Habitat - Indoor :: What's the best way to clean the tank?

[Rickiew04]

It's been a month or so since I've been on the forum. I had a turtle die about a month and a half ago or so from RI. I was waiting to get a new turtle until I was finished with school. Well school is now over for the summer and I need to clean the tank so that my new turtle won't contract RI from my other turtle. What would be the best way to clean the tank?

[juanster]

i have heard of a lot of people that clean their tank with water that has been added a bit of bleach, that will disinfect good enough..after you have completely rinsed out EVERYTHING then you MUST allow it to air or sun dry for at least 24 hours, then you will be good to go...

[SpotsMama]

I'd also recommend using a weak bleach solution for this cleaning since the previous turtle was ill. For normal cleaning, it's better to use something milder like a weak vinegar solution, if you need to use anything at all. What you don't want to do is use soap or detergent.

[DavidY]

I know not to use soap or detergent on fish equipment because the slightest residue will damage their gills, also soap is high in phosphates which will contribute to green algae blooms. Are the turtles as sensitive to it as fish are? If you thoroughly rinsed the tank out repeatedly until all residue was gone, do you think that would be safe?

[industrial_girl_2000]

What would be the best way to clean the tank?

Rickie, so sorry to hear your first turtle died of RI!

Best thing to do is to soak everything from the tank in bleach, and scrub down the tank with bleach. Stinky, but it works great.

[SpotsMama]

I don't think turtles are as sensitive as fish. When I had a small tank and weak filter, it would get stinky fast so I changed the water twice a week and washed it sometimes with detergent and sometimes with bleach. I rinsed as well as I could but it probably wouldn't have been good enough for fish. Spot, however, did not seem to suffer any adverse effects.

I wouldn't do it now because why take the chance when vinegar will do the job and is safe if you accidently don't get somethiing rinsed off as well as you should. I think any strong amount of soap or bleach would make a turtle sick.

[pumpkinsherbet]

my vet said that urgency isn't quite as great with turtles, since they can leave the water if it gets to be too much (though if they do spend a lot of time out of the water you should definitely investigate). fish, however, cannot leave the water so they suffer through it.

[DavidY]

That all make sense. So the key thing is to rinse really really well, whether it's chlorine or detergent.

[juanster]

yes and if you use chlorine after a good rinse you must let it air dry,, this will make sure all teh chlrine left will actually evaporate off the tank...

[pumpkinsherbet]

i just use vinegar. when i had to do the full water change with john being sick i just used a highly concentrated amount of vinegar. typically i use a water:vinegar solution at a 2:1 ratio. i prefer vinegar for most of my cleaning b/c it's natural and if i don't rinse it all out i don't have to worry about harm coming from residuals.

[Rocky YBS]

i just use vinegar. when i had to do the full water change with john being sick i just used a highly concentrated amount of vinegar. typically i use a water:vinegar solution at a 2:1 ratio. i prefer vinegar for most of my cleaning b/c it's natural and if i don't rinse it all out i don't have to worry about harm coming from residuals.

verry clever....i might nick this idea.......in the future.

[mkoby]

Rickie04,

Did you find a turtle yet? If you aren't completely sold on a hatchling, let me know. My girlfriend's niece has decided that she no longer wants her RES. S/he has not had the proper care. I think it is only 3 or 4 inches long. It is still in a 10 gallon tank with very little water and no lighting, etc. I would love to see this turt go to a good home!!!!

[BobDinosaur]

Regarding water replacement and draining, we've had good success with a suction hose setup; you drape one end out the window/door (a good 10 foot drop in our case), prime the tube and it will drain things away nicely, works great on siphoning the gunk out of the bottom of fish tanks as well. Chlorine and vinegar (NOT together) should work just fine, provided you rinse several times with tap water before dechlorinating.