Habitat - Indoor :: cleaning tank

[way2fst4u]

Consider it this way. I know I will never be able to give my turtles a home like their natural habitat in the wild. No matter how big my tank can be, it will never be enough.
So why not give them the cleanest habitat we can provide?

Changing the water once a week doesn't make it necissarily cleaner. Vinegar & cleaners have to eventually stress them. And what if you have them in a tank with fish and other animals?

I'm going to keep going the way I am. I think it may be a bit misleading to "recommend" all these water cahnges & full cleaning, and scrubbing of the rocks...just seems so unnecissary if you take the proper precautions ahead of time.

[JessicaTS]

I believe changing the water will make it cleaner. And the fish and other animals I have in my turtle tanks are food. Not tank-mates.
I also believe turtles will strive better in fresh clean water. I haven't experimented, but it's due to common sense.
I'm not debating on whether you should or shouldn't. I did think to myself why we do do full water changes. Just occurs to me it's best for my turts.

[steve]

way2fst4u, you don't want to do complete water changes with fish. they are significantly more sensitive to water changes and it's biological balance.

the main thing in turtle cleaning is preserving the bacteria in your biological media. if chlorine /chloramines is removed and if your water is not in the extreme levels on the pH scale, you can conduct complete changes. also consider how much waste that turtles produce that cannot be removed with filtration and the only way to address it is a considerable or complete water change.

[way2fst4u]

Thanks Steve...I think I do a pretty good job of removing the solid waste with the gravel cleaner, and the 25% change. With a 60 Gal. tank, it would be a little overkill for me to do 100% all the time, although I can see it in smaller tank situations, or when the animal is nearing the limits of the habitat it is in.

I only have 3 hatchlings in a 60...along with a dozen or so Ghost Shrimp, some guppies, and a few catfish to keep the waste down a little more. I'm sure if I had 2 larger animals in there, I would need to change the water more frequently.

[steve]

I was referring to the waste that you can't see. It can't be removed from the water and how frequently are you doing 25% changes? What kind of filter do you have?

When I get to do a 100% change, I also get the chance to scrub everything to remove muck and algae.

[way2fst4u]

I have no muck and/or algae. I have a 60 gallon tank about 80% filled. I am using a ViaAqua Filter made for a 120 gallon tank. I do a 25% change once a week.

Again, how dirty can 3 hatchlings get? (they are only about 1.5" each) My water doesn't smell, the tank is visibly clean, and all the inhabitants are active and healthy.

[tini]

I don't know about anyone else. But I look at cleaning my tank the same way I look at everything else. It only takes a few more minutes to clean everything compared to 25%s.

I use the syphon until I can lift the tank. The syphon is pretty quick so it makes it easy.

Just like dishes . . .it only takes a few more seconds to rinse them off *nods*

[donnamartin]

Well my little guy is still in a 10 gallon, he is a little over an inch, but not yet an inch and 1/2. He tank looked so messy. And it wasn't that bad cleaning it. It took me about 1/2 hour.

[way2fst4u]

Well my little guy is still in a 10 gallon, he is a little over an inch, but not yet an inch and 1/2. He tank looked so messy. And it wasn't that bad cleaning it. It took me about 1/2 hour.

It doesn't take 1/2 hour with a 60 gallon...LOL!

How often do you clean it?

[sonyj]

Well my little guy is still in a 10 gallon, he is a little over an inch, but not yet an inch and 1/2. He tank looked so messy. And it wasn't that bad cleaning it. It took me about 1/2 hour.

It doesn't take 1/2 hour with a 60 gallon...LOL!

How often do you clean it?

I don't know how you all clean, but it takes me about 1 1/2 hours to do a full cleaning and about 1/2 an hour to do a partial. Maybe I'm just slow. And mines just 10 gallons... and I clean it once a week either full or partial alternating. Am I just being to thorough or picky when I clean? I scrub everything done including filter/ dock/ rocks ect.

[way2fst4u]

When I do a water change & clean the tank it takes me about 2 hours. I don't scrub anything unless it's got algae on it. I have yet to do a 100% water change in about a month...and I keep checking the mitrates, nitirites and ammonia. All levels are perfect...this is why I felt that I didn't need a complete water change.

After re-reading my posts, it looked like I was trying to be lazy. Maybe I just have a very good filter for this tank...or I have the Felix Ungers of the turtle world...hehehe...sorry, showing my age there.

[cam722]

I've had my 75 gallon tank for almost 2 months and I've yet to do a full tearing down of the tank and clean it. My water is crystal clear... all levels are near perfect. I use a siphon to clean out the bottom every week to 10 days. Add water as needed. I've not scrubbed the tank or any decorations or the rocks on the bottom. I take the filter off every week to 10 days also and clean it.

Depending on what greens they've had and how messy they've been, it takes about an hour to an hour and a half do to the cleaning. I try to net out the bits and pieces as I see them to keep down the mess. Oh and I have 2 4" turtles in the tank

[way2fst4u]

Carol, I think the size of the tank has something to do with how dirty it gets too...I wouldn't let mine get slimey and real dirty, but if I had a small one, I'm sure that happens faster than you can stop it!

I think the key is siphoning the bottom and checking your levels before they can spike. I actually think the fish in my tank are helping the bottom stay clean and contribute to the bilogical filtration.

[3walcks]

i have had fish tanks for years now i only have two going now but at on point i had 6 going. I never do a full water change in my fish tank just for the fact that in the gravel alot of times the good bacteria gets developed in ther along with the biological filters . I do a partial change every month and other wise i just let it go. i test everyweek for ph and ammonia and thats about it. my turtle tank now since i am new to this i have drained it down to the very bottom and cleaned it and filled back up again. I really need to invest in one of those pythins the only thing i own is a big tank gravel syphon that you have to do your self by either sucking the water to get it started or you can fill it up with water and get it going that way. with the germs that the turtle carries though i really like the idea of the python. so it is the ph and biological bacteria why you do not clean a fish tank all the way. at least thats what i was taught.

[JessicaTS]

Do you check levels of nitrate and nitrite?