How visible is diesel bug?

LittleSister

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Drained my diesel tank today as it has stood for two years, and I know there was a little water in there to start with (accidently started filling it with water (while the boat was still in use), but realised in the nick of time). I expected to have a dose of diesel bug as a result so drained the tank with a view to removing it and steam-cleaning, but all the fuel came out looking clear (well, just like red diesel) and no sign of any jelly, clouding or lumpiness, which I had thought was what I would see. Even the dregs of the tank, below the fuel outlet, looked clean, with just a few small hard, shiny bits (swarf from the stainless tank?) and no crud or silt worth speaking of. (The tank is not very old, and was cleaned out about 9 months before the boat was taken out of service.)

Would I have seen it if bug had set in?
 
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davidbfox

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I had it. I syphoned a couple of litres of water from the bottom of the tank into a clear bottle, until the syphon ran clear diesel. The bug was a 1cm white layer of sludgy white goo that floated above the water and below the diesel. It was fun to shake it up and watch it separate out.

Syphoning, new filters and Soltron has meant no repetition over 4 years.
 

LittleSister

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I syphoned a couple of litres of water from the bottom of the tank into a clear bottle, until the syphon ran clear diesel. The bug was a 1cm white layer of sludgy white goo that floated above the water and below the diesel.

I did it the other way around - I first drained fuel from the normal outlet (about an inch off the bottom of the tank), originally just to lighten the tank before I attempted to remove it. But as the fuel looked so clean, I then tried undoing the drain in the bottom of the tank. To my surprise this looked almost as clean. Certainly no goo or sludge, white or otherwise. No noticeable water, either, curiously, as I know I put a pint or so in.

So I haven't removed the tank, so far.
 

LONG_KEELER

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I had it. I syphoned a couple of litres of water from the bottom of the tank into a clear bottle, until the syphon ran clear diesel. The bug was a 1cm white layer of sludgy white goo that floated above the water and below the diesel. It was fun to shake it up and watch it separate out.

Syphoning, new filters and Soltron has meant no repetition over 4 years.

Interesting.

Are we talking about Colonic Irrigation or diesel tanks ?

When I thought I had the bug, it was more like strawberry jam colour and gooey.
 
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