HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I purchased a 30 gallon tank used off of LetGo. It was used for a turtle and it doesn't look like the tank has been cleaned in quite some time. It definitely needs a good cleaning because it smells awful. I was wondering if a diluted white vinegar solution would be okay to clean the inside of the tank?

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Congratulations on the "new" tank!

Yes, you can use vinegar! Just rinse it well with dechlorinated fresh water.

I personally like fresh lemon. take a lemon, cut it in half, and use the lemon as the scrubber. It's great at getting aquarium build up off. Rinse that the same as above.

Good luck.


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You can use vinegar of whatever strength, if it's diluted, just let it sit longer. I filled my 29 gallon tank to the very top with about 4-5" of vinegar in the bottom, and filled the rest of the tank up with water, and let it sit for 2-3 days. Cleaned the tank right up. Wodesorel (I'm pretty sure it was her) said you can use Clorox if needed for stubborn mold/discolored silicone in the joints. Just rinse a lot after using Clorox or vinegar (not together!) and let it dry well I guess. Don't forget to use the proper gloves to protect your hands and have good ventilation. Clorox may need to be used outside. Avoid fumes as much as possible, even from diluted vinegar.

Okay thanks everyone. I'm excited to get the bigger tank cleaned and set up.

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Congrats on the upgrade!

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Turtles can carry salmonella, so be careful when cleaning!

wodesorel wrote:Turtles can carry salmonella, so be careful when cleaning!

Thanks for the heads up!

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