Terrapin Talk #3 – Cleaning

Cleaning is the unfortunate but necessary side effect that comes with taking in an animal, they need a clean and safe space to thrive before they can become happy in your presence. Maintaining that level of cleanliness can be tedious but if you can keep a routine in place and your eyes peeled for any sudden changes in their tank/cage/pen then you should have no quarrels waiting for you. I have given myself the task of cleaning two huge 200L tanks each containing Gus and Lady, alongside the Guinea pigs who are a relatively new addition to my homelife. These job of cleaning and occasionally sterilising the homes of these creatures can be arduous but comes with a sense, at least for me, of deep cathartic pride that I am helping them and clearing my mind, alongside cleaning their mess.

You will need supplies, stamina and some sure handedness when cleaning out an adult Terrapins tank. Gus and Lady both seem to dislike being managed in any way, obviously this is the same for most smaller animals as they see us as prey, Lady has a rather dreaded habit of digging her nails into hands when she is being transported safely from tank to container before being placed gently into a clean bath tub with a few inches of suitable water. Gus is more of a bolt and hide kind of man, he will see the cleaning materials that he now recognises and make a dash for the bottom of his tank before hiding behind his plants and rocks to disappear. Read the room and respond to your Terrapins accordingly, they might be scared, and this could require a gentle hand and patience. Move them when you feel they have calmed down and when they are in the temporary container, keep a close eye on them for a few minutes to ensure they are not going to hurt themselves through panicked sprints or careless retreat.

Tanks

Cleaning the actual tank itself is a pretty simple procedure, empty the water via a pumping out system or several buckets. I have used both techniques and much prefer the buckets personally, I prefer having the ability to see the water leaving the tank and checking for anything that may be a concern (pieces of broken shell, uneaten collections of hidden food, broken claws). If you use a pump system ensure that your Terrapin is safely in a temporary body of water before you start cleaning, the noise from the pump will almost definitely scare them something fierce and you ideally want to minimise the stress levels while you are cleaning them out.

Empty your water and then go to work wiping down the inside of the tank, removing all left-over mess and grime that your Terrapin has created since your last clean. Pay close attention to the rocks and other decorations that could be hiding dirt that will undo all your challenging work if you miss it. Do not use any chemicals that have not been cleared by an aquatic’s specialist for the tank cleaning process, any adverse toxic chemicals you use could inadvertently kill or gravely injure your animals. Once you have cleaned up and everything is looking nice and new, slowly fill up the water half way and then decorate with your rocks, plants, or hides. Keep the water level consistent for the Terrapin as any drop could make it difficult for them to climb back onto their basking dock.

Temp Housing

When I say temporary housing, what I am referring to is the container you keep your Terrapin(s) in while you clean their home tanks. I have been using the same method since they reached adulthood and became too powerful for me to keep contained in a small bucket, when they measured roughly the size of a cucumber slice it was not much of an issue. Now they are large enough to tip most containers they get bored with and thus have been moved to the bath tub when they need to be temporarily relocated, they seem pleased as I can then allow them extra room outside of their already monstrous 200L tank to go for a long swim. Judge it by the size of your Terrapin, if you require a larger container and do not have access to a bath tub, perhaps seek out a large gorilla tub that can be bought from most builder’s merchants or online for a pretty nominal fee. These are large and flexible making them ideal for keeping your large monster safe and contained while you clean their home for them. If you are still caring for tiny Terrapins, then a standard bucket or dish tub would be more than large enough as long as they cannot tip it over or climb out while you are occupied elsewhere. Another tip I found useful is when cleaning their homes and placing them into a new space for a short while, keep the lights low and allow them time in the dim to give them a moment to calm and relax. 

So now you should have a basic understanding of how I clean my two large tanks and how you can keep your Terrapins safe and happy while you go about the process of sprucing up. Recapping, keep your eyes peeled when cleaning out the dirty water in order to catch anything that might be obviously wrong floating around (broken claws and the like), keep the temporary container proportionate to their size so they do not become stressed or injured and finally do not use any chemicals to clean their tanks without first consulting an exotic vet or aquatics specialist. Thanks for reading and hopefully you took away something useful, stay safe and have a wonderful day.