Turtle tanks are not difficult to clean, but they do take time. Turtles are messy reptiles: they eat, drink, swim, urinate, and defecate in the same water. Eventually all of this mess will lead to dirty waters that can cause illness.

Grimy turtle aquariums are an eyesore in the home, too. Not only does it seem out of place, but it also attracts insects and bacteria. Therefore, it is important to keep 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

* sodium bicarbonate

* White vinegar

* paper towels

Once you have all the supplies, you are ready to begin cleaning.

Move your turtle to another location. You can probably put it in a box or a kiddie pool. Just make sure the temperature is around 75 degrees. It is also recommended that you keep the turtle close by so that you can control it from time to time.

Place the plastic siphon tube in the water vacuum. Direct the other end of the hose toward the sink, tub, or window, if you want to use the water for plants.

While the vacuum cleaner empties the water tank of the turtle tank, remove decorations, accessories and other objects from the tank. Use a toothbrush and white vinegar to clean and rinse them. If you are adding more decorations, make sure they don’t fill the tank. Also, if you collected your decorations outside, sterilize them before adding them to the tank.

For the filter and media, use water to rinse them. Make sure there is no dirt, algae, or other things on the filter.

Scrub the tank walls with a toothbrush and baking soda, especially for hard water stains. Use a paper towel and white vinegar around the inside of the tank. Rub and clean the glass thoroughly.

Once the tank is empty, remove the siphon tube from the vacuum. Rinse the tank one more time to remove any vinegar and baking soda residue. Give the water time to settle before you toss them. Do this process at least three times. Do not use glass cleaners in turtle tanks because these can cause problems for the turtle.

If you find the aquarium clean enough, you can add fresh water now. Connect 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 design.

Changing 10% of the aquarium water once a week maintains sanitary conditions. To keep the water cleaner longer, remove food scraps or debris from the tank every day. Better yet, you can move the turtle to a separate tank during feeding so it doesn’t cause too much of a mess in its own habitat.

Turtle aquariums can be cleaned every 45 days, so you won’t have to bother too often.