General Care Discussion :: Tank disinfectant?

Taking care of your turtle's overall health.

Post Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2018 6:37 pm   Tank disinfectant?

Hi all,

New to both this forum and turtlecare--I'm turtle-sitting my cousin's pet turtle for the foreseeable future--at least a couple of months though likely more. Currently, turtle (whose actual name escapes me at the moment...) is in a 55 gallon tank, which is too small for him (his shell is just over 7") and I got cousin's permission to upgrade his tank if I can find a good deal (she's got a new baby and is house hunting so as you can imagine, her budget for turtle isn't as strong as it used to be). As I'm looking through ads for tanks, I've only just realized that I have no idea how to disinfect them. I can't go the "normal" route--that is, using bleach or ammonia or what not because I'm extremely sensitive and that will make me sick if I'm around it. I have F10 vet disinfectant (this) that I've used for other (mammals) pet cages. It's safe to use with many animals, including birds and reptiles--but I can't find anything about whether its safe to use for a reptile (turtle) who will be spending most of his time in water. Is anyone here familiar with it and its use to clean turtle tanks?

Thanks in advance!
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Post Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2018 11:40 pm   Re: Tank disinfectant?

If the turtle is 7", it's likely a female. Craigslist is a great source of tanks... I picked up a nice 90 gallon w/stand for $100.

If a tank needs a lot of work, I would probably skip it. Cleaning out most tanks is pretty easy with some elbow grease.

Welcome to the forum!
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steve
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Post Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2018 10:21 am   Re: Tank disinfectant?

Thanks steve,

Turtle is a male with long front claws. He's inching up on his 20th year with our family--I can't remember how long he's been with my cousin but I think it's been about 17 years.

I have been checking CL for tanks though I may wait til after mid-April when my brothers are available with their bigger cars and to help move/carry the fish tank. For now, I made him an ATBA and filled up his tank so he has more swimming area atm. I think I'll do as you advise and skip tanks in need of particularly extra care.
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Post Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2018 10:53 am   Re: Tank disinfectant?

Tanks that need resealing are usually super cheap. And it's not that complicated to reseal one :)
You can use white vinegar if you are scared of using something else.
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Post Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2018 1:45 am   Re: Tank disinfectant?

People have mentioned that tanks on CL might be cheap around June/July when students are leaving.

@PokePony - A tank needing resealing will have to be 1/2 it's price for me to consider it and over 55 gallons. I resealed my 125 gallon and it's not complicated but it was a real pain to do.
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steve
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Post Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2018 7:12 am   Re: Tank disinfectant?

steve wrote:@PokePony - A tank needing resealing will have to be 1/2 it's price for me to consider it and over 55 gallons. I resealed my 125 gallon and it's not complicated but it was a real pain to do.


I've only ever done it on a 20 gallon, I guess the bigger the more annoying! But still, silicone is fun to use! It's like a lil' gun :lol:
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Post Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2018 1:12 am   Re: Tank disinfectant?

I should have wore a respirator because of the strong smell. I had to use 1 and 1/2 tubes. I'm surprised it came out OK :P
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Post Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2018 7:26 pm   Re: Tank disinfectant?

I'm keeping an eye on deals for tanks on CL but am willing to wait. I figure if there's a really good deal, then I'll try and get it but otherwise, I'll be patient.

I agree with Steve--I've used silicone to seal cages before and the smell is strong--I don't mind if I need to reseal a tank but would prefer not to have to.

PokePony- white vinegar is a staple to my cleaning supplies and he already has a diluted mix of it in a bottle near his tank (I pretty much keep a bottle of diluted vinegar near any animal's cage/habitat while I figure out what works and doesn't for his tank. For the most part, the mix is there for me to spray and wipe down the floor to clean and deodorize after a water bucket spill...which hopefully will stop now that I will be making something like the python system). And if that fails for some reason, I've decided the bucket will just go on a plant dolly.

Then again, I'm in talks with someone about purchasing their fluvel x4 filter which, assuming I haven't mixed it with another filter, I understand also eliminates the need for lugging around buckets of water.
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Post Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2018 1:18 am   Re: Tank disinfectant?

Do you mean a FX4?

Instead of lugging around buckets, consider some vinyl tubing to hook up a sink for filling/draining.
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