General Care Discussion :: ways of cleaning algae off of turtles shells

[YBSlider]

I know that you can clean a turtles shell of algae with a toothbrush or a towel but i have tried that and it never comes comes off. I need a different way to clean my turtle's shell, anybody?

[Diamondbacks4Life]

if you cant get it off with the toothbrush your just gonna have to wait till they shed then. it will come off once they shed.

[mikee]

When cleaning off the carapace that has algae I use table salt with warm water and use a good tooth brush. I make the solution as strong as possible and let it dry. Then wash it again with the same tooth brush with clear water. That will help. Good Luck!

[marisa]

You can dilute some white vinegar in water and use a soft brush or cloth to gently brush/rub it on the shell. Rinse the shell afterward.

[BiteyBits]

I was once told you could clean the shell with hydrogen peroxide, but I have not seen that advice from anyone else since. Is it OK to use?

[marisa]

It seems a bit overkill for the task to me. To clean certain kinds of wounds, it would be OK, but for just a general cleaning, I'd either use diluted vinegar or just plain water.

[BiteyBits]

Ah, that makes sense. I thought my Speedy was injured after being missing for a day.

[jozzep]

Keep the tanks away from the sun, and avoid letting the UVB hit the water (ATBA) and your algae problems will be gone.
I keep hearing about algae, but i never had this issue by simply following the above rules.