General Care Discussion :: Ich! Are my turtles going to be affected?

[Bumby's Mom]

I am really upset right now, I just looked at my pleco and he has ick/ich I really don't want him to die and I read there are medicines you can put in the water that kill the ich but I don't know if they are safe for turtles and if I take the fish from the tank then he will be in 70 degree water which will make him sick. I am going to make the pet store give me the medicines for free since they sold me a sick fish. Does anyone know if the medicines are safe or if ich/ick can get into the turtles? I have hatchlings and I am worried for them.

[roseK]

well the best thing to do is QT the fish, and theres a safe way to treat ich without those dangerous meds

you raise the temp to about 30 and add tonic salt. and ich dies at 32 degrees but that might be a little too hot for ur babies.

BUT like i said best thing for is is temperature rise and salt

[Bumby's Mom]

The problem is that I have no where for the fish to be quarantined. He would have to go into a plastic bowl and that will just stress him more and then I won't have a way to heat the water. I just called the vet but the herp vet isnt in so the avian vet was trying to answer my questions and she says that turtles can get ich....? What is 32 degrees? Is that a celsius measurement? I just bought some meds but I have no idea if they are safe for the turtles or not so I am kind of at a loss here.

[kgielda]

I would put the water from the tank he's in into the bowl then put the treatment in- that way the temp will go down slowly to room temp- then set out new water for overnight and transfer him over to the new room temp clean water tomorrow- and continue the meds.

That's what I would do- not saying it's right though. I have my plecos in a tank with no heater- so they can live at room temperature.

[roseK]

32 C so u can raise the temp to over 90, slowly maybe ur turtles can tolerate it for a week or so... and the salt would be okay for the turtles, so u can put it in the same tank and it will prevent the turts from getting it

[megcornell]

I believe the ich parasites infect the tank and the only way to get rid of them would be to do the treatment in the tank. The "larvae" sink to the bottom of the tank so transferring the pleco to another tank to treat him wouldn't work because he'd be re-infected once back in the turtle tank.

[Bumby's Mom]

Well, I went out and bought the babies a new tank, bigger, and the new heater isn't working right It has been 4 hours and the temp only went up 1.5 degrees. I put the babies in there even though it was too cold for them and I really hope they didn't get sick. They needed to eat and I thought maybe they could handle 75 but I was wrong so they are back in the pet carrier covered with a towel and they are very very unhappy. I also bought them one of those floating turtle logs and I don't think it will be able to stay in the tank as it moves and they are so tiny they were getting pinned by the end of the log and I can't chance them drowning.
megcornell- you are correct. And the parasites are only affected by the medicine when they are free swimming so it has to be treated for 14 days to make sure that all the larvae, eggs etc. have all cycled.