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I bought this huge tank at a yard sale today for 2.00. The owner said that a turtle and a frog used to live in there. The reason I got the tank so cheap was that they didn't clean it out after whatever was last in it died. So there is like red dirt all over it.

I think the tank is a 10 gallon long tank. It also came with a resin/cement log root that is big enough for Mikey to crawl around without getting stuck.

My question is..how do I clean all this so that Mikey won't get sick from it? I know I first have to wash out all that red dirt so that's part one, but after that what do I use for disinfectent and for how long?

I'm not going to be doing this right away as he is still in his plastic packer for now. This is going to be his christmas present. So any ideas would be great as I will be slowly working on getting it where it's really clean and looks brand new. I figured for 2.00 it would be worth having to clean it.

Also..how will I then clean out his tank once I get it set up and running? I just can't carry the whole 10 gallon tank to the bathroom...any ideas besides dipping out the water into buckets??

I used buckets to clean when I had my 10 gallon so I'm not sure what to tell you on that.

Since it's only a 10 gallon, clean it out in the bathtub (or your yard). I think since it's not going to be used right away, you'd be safe to use antibacterial dish soap and rinse well. Then clean it with vinegar and rinse a few more times. Then, rinse it again before you set it up, just to be sure.

I'm not sure if vinegar will kill any germs that the previous tenant had. I know most people will freak but I'd use bleach. You just need to make sure you clean it well and rinse .. rinse.. rinse. You can also just let it sit outside in the sun after cleaning it.. for extra measure. I'd also set the tank up and let the filter run for a day or so before putting the turtle in it. Maybe use filter floss instead of the good media so you don't get crud trapped in it that you don't want back in the tank.

As for not carrying it or using buckets, the only other option would be something like a python to drain and fill the tank. But that's rather expensive for a 10 gallon tank. Heck it will cost you at least $25 just for that.

Just curious, why are you planning on waiting until christmas to put him in the new tank?

I've heard that you can use bleach as long as you rinse very well, and you wait until the bleach smell is gone before filling it up. So in your case it sounds like you could do this if you wanted.

We siphon our water out of our ten gallon into a bucket with a siphoning tool (sorry don't know what it's called exactly), then go dump it out. Wipe down the tank and clean out the filter, and then just fill it back up. Pretty simple and easy to do with the siphoning device.

well DUH ... I use a siphon/gravel vacuum too. Just one of those days ..

an example would be something like these..

http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441780039&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023693&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302026304&bmUID=1127490935771
http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441775153&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023693&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302030123&bmUID=1127490935896

But you'd still need to fill it up with buckets

Well I just bought him his packer and so I would prefer to get my money's worth out of it. Plus I don't have the money right now to go and get everything that I want/need for his new tank, like plants, and a bigger filter etc etc. So I figure if I wait till around Christmas I should have more money built up for all of that plus, I can always put that stuff on a Christmas list and ask for it.

And like I said I just got him his packer so I don't want to keep putting him into a new environment every other week as he just went from a death bowl two weeks ago to a packer. So I don't want to constantly keep stressing him.

Thanks for the links. Those look helpful! Cause with his packer right now I bring it down from where the wood chest and just push it on the floor till I get it outside. But I can't do that with this tank. And I'm assuming it's a 10 gallon that will be his new home..I have no idea yet. I just looks like a 10 gallon possibly. I'll have to take a gallon jug sometime and just start filling it up to find out.

daredevil girl013, I'd use a weak solution of bleach and water to clean the tank (about 2 oz. of bleach per gallon of water). I wouldn't used soap (residue is too hard to get rid of) or vinegar (not strong enough as a germicide). When I've buy used tanks, I use this to clean them out. Clean really well--I even use q-tips to get in the corners--and rinse repeatedly. If you're worried about using bleach, after you clean and rinse, let the tank air dry for at least 24 hours--just as chlorine dissipates from chlorinated water, it will from the surface of the tank as well.

Oh something else I forgot... if you measure the tank, you can figure out what size it is.. go to this site.. put in the dimensions.. and voila ..

http://honors.montana.edu/~weif/firsttank/calculator.phtml

Wow ok it's not 10 it's 20 gallons. Wowzeers. It's 30 inches long 13 inches tall and 12 inches from front to back. So I got me a big tank! That's gonna be a lot of water. I'm gonna have to buy stock at the grocery store!!!

Well thank you for that website. That helped out a lot! Now I know what filters to get later on. Cause I was just gonna get another 5 gallon one since I already got a 5.

Remember when getting your filter that you should get one rated for 2-3 times the size of your tank. Therefore, if you have a 20 gallon tank, you should have a filter rated for a 40-60 gallon tank. Filters are rated for fish not turtles. They are MUCH more messy than little tiny fish. You'll also more than likely need to upgrade your heater also for the new tank. Since you're going to take your time to set this up, I'd do comparison shopping online and order that way, you'll save yourself a bunch of $$$. or if you have a PetSmart near you .. you can just print out things from their site and take them to the store and they'll give you the online price. I saved $10 on a filter that way.