Habitat - Indoor :: What to use to kill germs/bacteria

[WeirdMeta]

I know you can use cleaners like bleach and soap. Is their any that you can use to kill germs and bacteria. I would assume cleaning the tank with real hot water and rinsing it with it and then draining out the hot water might work. Just was wanting to know if their might be something better. Be nice to have some examples as to how some people on here clean their tanks.

[SpotsMama]

There are a bunch of threads out there on the subject. Do a search on some words like "clean" and "tank" and check some of them out. Here are a couple of examples:

http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewt ... clean+tank

http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewt ... clean+tank

http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewt ... clean+tank

[CountryGirl68]

Hot water is not hot enough to kill bacteria. You need to add something to it. Diliuted bleach (1 part bleach to 10 parts water) is the best thing to kill bacteria and germs. Boiling water (120 degrees or more) kills most germs but using that in a tank can deteriorate the silicon, making the tank weak; and it doesn't kill all germs or bacteria.

[SpotsMama]

A lot of people use a dilute vinegar solution to clean and disinfect a tank. Vinegar would be less toxic than diluted bleach but would still have to be rinsed very thoroughly. The rule is to keep rinsing until you can't smell it any longer.

Before I got my big tank and good filter I used a bleach solution to clean when I did 100% water changes. I thought it was very effective and left everything clean and fresh. Now, however, I've got a really good filter and, so far as I know, I may never have to empty all the water out of the tank for cleaning again because the tank stays clean and the water stays crystal clear. Instead, I'm doing periodic partial (50%) water changes, using a siphon and a turkey baster to tidy up the bottom of the tank occasionally, and once a month I clean the filter. I've got a nylon scouring pad (no soap!) that I can scrub the tank walls or decorations with, but I hardly ever have to use it.

There are a lot of alternative ways to clean a tank. Some of the ways NOT to clean are: no soap, and don't leave any vinegar or bleach residue.

[cam722]

I know you can use cleaners like bleach and soap. Is their any that you can use to kill germs and bacteria. I would assume cleaning the tank with real hot water and rinsing it with it and then draining out the hot water might work. Just was wanting to know if their might be something better. Be nice to have some examples as to how some people on here clean their tanks.

You shouldn't use soap in your turtle tank. Using diluted bleach or white vinegar will work along with hot water. I've also used baking soda when I needed a mild abrasive.

[steve]

Unless there is an ABSOLUTE need to clean/disinfect your tank, hot water and vinegar is fine.