Skip to main content

How to clean a turtle tank the right way and keep your reptile happy

Cleaning a turtle tank requires some knowledge and skill - here's everything you need to know

One thing that's true of all pet turtles: They mess up the place pretty quickly. Whether you have a terrestrial turtle or an aquatic one, you will find yourself tidying up (more often than you would prefer, we expect).

It’s important to clean your pet’s home frequently to keep away smell and sickness. This might not be the most pleasant part of pet ownership, but you’ll be happy you did it.

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

1 hour

What You Need

  • Pet-safe cleanser

  • Substrate

  • Turtle treats

Young girl holds her turtle
A3pfamily/Shutterstock

How often to clean your turtle tank

There are two types of cleaning when it comes to your turtle’s tank. Just as you spot-clean your house or apartment, you should include routine maintenance in your daily schedule. For your turtle's home, that will mean picking up droppings, leftovers, and other obvious gross spots, such as soiled newspaper.

Every week, you should also include a partial water change and, in a terrestrial tank, replace substrate as necessary. Note, even if the water looks OK, it may have extra chemicals in it, like nitrates, so do the change anyway and test the water. For a full-scale cleaning, you need to set aside some time and put this on the calendar every four to six weeks, depending on what kind of mess your little friend makes.

A black and yellow turtle
Image used with permission by copyright holder

How to clean a turtle tank

Deep cleaning may seem daunting before you've tried it, but after the first go, you'll easily add tank scrubbing to your chore chart. The one thing you always need to be careful about is using pet-safe materials. Try not to introduce any unwanted chemicals into the habitat or you'll risk hurting your turtle and disrupting your little ecosystem.

Step 1: Remove everything.

Starting with your turtle. You don't want to work around your pet or have them come into contact with any of the cleaning accouterments. If you have a separate feeding or travel housing, bust it out and put your turtle in there.

Step 2: Scrub down the tank.

Use a pet-safe cleanser or a diluted bleach solution to get into every nook and cranny of your turtle house. Remember to get the top of the tank and into the corners since those can hide gunk or invisible germs. Leave a long time to dry — a few hours — to ensure there's no smell or tiny particles left.

Step 3: Clean all tank accessories.

You'll mostly replenish your substrate, so toss out the old material and have a big bag of new substrate waiting. But rocks and toys can go right back in after a little wiping down. Some items from the pet store may even be dishwasher safe; otherwise, you can rinse as necessary. Wood will eventually rot and fall apart, so get new sticks or bark now and then.

Step 4: Replace substrate and water.

As mentioned, you'll use new substrate when you do a deep clean since chips and paper both soil easily. For terrestrial and aquatic tanks, water needs to be completely fresh, and you want to mind your source for impurities as well. Run your full testing kit whenever you do a clean.

Step 5: Change things up.

Just as you redecorate your home every so often, your turtle will love a new place to explore occasionally. Make sure you keep a space for "sunning" even if you shift it a bit one way or the other. Introducing new objects can serve as stimulation for your animal, too.

Step 6: Give your pet a treat.

Now's a good time to reward your reptile with a little turtle treat. You don't want to dole these out too often, but the occasional dessert will keep them happy. Buy commercial treats from the pet store or figure out their favorite snack, maybe a banana for a box turtle or a feeder fish for a red-eared slider.

All these tips should act as guidelines. Pay attention to your terrarium so you can spot when it gets especially dirty and needs a thorough cleaning. Also, there are a few things you can do to keep the dirtiness down, such as getting a feeding tank for mealtimes. Remember, too, that many of these turtles can live decades, which is a lot of deep cleanings over a lifetime. Only bring home a little fella if you’re in it for the long haul.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Rebekkah Adams
Rebekkah’s been a writer and editor for more than 10 years, both in print and digital. In addition to writing about pets…
How to set up your guinea pig cage – here’s everything you need
This is what you need to know before buying a guinea pig cage
Two guinea pigs sit on a branch in their cage in front of a small wooden house

We don't believe in starter pets, but some families (and individuals) will do well to focus on small pets, rather than keeping dogs or cats, at some point in their lives at least. It might be because your apartment is too small or you're traveling too much or you don't want to commit to 120 minutes of exercise per day (we feel you).

Guinea pigs make a solid and popular option because they're funny, cute, and generally live a lot longer than hamsters or fish — up to eight years. But that's only if you take good care of them and it starts with the cage.

Read more
How to get rid of green algae in a saltwater tank effectively
Ridding your tank of algae is just the first step — you need to keep it from coming back, too
Man performs a water change in his aquarium by syphoning

Plagued by algae? We’ve all been there. Maintaining the proper balance in your saltwater aquarium can be tricky, and unfortunately, a tiny change can trigger big problems. Once an issue has set in, you may have trouble figuring out exactly what needs adjusting to put it back right again.

Algae can affect even the most well-kept aquarium. While some products and techniques eliminate the bulk of it in one treatment, it’s far more important to discover the underlying cause to prevent the green gunk from coming back.

Read more
How to get rid of aquarium worms from your tank quickly
Even the best aquarist will find parasites occasionally, but you can eliminate them
Man cleans aquarium with fish

When you became an amateur aquarist, you probably didn't anticipate dealing with worms as one of your many challenges. It has a big yuck factor, but, luckily, there's no need to panic. As a matter of fact, some
aquarium worms won’t hurt you or your fish and can be left alone if they appear only in small numbers.

However, if you have a parasite, you need to treat your fish tank without harming your fish, which can be tricky. And with a few simple steps, you can get rid of these aquarium worms and hopefully prevent them from ever returning.

Read more