Rust in steel tank

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fact, when cleaning valves I find it is ideal to hook them up to a transfill whip and blow them through before I put them on a tank.
I have a regulator hooked up to a tank with a cut off second stage hose. The dip tube fits nicely into hose, and that will blow it all out in seconds.
 
I have a regulator hooked up to a tank with a cut off second stage hose. The dip tube fits nicely into hose, and that will blow it all out in seconds.

similar but mine is an old compressor hose with a yoke fill end on it so it's straight from the tank. Parts scavenged from the back of the dive locker before they were being thrown away
 
How much rust is ok in steel tank?
Any opinion on my tank?
Bought used 12l 232bar Faber, manufactured 2009, last hydro in 2019.
Rust is at the bottom of the tank. Same tank in both pictures, just in different angles, one cent coin for size reference.
Taking these pictures with cheap usb endoscope is pita.
View attachment 763653View attachment 763657
This type of rust splatter in the very bottom is often due to hooking up the whip without blowing out the valve first. Few drops of high corrosive salty water does more damage sitting there than you'd think. I fill my own and rarely see this problem but I dont whip tanks. I use dilute phosphoric acid to clean up any surface rust like this, rinse and dry and done. Whipping leaves a fine rust dust on the interior which you need to rinse and dry out anyway.
 
rjack321 nailed it for the most common reason.

I also use the phosphoric acid method to clean tanks and would likely do so in a case like this. There are a few good write ups here that cover it...its easy. If the rust is limited to the bottom, no tumbler needed.
I generally use a whip first though to assess the extent of the rust. This also cuts down on time using the phosphoric acid in the long run.

I have made whips out of SS cable and even weedeater line (yes it works .. for light stuff). Settled on aluminum oxide bristles which work very well at low rpm's. No need for thread protectors (aluminum rod), that is what your weak hand is for. These will fit in 1/2" vintage tanks as well (5/8" od max).
 

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