Habitat - Indoor :: Cleaning the tank?

[alehasfriends]

I have a 50 gallon rubbermaid tub with about 33 gallons of water in it for my 4.5 inch RES, and with a XP3 water filter. Now, the filter says it needs a 1/4 water change every 4 weeks. However, the tank itself and the tubes of the filter have gotten fairly dirty with this brown film. I've checked all the levels (nitrate, nitrite, ect.) and I use some biological media (stars). I was wondering, how do i go about cleaning the tank? Do i just stick my hand in there with a rag and wipe the walls? How do I clean the tubes of the XP3? Also theres an oily type of stuff on the surface of the water. How should I go about this? Thanks!

[wolfmanviagra]

Good question. I'll leave it for somebody else who may have been through this. I have about the same set-up (50 gallon rubbermaid 2/3 full, but with a smaller filter) and have not experienced these problems. My water stays crystal clear, even with romaine floating in the tank all the time. However, I do have 2 plecos in the tank...maybe they help???? Wait for a better, more experienced response. There are many helpful people here.

[marisa]

The 1/4 water change every four weeks sounds like this is for an established tank of fish, not a tank with a turtle in it. (Remember, the mfgr is making recommendations thinking that the filter is being used with fish, not turtles.) I do partial water changes in my turtle's tank weekly, not monthly (I use an xP3 as well).

The nitrate, nitrite, etc. levels are all acceptable? (I would think your nitrate level would be somewhat high after a month with no water change and not that much water (33 gallons).)

Just curious, but what is the lighting like in the tank? Low lighting and/or dissolved organic matter can result in diatoms, sometimes mistakenly called brown algae. Otherwise, it could just be crud that needs to be cleaned.

If you are doing a partial water change, when you get the water out and the water level is lower, I'd just wipe off the brown stuff with a paper towel. You may find that it returns fairly quickly, though. The partial water change will alter the concentration of nutrients in the tank, but with the amount of water you have in the tank, you might want to do a cleaning and water change monthy - 5/6 weeks, depending on those partial water changes.

When I clean the XP3 tubing, I disconnect the tubes from the canister (it's too difficult to take the tubing off the other end) and push a small brush attached to a cord up the length of the tubing with a wooden dowel and pull the brush back down. I do this a few times until the tubing is clean.

As for the oily film on the water--are you feeding in the tank?

[alehasfriends]

The nitrate, nitrite, ect. levels are good. I do tests and use some water treatment stuff to get it down. Lighting includes the basking lamp and the UVB light. I feed in the tank but i'm starting to put his pellets (but not lettece) on his basking platform

[marisa]

He still has to bring the pellets into the water to eat them. Reptomin has been said to be especially good at contributing to a film on the water.

[wolfmanviagra]

I feed in tank also, (pellets, treats, lettuce), but still have not had these problems. Have you tried using aquarium salt in your tank? Dosen't sound like a big deal, but it does wonders. As beeing an experienced tropical fish keeper, I use 1 tbls of aquarium salt for every 5 gal of water. I don't know that this will solve your problem, but I have had good results, and no negative results. Just remember, salt does not evaporate. Do not add more at partial water changes, only at full changes.