Equipment Review and Discussion :: Cleaning method

[missibsu]

I know a lot of you can't stand Walmart, but I found a great cleaning device there. I'm sure it's available elsewhere.

For those of you with unwanted algae on the sides of your tank, black and decker makes a submersible scrubber. It intended for dishes, but it works well on the sides of my tank, the dock, the hard to reach bottom of the tank, and my fake plants. It's quicker than the old toothbrush method too! It only cost 10 bucks, a well worth it investment.

Here are some pictures.

[industrial_girl_2000]

That's so clever!!!!

[cam722]

wow, great idea..

[N4784N R4613]

NICE!! I WANT ONE!!! LOL

[lisajonathan00]

Wow! 10.00 is cheap for something to save time and maybe even get it cleaner. May just have to invest in that now before the cleaning comes.

[Kallistos]

That coupled w/ a python.....*drool*

[steve]

Do you prefer the brush, pad or both? I've used similar green pads that seem to break apart easily (through manual scrubbing anyway).

[missibsu]

I'm loving this thing! I used the brush, didn't try the pad. I was concerned that it might have soap in it, although it doesn't smell like it. Next cleaning I'll try the pad and let you know. I didn't clean all of the algae, so there is plenty more to experiment with! The pad obviously won't work as well on the textured dock.

[trex1260]

The B and D scrubbler seems like a good idea. What do you do with the alge that u scrub off? Doesn't it all fall to the bottom? Do you vac / syphon it out? I have had my tank since Christmas and have emptied and cleaned it 3 x's. Today I removed al the gravel and decided just to leave the big rocks in there. The front wall of the tank was so stained with green and brown alge and it looked nasty so I needed to do a complete scrub and clean. I think i need a new filter, mine is a 90gph Duetto (29 gal tk) but it is not as effective as I would have imagined it to be. Some one said to use an Aquaclear. Can anyone give some more advice on a filter for a 30 gallon with one RES?

[Starchick]

I did the same thing today, removed all the gravel and completely vacuumed. Couldn't believe how much easier it was than filling and vacuuming repeatedly to get all the crud from under the rocks. I'm shocked at how difficult it is to scrub algae from the tank sides, I'm definitely considering buying one of those things. Thanks for the tip!

[Pizza]

I think i need a new filter, mine is a 90gph Duetto (29 gal tk) but it is not as effective as I would have imagined it to be. Some one said to use an Aquaclear. Can anyone give some more advice on a filter for a 30 gallon with one RES?

The suggested general rule for filter power on this site for RES (Or any related aquatic turtle for that matter) is buy one 3x the rated size of your aquarium. So for a 30 gallon tank, it is best to aim for a filter rated for 90 Gallon tanks or bigger. The only exception, is if your turtle is relatively small and young, high powered filters (such as the larger canister filters, Rena xP3, xP4, Fluval FX5) may not be the best choice, as they could create a strong current in a small tank and suck your turtle in and trap it, drowning it. This is generally not a problem for turtles larger than 3 inches though. The reason for the 3x rule, is that all filters in the box were originally intended for fish, and fish produce less waste, and is only a fraction of the much larger turtle waste. Also turtles never stop shedding skin in the water, and they shed scutes of their shell on a basis, so the recommended capacity on the box of a filter is not accurate for a RES, only for fish. 3x is the general rule of thumb.

Don't be confused with the GPH number with the recommended filter capacity though, they are both different things.

[grey goose]

That coupled w/ a python.....*drool*

I would probably be in traction right now if it wasn't for my Python......
I saw one of those brushes in a hardware store nearby, but I thought it wasn't fully submersible. (Checks wallet) I'll have to look into that.

[missibsu]

Grey Goose, I don't think you find this type at the hardware store...it's made for dishes. Either way, this says on the package that it is fully submersible, and I haven't had any problems with it being so.

To answer the other question, the algae turns the water greenish and a bit cloudy, but doesn't stick to the brush. I still haven't tried the scrubber. The filter, I use an xp3, cleans the water and makes it clear again. I have used my python to syphon and clean after my rigerous cleaning, just because it looked that awful, lol.

[marisa]

There is a device that I think can be found in hardware stores, as grey goose noted (in the housewares section). It looks very similar to the one in this thread.

[grey goose]

I'm pretty sure thats what I saw.....but I didn't put 2 and 2 together as far as using it to clean the tank. I'll re-visit that store in the AM.....