How to Clean Up After a Salamander

Cleaning up after your pet salamander is a chore, but a beneficial one. Pet salamanders need clean habitats so that they may thrive and stay free of illness and disease. Care for your pet salamander by regularly cleaning up after it and its habitat.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Salamander-safe 3 percent bleach solution
• Gravel cleaner
• Clean toothbrush or cotton swab
• Algae-cleaning sponge
• Net or turkey baster
• Boiling water

1. Check water filtration systems in your salamander's habitat. Bacteria trapped in dilapidated or neglected systems can cause your salamander to become ill, as salamanders are very sensitive to water quality and infectious bacteria.
2. Dismantle the water filtration system. Clean the system with a new toothbrush or a cotton swab by identifying and removing debris build up on the system's filters.
3. Drain and set aside 20 to 30 percent of the water in the salamander's tank. Removing more or less than this amount will stress the salamander and the natural balance of their habitat's ecology.
4. Scrub the sides of the glass with a special algae cleaning pad and a 3 percent bleach cleaning solution specially made for salamander habitat cleaning.
5. Run a gravel cleaner over the bottom of your salamander's habitat to remove excess waste.
6. Remove moss and other natural materials from your salamander's habitat and clean thoroughly. Replace with new, natural materials or reuse the old ones after a thorough washing, sterilizing and drying.
7. Clean reusable decorations in your salamander's tank by carefully picking them out of the tank with either a glove or a paper towel and placing the items on a clean uncontaminated surface. Sterilize the items with boiling water or a 3 percent bleach cleaning solution. Use a clean toothbrush to scrub, if necessary.
8. Rinse the tank thoroughly, removing all traces of the bleach solution.
9. Pour the reserved 20 to 30 percent water into the tank and add new water. Replace all tank items and your salamander.
10. Use a net or turkey baster to remove debris, feces and excess food daily. Failing to do this daily could result in a bacterial build up.

Tips & Warnings

• Cleaning your salamander's habitat regularly helps to prevent disease and injury to your salamander.
• Change out water weekly.
• Do not use harsh chemicals, detergents or other harmful cleaning agents when cleaning your salamander's habitat. The slightest contact with such chemicals can be lethal to them.
• Always wash your hands before and after handling salamanders, their habitats or objects with which they come into contact.
• If you do not clean your salamander's tank regularly, a dangerous ammonia build up can occur.