I have not tried this vinegar approach, as most of the waterfalls, outcroppings, and backgrounds that I build(that are made of cement) are too large for me to submerge in a vat of vinegar. I do not think sprayings or dousings of the cement with vinegar would be that effective in reducing its pH.



With the ponds and waterfalls that I've built, I would typically let the water run and cycle for a couple of weeks before introducing any livestock into the pond. I have never bothered to actually measure the pH of the water before and after; instead I just did this as a precautionary measure.



While I am sure that leaching of the cement will cause a decrease in pH; I am unable to answer whether this would be harmful or not, or how it would effect an animal exposed to this acidic water. I would imagine amphibians would be more sensitive to pH fluctuations than reptiles..



I suppose if you are not planning on sealing it, cycling it for a couple of weeks would probably a safer scenario... Better safe than sorry. I wish I could be of more help here, but I just never worried about it much myself; I just let the system cycle for a bit. Good luck!
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