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What would be the best way to clean the sides of my tank. there is a lot of water spots. it seems like a bad idea to use windex ???
Hee is a picture of what i mean.

The water spots are an inevitable side effect of having turtles in the tank. They splash and beg and minutes after you clean the old spots new ones are forming.
So, I just let the spots be... they don't hurt the tank, and I'm not that offended by them.
If you'd like to clean them, you can either scrub them with an old toothbrush (that's how I used to get them off- it works well), or if the grime is more built up you can use a razor blade.

One solution to prevent them would be to build an above tank basking area. That way you could fill the tank up and there would be less glass above the water line to get spots on it.

Trd coast -- I do use Windex, but I wait until my water evaporates out and drop an inch or two. I am very careful not to get it into the water. I have to remove my turtles as they would try and eat the paper towel while I am wiping it off. It is a slow process but it clean right up. I do not get any chemicals in the water

Instead of windex I would try a vinegar/water solution.

I think they make Windex wipes or something, that way you can control the liquid, just don't get the wipe in the water! I just leave the spots be ...

I would be wary of the windex, because at least in my case I'm constantly changing the water level by adding water to compensate for evaporation. I wouldn't want any windex residue washing into the tank. And I wouldn't want my turtles claws scratching against windex residue when they are begging at the water -line of the tank.

I also use vinegar but when there is a hard build-up, I favor a razor and a squeegee.

thanks for the replies! i'll just let it be until i take more pictures ^_^

The spots bothered me on my tank as well especially when I try to get photos. Got a squeegie for shower enclosures, cut it down to about 4" wide and it seems to work pretty well. Not perfect but better than paper towels.
Bought it at Target for $2 in the cleaning supply area

i dont even use windex on my own windows! i would never use it on my turtle tank... lol... we're a chemical free household. i clean all glass with vinegar and if it's stubborn a little baking soda.

It's best to steer clear of any detergents or chemicals around the tank. Get a small spray bottle and mix 50-50 water and vinegar. Then just spray it on a paper towel and wipe clean. When water spots are left on the tank too long, they can stain the glass and become difficult to remove. I got in the habit of just wiping down the inside of the tank at and above the waterline everyday with just a paper towel. On the outside I use the vinegar mix.

We did a major clean out of our tank and we used vinegar, a razor blade and one of those plastic scouring pads. It took hours, but the glass looks beautiful now.