Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey,

We just switched to tiles in the tank and we are wondering
what everyone uses to clean up? Is it safe to wash the tank
windows with windex? I've never tried it and usually use
water and a small amout of soap.

Thanks

Marc
www.marcline.com

To do my daily cleaning I just use paper towels and water on the tile surface, this has work really well for me. As far as the glass goes when I first setup the tank I used a warm sponge and dipped it in sea salt which scrubbed the gunk off really well. I used this because I did not have to worry about harm coming to my Leos. I do not know how windex fumes might effect them if at all. I would be more concerned with the residue possibly left behind.

Yeah, I have to agree with the other guy. Windex is BAD BAD BAD! never use windex inside your enclosure. as far as the outside, you can use windex IF you spray it on the towel in a different room first.

Inside I personally use warm water and a mild soap and make sure to rinse. I also use tiles, but I made sure not to make them so that I couldn't remove them from the tank.

Good luck.
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Thanks, Briggzer

Dishwasher soap and water work fine. It's good to do it on a frequent basis, particularly with water dishes and humid hides. Even if it's not strong enough to kill all the pathogens or parasitic organisms, it can help physically remove them. However, soap is really only the first step to a thorough cleaning, so once in awhile you should go onto the second step, which is to soak or spray everything with a disinfectant (e.g. bleach, Nolvasan, Roccal-D, etc.). Let it sit 10-15 minutes to disinfect or 30-45 minutes to sterilize. How often you sterilize the tank is your choice. Some people do it twice a year; some do it every two weeks.

Then if you REALLY want to be thorough, you should alternate between disinfectants each time you clean the tank, since each has its own strengths and weaknesses.
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chickabowwow

I personally use a product from Natural Chemistry called Healthy Habitat. I uase it in all my cages for both my Leos and my Dragons as well and all my snakes and just love the product.