How to clean sponges properly

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Bonne46

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May 20, 2009
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So my one turtle tank is being torn down and thoroughly clean since the turtle that was in there passed away to a bacterial infection; Sepsis. My plan is to drain tank, take out old substrate, clean whole tank with vinegar (water spota), clean canister filter, throw out filter floss/bio media. I was planning on keeping the coarse sponges though but wanted to know what's the best way to thoroughly clean these so nothing could be on them to play it safe. Should I boil them? Any help I appreciate!
 

Duckie

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Mar 14, 2015
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Boiling is not going to be enough to thoroughly clean it, IMO. Ontop of boiling it I would use a vinegar bath, then bleach, and really long and good rinse afterwards with tap water - you don't want any of the bacteria to survive that killed the last turtle. At the end rinse/soak in dechlorinated water. You are planning to use the tank as a turtle tank again? Cleaning with vinegar might work well enough. It is not advisable to turn a tank that used to house reptiles into a fish tank even if it holds water just fine. Safer to cut your losses and get a new tank if you want to go fish, because no matter how much you clean it you won't be able to get all the deep sunk in ammonia out.
 

Bonne46

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May 20, 2009
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Yea this tank will be used for another turtle, I just want to clean it out as best as possible. I can easily have them dry out real fast since we have been having a hot summer so that would be good but I'll go the route as well of doing some vinegar bath and everything else.
 

Duckie

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Mar 14, 2015
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Sounds like a good plan. It wasn't meant to just dry out, but in addition. Any idea where the infection came from? Maybe you need to switch to bottled water for drinking - I wouldn't imagine it came from the turtles food itself.
 

Bonne46

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May 20, 2009
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To be honest I have no clue where it came from. She's been in that tank for years and had no issues till one day. Now I will not lie when I found out it all happened it was awhile since I did a water change because I got slammed with 11 hour shifts at work 7 days a week for several weeks, she only got top offs. I was nervous to think of something happen to my water but nothing was sent out by the county if they were doing anything.
 

Duckie

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Mar 14, 2015
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The no changing of water probably did it. You should be fine if you keep the water source the same, but you cannot slack off on water changes. Remember your turtle depends on the water for drinking with waste accumulating over time. If your work doesn't allow for doing WC, then please don't get another turtle until you can. Or shuffle your priorities around and make time and be responsible pet owner.
 

Bonne46

AC Members
May 20, 2009
369
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Oh no I understand it fully and usually I manage all my pets perfectly fine, just at the same time of all the work I hurt my knee again so I was fighting trying to keep the hours but then relax knee. Like I said I am always on top of things with my pets so no problem there. Trust me no more turtles for me anyway, I have 4 and that's enough lol
 
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