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I'm going to be upgrading the tank of my 6.5" RES soon from a 29 gallon to a much needed 75. The current tank has something of an algae problem, so I am hesitant about moving my decor over.

I am going to boil the river rocks I have, that should take care of the algae on them, but I am not sure about my ZooMed Turtle Dock. Can I boil it, or should I buy a new one?

From what I've found, the algae on the docks generally doesn't spread to the glass walls or the rest of the tank. I'm not sure about boiling it-for one it floats and it's kind of styrofoamy so I'de avoid that-but others may give a better answer.

When I clean my floating dock I use an old toothbrush and hot water. Because the dock is exposed to UV light all day everyday, I can't find a way to prevent algae re-growth. However, like adam said, the dock algae doesn't really spread to the tank, so for the most part I let it go and give it a good brushing when it gets out of hand.

I wouldn't boil the dock though, I don't think it would hold up.

At 6.5", do you know if your RES is a male or female? If you have a female, you might want to consider a slightly larger tank.

As for the algae, I agree with Adam and Megcornell. You might be able to control the algae better with a regular cleaning.

I would definitely not boil it. I think it would just start to dissolve. If you are upgrading the tank, why not consider building a custom basking area or above tank basking area, rather than bother with the dock? I'd imagine that soon, your turtle will get to be a bit too heavy for the dock anyways.

Thanks guys. Guess I'll go microscopic on this thing and try to clean every crevice. Someday when I have the cash I'll build a basking area.