Turtle Tank cleaning

Question
I have a year old red ear slider and am having to clean the tank once a week. I am planning on getting a stronger filter, but for the moment, do you think a daily cleaning with a fish tank vaccuum will help in the filtration process so that I wouldnt have to clean it every week? Or is the only way a stronger filter?

Answer
Turtles are indeed pretty messy pets. You can reduce the workload in several ways.

1. Tank size. It is recommended that there be at least 10 gallons of water per inch of turtle. The roomier, the easier to keep clean.

2. Adding more and/or bigger filters

3. More frequent water changes/vacs

4. Adding live plants or scavengers (catfish, snails, etc.)

5. Use a seperate feeding tank

Good luck, and for more ideas check out http://www.redearslider.com