hard melted plastic, instead of soft
> carpet :-)
>
> Wayne Sallee
> Wayne's Pets
>

[George Patterson]

Pszemol wrote:

> Advice your mom to use muriatic acid (HCl) to wash of this white residue

I see the smilie. Are you serious?

George Patterson
If you torture the data long enough, eventually it will confess
to anything.

[Pszemol]

"George Patterson" > wrote in message news:Qib_h.6492$2V1.4453@trnddc08...
> Pszemol wrote:
>
>> Advice your mom to use muriatic acid (HCl) to wash of this white residue
>
> I see the smilie. Are you serious?

It will react with calcium in this white residue and chemical reaction
will form calcium chloride, which is water-soluble and it will be easy
to wash it from the wall with a garden hose...
Use small quantities and wear protection clothes and safety glasses.

[atomweaver]

Wayne Sallee > wrote in news:oE7_h.11167$3P3.2079
@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net:

Are these the results of, ahem, empirical testing, Wayne? ;-)

(FYI, HDPE holds up pretty well to silute solutions of HCl).

DaveZ


> Also the swing arm in a hydrometer, is nylon.
>
> Wayne Sallee
> Wayne's Pets
>
>
> Wayne Sallee wrote on 5/2/2007 4:34 PM:
>> Wayne Sallee wrote on 5/2/2007 4:29 PM:
>>> If you find that your carpet is too soft, just poor some hcl acid on
>>> it :-)
>>
>> And then you will have a lump of hard melted plastic, instead of soft
>> carpet :-)
>>
>> Wayne Sallee
>> Wayne's Pets
>>
>

[atomweaver]

atomweaver > wrote in
:

> Wayne Sallee > wrote in news:oE7_h.11167$3P3.2079
> @newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net:
>
> Are these the results of, ahem, empirical testing, Wayne? ;-)
>
> (FYI, HDPE holds up pretty well to silute solutions of HCl).
>

ughn, "silute" = "dilute"

> DaveZ
>

[Wayne Sallee]

hehehe well I made the mistake of cleaning a nylon
plumbing fitting with hcl, and once dripped hcl on a
carpet like toilet seat cover. I've never made the
mistake with a swing arm hydrometer, but I'm pretty
sure it's nylon. One way to find out :-) The bottles
that the hcl comes in is HDPE. It holds up for a
while, but even it starts showing signs of blisters,
in time. I have a small drip bottle (empty aquariuum
pharm ph ) that works well for hcl. But it is now so
blistered over the years from the hcl, that it looks
like it has the measles, it's totally covered with
bumps, and bumps on the bumps :-)

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets


atomweaver wrote on 5/3/2007 9:28 PM:
> Wayne Sallee > wrote in news:oE7_h.11167$3P3.2079
> @newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net:
>
> Are these the results of, ahem, empirical testing, Wayne? ;-)
>
> (FYI, HDPE holds up pretty well to silute solutions of HCl).
>
> DaveZ
>
>
>> Also the swing arm in a hydrometer, is nylon.
>>
>> Wayne Sallee
>> Wayne's Pets
>>
>>
>> Wayne Sallee wrote on 5/2/2007 4:34 PM:
>>> Wayne Sallee wrote on 5/2/2007 4:29 PM:
>>>> If you find that your carpet is too soft, just poor some hcl acid on
>>>> it :-)
>>> And then you will have a lump of hard melted plastic, instead of soft
>>> carpet :-)
>>>
>>> Wayne Sallee
>>> Wayne's Pets
>>>
>