Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 2:42 am
It is generally discouraged that you use ANY chemicals in cleaning your turtle's tank or anything related to them.
In rare cases that there is some really bad grime that normal scrubbing and warm clean water won't remove, use small amounts of vinegar (it may stink up your tank) to disinfect and remove trace amounts of stuff, or use a very dilute bleach solution (1 part bleach to 10 parts water). When using these solutions, use responsibly and if you didn't already know, remove your turtle when cleaning with these substances. Be sure to rinse and clean VERY thoroughly afterwards, as they can certainly make your turtle sick if they are left in the tank. Use these as a last resort, most turtle keepers do not need to ever use them.
I think most of use (I included), simply remove dirty water from the tank and replace with new water. Maintain and keep your filter clean and running at an optimal rate, it does most of the removal of debris in your tank water. Cleaning your filter every few weeks to a month is best.
But for actually cleaning the tank completely, simply drain the old water, place some clean water into the tank, and scrub with a sponge or cloth on the nasty areas in the glass. Then drain the water, rinse until clean, and you're done. You only need to fully clean your tank if it is very dirty, or every few months (maybe even every 6 months to a year).
Hey hey hey.
