General Care Discussion :: Ate Medicated Sulfa Block

[larqw]

I bought the block for Toutolina's tank on December 24 and today when I looked in there, it was gone! The product is supposed to last in the tank for 45-60 days...but it's not there. Maybe Toutolina ate it? Will this cause any damage? She's not acting strange or anything...I'm just concerned. I really didn't think she would eat every and anything!

[Bumby's Mom]

They dissolve pretty fast. When it says it lasts that long they mean the water is treated that long.

[larqw]

OH!!!!!!
thank you

[Vivi]

well is it one of the Dr. Turtles block??

if yes then he did eat it. nothing bad should happen to your turt. I just suggest not to buy those because IMO they're crap. instead buy them some cuttle bone. its much more better for them.

[Cim*Forever]

I put one in my turtles tank last week.... he ate half of it before I noticed so I took what was left out. Hes acting normal and doing quite fine. If its the same situation, I bet it will be okay.

[larqw]

lol Toutolina will be fine; I found part of the sulfa block

[Cramer]

If you want to use those, put it in your filter.

[SpotsMama]

Better not to use them at all. The sulfa blocks contain...sulfa which is a medication used to treat a variety of fungal and bacterial conditions. When sulfa is constantly in the habitat the fungus and bacteria living there will develop a tolerance to it. Then down the road if the turtle's immune system is weakened for some reason (injury, too cold, diet, water not clean enough) and he/she gets an infection, then sulfa is useless as a treatment because the infection is resistent.

If the tank is clean, the diet good and the turtle basks appropriately under a good UVB bulb and dries out periodically, then you don't need sulfa.

There's another kind of block that looks very similar which doesn't contain sulfa but only calcium. Putting it in the tank or in your filter won't hurt anything but it isn't terribly effective. A better source of calcium is cuttlebone.

[larqw]

Thank you. I have tried the cuttlebone, but Toutolina refuses to eat it!

[marisa]

What size pieces are you putting in the tank?

[larqw]

just small sizes...it's just so hard! When she tries to bite it, it doesn't even break through.

[scripta_elegans]

Are you removing the really hard backing from the cuttle bone before breaking it up and tossing it in? once the backing comes off, it's about the consistancy of after dinner mints.

[larqw]

REALLY??? Thanks! I didn't know I was supposed to do that. Makes sense...I'll try it

[larqw]

Just did it and no change...once she smells it, she walks away from it.

[Buddy777]

Was it one of those tetra ones that are the shape of a turtle because my turtle ate the whole thing but then i read the back of the package and it says its 99.9 percent calcium so it isnt so bad if they eat it. i called the manufacturer and they said it was fine if they eat them but that is a good idea to put it in the filter so that they are not digesting the whole block at once.