Turtle aquariums are not hard to clean, but they do take time. Turtles are messy reptiles – they eat, drink, swim, urinate, and defecate in the same water. Eventually, all this mess will lead to dirty water that can cause diseases.
Grimy turtle aquariums are also an eyesore in the home. It not only looks out of place, but also attracts insects and bacteria. Therefore, it is important to maintain a clean aquarium so that your turtle can live in it freely and safely.
To clean the aquarium, you will need the following materials:
* water vacuum
* plastic siphon tube
* gloves
* toothbrush
* baking soda
* white vinegar
* paper towels
Once you have all the materials, you are ready to start the cleaning.
Move your turtle elsewhere. You can probably put it in a box or a kiddy pool. Just make sure that the temperate is around 75 degrees. It is also recommended that you keep the turtle near so you can check up on it from time to time.
Attach the plastic siphon tube on the water vacuum. Direct the other end of the hose towards the sink, the tub, or out the window, if you want to use the water for the plants.
While the vacuum empties the turtle aquarium’s tank of water, remove decorations, accessories, and other objects from the tank. Use a toothbrush and white vinegar to clean and rinse them. If you are going to add more decorations, make sure that they won’t crowd the tank. Also, if you picked up the decorations outside, sterilize them before you add them to the tank.
For the filter and media, use water to rinse them out. Make sure there is no dirt, algae, or other things in the filter.
Scrub the walls of the tank using a toothbrush and baking soda, especially for hard water stains. Use a paper towel and white vinegar around the tank’s inside. Scrub and wipe the glass thoroughly.
Once the tank is empty, remove the siphon tube from the vacuum. Rinse out the tank once again, to get rid of vinegar and baking soda residue. Give the water time to settle before you dump them. Do this process at least three times. Do not use glass cleaners on turtle aquariums because these can cause problems from the turtle.
If you find that the aquarium is clean enough, you can add fresh water now. Attach the tube to the faucet and fill the tank with water. While the tank is filling, you can return the accessories inside the aquarium. This is your chance to rearrange or change the aquarium’s layout.
Changing 10% of the water in the aquarium once a week maintains sanitary conditions. To keep the water clean longer, remove leftover food or debris from the tank every day. Better yet, you can move the turtle to a separate tank during feeding so it won’t make much of a mess in its own habitat.
Turtle aquariums can be cleaned out every 45 days, so you won’t have to hassle yourself too often.
