Turtles and ich meds

[jay2487]

I have a 2" red eared slider, 15 swordtails, 2 pictus catfish, a crappie, and some ghost shrimp. I bought some new swordtails the other day and apparently they had ich because now all my fish have it. I want to treat them tonight but have never had any experience in this and wonder how I should go about it. Will the meds hurt the turtle? Or the Ghost Shrimp? Or my Anacharis and hogwart plant? If I seperate them will the ghost shrimp, turtle or plants keep the ich so when I cure the fish and put them back in they just catch it again? If anyone has any suggestions it would be greatly appreciated. Also if anyone has any experience caring for the crappie or what is there normal behavior? PLEASE HELP!!

[jay2487]

Can no one help me?

[rich311k]

I do not know if ICH meds would effect the turtle or not. I have never kept mine with fish, the same goes for salt. I wish i knew. You could put the turtle in a seperate tank while treating.

[jay2487]

I planned on separating them, leaving the turtle, plants and ghost shrimp in the tank and moving all the fish to a hospital tank as they call it until treatment was done. But I'm worried that maybe the ich will live on the plants or shrimp or turtle so when I cure my fish and put them back together they just catch it again. Do you know how long it takes ich to die without a fish to live on? Or does it?

[Wild Turkey]

I would go the opposite, remove the turtle and treat the original tank, since the turtle is much less likely to die from the stress of being moved or being in a Q tank for a week or two. You want to treat the tank with the ich meds anyway, the ich is in the water. If you run carbon afterwards, the carbon will remove all the meds from the tank so ur turtle should be fine to be re introduced after that.

I also am not sure what the effects of ich meds on the turtle would be, but when in doubt play it safe

[jay2487]

Then should I move the plants and the ghost shrimp with the turtle to the different tank? Or will they be okay? And will the ich stay on the plants, turtle or shrimp and reinfest my tank when I put them back in?

[Wild Turkey]

Then should I move the plants and the ghost shrimp with the turtle to the different tank? Or will they be okay? And will the ich stay on the plants, turtle or shrimp and reinfest my tank when I put them back in?

No, the carbon is going to remove the meds for you at a molecular level. You shouldnt have any ill effects as long as you use the carbon to remove the meds afterwards.

Leave the plants, leave everything its all covered in ich basically. The shrimp, you could move, or you could wing it and replace them if something happens, its up to you. Ghost shrimp are really a dime a dozen but if you feel some attachment to these ones probably Q them as well. Honestly im surprised theyve been living with turtle and are alive to tell the story.

Make sure you do some waterchanges on the turtle and or shrimp during Q so that the ammonia doesnt build up and so you can remove any ich that may get carried over by them.

[jay2487]

Thanks, no, no attachment, there for him to eat but they are great hiders, I was trying to avoid removing the substrate and plants because of the anacharis's root system but that's the only way to get the ghost shrimp. I will risk it and see what the meds do to them. So tell me if this sounds right, move just the turtle out and remove the carbon filter, treat for what the directions say with quarter water changes and hope the plants and fish don't die. Then put the carbon back in and let it filter for how long before I let the turtle back in?

[Wild Turkey]

Thanks, no, no attachment, there for him to eat but they are great hiders, I was trying to avoid removing the substrate and plants because of the anacharis's root system but that's the only way to get the ghost shrimp. I will risk it and see what the meds do to them. So tell me if this sounds right, move just the turtle out and remove the carbon filter, treat for what the directions say with quarter water changes and hope the plants and fish don't die. Then put the carbon back in and let it filter for how long before I let the turtle back in?

Yes, thats perfect assuming 1 thing, that the carbon isnt the only media in your filter. If it is, let us know the instructions will be a little different for avoiding a minicycle when you remove it.

[jay2487]

It is one of those filters that hang off the back of the tank and have a blue fiber fliter with a black cartridge of carbon, unless i break a filter open and remove the carbon rocks I would have to remove the whole thing to get the carbon out and that would leave just the charcoal filter which is after the blue one. Should I remove the rocks from the blue one or just take the whole thing out and let the charcoal filter it?

[rich311k]

Cut it open and remove the carbon. You can put in a new one when the ich is gone.

[jay2487]

Will do, thanks for all the help, I thought I was going to regret joining this site but I got the answers I needed and haven't recieved the first spam Email yet. I think I'll like it here lol

[Wild Turkey]

+1 good advice rich

Glad we could be of some help! AC rocks

[jay2487]

What forum would be good to learn about my crappie(speckled perch) I don't really know what they eat or how they are supposed to behave when there healthy

[Wild Turkey]

What forum would be good to learn about my crappie(speckled perch) I don't really know what they eat or how they are supposed to behave when there healthy

Most people (myself included) dont mind doing a little research if you start a thread. But a google search is always a good start, just remember not to take info from one page as gospel, compare a lot of pages so u can spot inconsistencies

[jay2487]

I haven't been able to find much but tips on fishing for them, thanks I'll start a thread, any suggestions on what forum to start it? Maybe beginners?

[Wild Turkey]

I haven't been able to find much but tips on fishing for them, thanks I'll start a thread, any suggestions on what forum to start it? Maybe beginners?

When in doubt, beginners is usually a good spot unless you can place the fish in the appropriate category

Im pretty sure there are a few species of crappie, and crappie may just refer to a group of fish species, not one in particular so have the specific species in mind.

Off hand, I know they are a popular catch for fishers, they are active in the winter and found all over this continent, maybe others. Diverse diet

[jay2487]

That may explain why mine is very dormant in a tank with 75+ temps. I'll try that you've been a great help.