Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So, my gecko finally finished shedding and looks beautiful again (if you were reading my last post). Thanks for all the help!
I spray the tank with water that I treat with Repti-safe, to remove chlorine and chloramines, but I am still getting hard water spots on the glass.
What is safe to use to clean the inside of the tank glass?
Thanks.
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1 bearded dragon, Langdon
1 Madagascar Day Gecko, Gulliver
2 White's Tree Frogs, Lilliput and Laputa
1 Russian dwarf hamster, Calvin
1 tabby cat, Nina
1 Lab mix, Shunka Sapa

I have found that hard water stains are very tough to remove with any kind of cleaner. I decided to try the non-toxic vinegar soak without success. I just recently had to clean out an old 20g fish tank to make room for one of my P.l.l females. I picked up this hard water stain remover from Home Depot. It is in the cleanser aisle in a little yellow bottle. Not sure of the name right now. Basically, it is a mild abrasive that will not scratch the glass surface but will work on the mineral deposits with a little of the proverbial elbow grease. After that, I used a fresh razor blade to scrape all of the rest of the hard water stain from the tank walls. This worked wonders for the tank that had been sitting for over a year uncovered in my shed with that thick line of hard water mineral deposits. Most inportantly, I have learned prevention of this as opposed to treatment. I now solely use distilled water that I pick up at my local OSH for around $.79 per gallon jug. I end up using 2 to maybe 3 in a month. Zero hard water stains going forward. Hope this helps.

-Adrian

Phelsuma laticauda laticauda
1.2

Distilled water is a great idea! Th estuf fyou got at Home Depot isn't toxic to the gecko?
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1 bearded dragon, Langdon
1 Madagascar Day Gecko, Gulliver
2 White's Tree Frogs, Lilliput and Laputa
1 Russian dwarf hamster, Calvin
1 tabby cat, Nina
1 Lab mix, Shunka Sapa

I do not believe it is toxic. I even washed the tank with laundry detergent to get most of the grime and dirt off before using the water stain remover. My female golddust has been in the tank for almost 2 months with zero problems. She laps up the water from the sides of the tank all the time. People use ammonia and other strong agents to clean or kill viruses and bacteria. Just make sure to thoroughly rinse to make sure there is no residue. If you do use something such as ammonia, make sure to air out the tank really well. You do not want your pets to die due to toxic fumes. Be it from the detergent, the water stain remover, or whatever it is you are using to clean your tanks. Also, be sure to wipe the tank dry when cleaning to prevent any water stains as you will be using ordinary tap water to clean.

I never have any stubborn water stains on my reptile tanks but the newt tank that I received from a friend was extremely stained by tap water.

I've always only used water that I buy from a grocery store. I go for distilled water that's been filtered with reverse osmosis so that it is mineral free. $0.58 per gallon isn't too bad since I only use 2 gallons per week for my tropical reptiles. Water additives like Repti-Safe cannot remove the minerals and metals from tap water. Additives are needed for distilled water when used with amphibians or fish. Adding some vitamin D3 and electrolytes to the water for reptiles is a great way to ensure that they are getting enough.