I just brought a brand new 1/6 Stuart from a friend but the 12 volt battery is dead and doesn't hold a charge. I attribute this to being stored for over 7 years w/o being charged. I went to RadioShack and purchased a Enercell 12 volt. How long should I charge this battery for its first charge? The instructions on the RC Stuart says 18 hours but this battery didn't come with the tank. I would hate to damage it. Please advise?

It depends on the charge rate of the charger. Most wall wort types are only about 100 milliamp s per hour. What is th amperage rating of the battery. We have no idea how long too tell you with out that info.

Thanks for the prompt response. Please disregard since I figured out wht the blinking red light on the charger means...its ready.