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I'm thinking of switching over to my 36 gallon tank that I have down in my basement. The thing about this 36 gallon is that, it's been sitting around for about 14 years. So I wondering how should I clean this thing out without using chemicals that may harm my turtles? I really want to clean it out too because there are some blue-ish looking film crusted onto the glass, so any suggestions?

diluted bleach or vinegar. just make sure to wash/rinse until you cant smell it anymore

Something else I've used with good results is baking soda when you need something a bit abrasive. Regardless of what you use, make sure to rinse it very very well with hot water and remember NEVER use soap in your tanks.

What was in the tank before?

Repeated cleaning with hot water and a good brush will go far. A razor can also remove anything dried on the glass. Vinegar is worth trying, but I haven't tried baking soda yet.

If you need to DISINFECT, then use 2 oz. of bleach to one gallon of water (for approximately a 1.5% diluted bleach solution. Afterward rinse well with clean water repeatedly and air dry for at least 24 hours or longer.

uh-oh... wait. Do you mean not to use soap when simply cleaning? When I do water changes, I use a mild antibacterial soap. And only a tiny bit. Then I wash it very thoroughly, using a toothbrush along the edges to make sure it's all gone. Is that bad, too? I hope I haven't done anything harmful!!

In fact, since we're on the topic... here's how I clean, is it okay?

1. Daily, I take shmeegal out and place him in a separate tub to bask. (I have shade in there, too.) While he's in there, I use a vaccuum and filter up wastes etc.

2. Weekly I change all the water. As I mentioned, I have used soap! To me, that seemed SAFER than bleach. No? Also I use soap and sponge down the fake plants, dock, etc.

I'd also like to know if I'm doing this wrong. Thanks for bringing it up, albobear!

You really should never use soap on anything regarding an aquarium whether it's fish or turtles or whatever going in it as it's difficult to get all the residue from the soap out of it and can make your animals sick.

You're better off using a diluted bleach solution than using soap as it's easier to get out of the water than soap. White vinegar is the best solution for cleaning

To get out crusty stuff off the tank, one easy way is to mix baking soda with the white vinegar. It'll foam up, so make sure you have towel available. The mixture will get rid of almost anything. (It's even good to unclog drains! )

Baking soda is fine if you need something that's abrasive but won't scratch the surface. I use it all the time to clean coffee and tea stains from the inside of cups.

Okay...one more quick question: is there a specific type of vinegar? White vinegar, red vinegar, apple vinegar....? Thanks! And also, doesn't vinegar make the tank more smelly? Or no?

I use White vinegar and the smell goes away.

I've only heard of using white vinegar for cleaning purposes. As long as you rinse the tank really well, there should be no smell.