# Cleaning Viv



## Fishtrem (Oct 13, 2008)

How often do you clean your Terrarium? I feel like I'm constantly cleaning #2 off the glass of my Thumbs. But really never have to with my larger frogs

1. I never do, it works as camo so the frogs don't see me watching them

2. Clean it Weekly, they could use my terrarium for a wind-ex commercial

3. Clean it Monthly, Life, Kids, Work, I'm sure I'll get to it 

4. Clean it Yearly, If I wait long enough I get to reorganize the Terrarium or maybe start new


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## NickBoudin (Nov 3, 2007)

I clean mine whenever I get a chance. Always have a steady supply of paper towels around. Windex the outside, and I just use water on the inside. Though I never really get "#2" on the glass.


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## SS7 (Sep 15, 2008)

I voted once a month, but it could be longer.. :/


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## Lucky (Jan 15, 2007)

I clean mine about once a month, but only with paper towel soaked with distilled water, I do not use any chemicals near my tanks.


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## therizman2 (Jul 20, 2008)

I usually clean the inside glass about once a week to clean off any debris the fracks track onto it and any algae that may be starting to grow. I just use a paper towel and spray the glass down with RO water. I clean the outside of the tank the same way, RO water rarely if ever leaves any spots as long as I get it wiped down pretty well.


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## heatfreakk3 (Oct 15, 2008)

what is RO water? (im new to this stuff...so ya)


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## housevibe7 (Sep 24, 2006)

RO = Reverse Osmosis

I put once a year, but that's not quite true, but its longer than once a month. It kind of depends on whether I have guests coming over that matter (you know, the ones that have never seen your vivs before) or whether I have algae build up, as well as poo. Its mostly just a problem in my thumb vivs, since they climb all over the glass.


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## bmasar (Dec 13, 2007)

I voted for never because I was thinking along the lines of breaking down a tank or doing major overhaul. I actually clean about once a month because my thumbs also do a lot of number two on the glass.


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## asilsdorf (Sep 7, 2005)

How about; When I'm trying to take pictures of the frogs 

I put once a month. That's probably about what it averages out to. Although, that is usually just the front glass.


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## Amphiman (Nov 8, 2007)

I wipe down my mossy's glass everyday after each misting, or calcium will build up. I've never once in 6 months wiped down my red eye's glass, because there are so many plants growing on it, so I don't feel like pushing them out of the way to get to it.


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## Anoleo2 (Feb 1, 2006)

I voted never, but I do trim back overenthusiastic plants once in a great while.

Guess I'll go grab my scissors...


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## back2eight (Dec 19, 2005)

I voted never because I thought you meant a complete break down of the cage, replacing substrate, etc. I never do that, but I do wipe the glass off occasionally so I can see inside better and make it look a little nicer. I'm wiping off green algae growth and frog poop.


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## jehitch (Jun 8, 2007)

I never clean vivs, but my wife keeps doing it when I'm vending at shows.


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## colb (Mar 13, 2008)

I've had plants growing in my tank for more than half a year, but only darts in it for about a month. I've actually never cleaned the inside even one single time. I did read somewhere about people using small fish tank squeegees. Anybody ever tried this method? I seem to get a fair amount of #2 on the glass.

I do like the condensation camouflage observation idea... but... it might be nice to clean off a few of the sides from time to time for a better view.


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## DizzyD (Sep 19, 2006)

I don't really "clean the viv" either, so much as wiping the glass; spring water inside w/ paper towel, and same outside. Again people who have never seen the vivs etc don't wanna look at large bits or highly numerous bits of #2 all over the glass. But i do vaccuum the inside of the hood and exterior fans, So that occurs once a month or better, and the scissors do come out once and a while. Wait a minute... maybe I do clean my viv.


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## kamazza (Sep 2, 2008)

I dont know if any one else's frogs do this but my frogs do go #2 everywhere in the tank, but more so in this one spot on a piece of drift wood. The spot is very hard to get to and I didnt know they were doing this until I removed the top to trim some plants that were hard to get to. I cant get to it without taking the top off, but when I did, GOOD GOD! It looked like they were mining brown tic tacs back there or something! Does any one else have frogs that go #2 in a particular spot, kind of like leopard geckos do? (BTW this was only with my azureus pair).


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## kyle1745 (Feb 15, 2004)

I think one thing to point out is larger tanks do not seem to need cleaned nearly as often.

MY example is I have mainly 10gals(all getting replaced) and 15gals (standards) and the 15gals do not algae up or need cleaned. They can go for months. My 10 gals are algea covered and etc in what seems to be a couple of weeks.


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## leiro (Jun 14, 2007)

I do a major overhaul of my tank about once a year


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## bobberly1 (Jul 16, 2008)

This is relatively new so I'll post here. I have these fluffy, special paper towels and while they aren't scented, they have a slight odor to them. Do people here just use standard paper towels?


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## markbudde (Jan 4, 2008)

I clean the glass either:
a) The day before I am having company over, so they can see the inside of my viv
or 
b) When the algae is so thick I can't see anything anymore

whichever happens first. Its usually about every 2 weeks.
-mark


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## Dean (Mar 1, 2008)

I wipe down the glass when I cant stand to look at the dirt anymore. Small tanks get dirty fast I say once a week when I have the tank open for some reason.


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## Underoath7896 (Jun 30, 2009)

do you ever do a complete breakdown of the cage and clean it or no and what do you do with water thats goes on the bottom with the drainage (srry for newb q just trying to figure out everything i can)


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## BBoyette (Mar 9, 2009)

I try not to let the glass get to nasty with poo. I simply just wipe it down with warm water.


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## dom (Sep 23, 2007)

jehitch said:


> I never clean vivs, but my wife keeps doing it when I'm vending at shows.


i like this!! 


i would say i wipe down everything everyother month


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## MeiKVR6 (Sep 16, 2008)

The flush mounted wall vivarium inside the kitchen gets the glass wiped down once a week... The others get a quick wipe down once a month or so.

Springs take care of 85% of the waste.


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