Graeme Holden

don't think I would like my toes near your turtles, I think I have only one or two that would be strong enough to eat that sort of thing, quite a few of mine have been neglected and are quite small, two of them were like babies and were over 2 yrs old when I got them, guess I just spoil them though, I will find some fish up here and give it a go, tks

I know a Red Ear is a terrapin, but is the snake neck also, mine never seems to want to come out of the water, when I take it out for a while it normally just sits quietly till I put it back, never bitten me (or the dog), I know I could look it up but thought I would use this opportunity to get someone to blow the cobwebs off the keyboard. Oh and p.s. Anyone have contacts for obtaining a tortoise ??? preferably a smaller type and one suitable for coldish winter conditions (Papakura south Auckland) we do get frosts but not too bad, but could keep inside if required (providing I can avoid telling the wife I have one till she realises it is not ceramic !!!)

I have several cannister filters available but at present I am experimenting with a swimming pool filter !! it is one off a blowup type pool that the turtles were in over the summer, but now it is getting cooler they are in a outside tank and in the sun (when it comes out). I started off using a cannister but thought I would give the pool filter a go. Works very well, uses a paper (or similar material) cartridge that I just spray with the hose to clean, and has a huge input and outflow flexible hose about the same size as a vaccum cleaner. As there are 5 red ears and a snake neck in the same tank, I thought the water flow would compensate for space and it seems to work well, clean water so far, collects rainwater, I have a huge pleco and mozzie fish to help with the waste. These type of filter/pumps are cheap to run, cheap to buy, effective/efficient, and would be easy to change the media if you wanted, rather large flow too which for me is a bonus - for what it is worth p.s. guess it would pay to check that clorine etc has not been used, mine was new so no problem, (cost me a dollar complete)

ok I will have a go, where do you buy them and do they eat the whole lot, bones etc or are the ones you buy like fish bait and real soft, clue me in, tks, Graeme

Any ideas ?? from the analysis of the contents, it looks like many other foods that are available but is 2 to 3 times the price for the same quantity, with 10 turtles to feed, and short arms and long pockets (not to mention the Gorse) it seems like the turtles can eat better than me !!! I do feed mince, heart, plant, snails, and if they are quick enough and I am not watching -mosquito fish (and most of mine if not all are too slow), I have a baby one that is quite crazy about trout crumble and will eat that in preference to anything else incl meat but it is quite fatty, so come on, give up the secrets to those of us that are always on the look out for a bargain, then want free delivery, perks, etc Graeme

also known as condy's/ condies or whatever crystals- NOT A RECOMMENDATION JUST MY EXPERIENCE ONLY, please do not take as expert advice and preferably seek advice before using, Graeme

the turtles have been back in the water for the last two days, so missed out on maybe 2/3 days where the water was changing from pink to brown

The pool is now almost clear, I used slightly less than the 1 teaspoon per 1000 litres (dissolved in water and spread across the surfact and into the intake of one of the filters), the water which was very murky and also quite green, to the extent that one could not see any goldfish or turtles if they were below maybe 200mm from the surface, water when very pink, then very dirty brown, and now almost clear and getting better each day. Part way through the process the algae appeared to clump into larger particles that were easily removeable by filters (I was using 4 that were not keeping up before the treatment) I removed all the turtles after maybe a day as they did not appear to be eating, the mosquito fish mostly came to the surface and appeared to be a little distressed so removed maybe 75% of them, I never laid eyes on a goldfish !!! and the large pleco also was not seen. None of the fish appear to have been affected whatsoever although it is early days, the goldfish are now all visible and very fit and energetic, mossie fish and pleco all good, turtles just the same cheeky and eating well. I do not profess to being any kind of expert, just giving the benefit of my experience

I am assuming that this could be quite beneficial to the turtles too as they are very prone to carry disease as they obviously cannot clean themselves. Carriers of campylobactor (is that how it is spelt ??)

anyone have experience of using this to control algae in a pool/pond ?? currently have a swimming pond full of turtles, mosquito fish and goldfish, also one very large pleco, been told to use 1 teaspoon full per 1000 l of water, water turns pink, then brown and if successful then clear, any comments appreciated, tks Graeme

Yeah well, I was reasonably sure it was not a immaculate conception !!!!!! - keep well

Mystic - CONGRATULATIONS, - competition for your attention !!!!! well done you two :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :roll: :roll: :roll: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

as usual, a commonsnse reply from Mystic (HIYA), looked up the ref and that's what they appear to be alright. Now don't panic people. They are in with turtles, not whitebait or trout or much else really !! from my point of view they do do a great job - they are not able to escape, not being sold, not given away, breeding but I have some very large tropicals, I have no frogs (that I am aware of), I DO HAVE - a damn blue heron that periocally spears a few goldfish, a couple of kingfishers that do the same, heaps of cats from the neighbourhood that eye up my goldfish and turtles periodically (untill deterred by a well placed shoe, rock or anything else that is handy), so sit yourselves down and have a nice hot cup of tea and a bicky

Turtles are absolutely useless on eating larvae or anything else that moves really, pretty sure they are reasonably harmless and are everywhere up here. really want to know if anyone has more info on what they actually are, wild guppies ??? or mosquito fish ?? p.s. they ARE VERY GOOD at eating larvae. They are in a fairly large swimming pool that was lousey with larvae( that I was catching regularly and feeding to my tropicals) and cleaned the lot out in just a couple of days

p.s. they are too fast for the turtles !!!!!!

I have quite a few of these I think, the females are a lot larger than tropical and the male seems to be generally smaller. Got them when I purchased a fish tank many months ago and they are used for keeping down the mossies in my turtle ponds (do a fantastic job) ques- are they a nuisance or a prohibited fish?? they do not appear to breed at a great rate - certainly not as prolific as tropicals, and the same ones appear to be in one of the local streams close to my home in Papakura Auckland. Ideas, information etc, tks Graeme

A local down the road has suggested a couple of minutes in a very heavy salt water bath can either kill or purge the fish, he recommends sort of 2 minutes max and then back in the fresh water, only temporary but does do a great deal to purge the fish, any confirmation of this technique ??

I have a 3 ft tank with heaps of rosy barbs in it, happily coexisting with red ramshorns, so for every fact there is always an exception

yep read all the posts and been on the internet, what I need is someone who has treated a fish with dropsy to provide some guidance on treatment. this old girl has had dropsy for a couple of months and actually sits on the top of a filter to survey the rest of the tank, She still eats and seems to be otherwise ok, what I would like is for someone to give their experience in treatment results, I realize she would probably be better put down but am reluctant to do that, prefer to let nature take it's course if possible. Have heard the rock salt treatment can cause the fish to shed quite a lot of poop,water,and whathaveyou that is causing the fish to balloon up, over to youse lot, tks

ref your profile,. and as you get older - NEVER, trust a fart

I have two tanks that grow duckweed at a great rate, I wasgoing to get rid of it untill I found that it is a great source of cheap food for the likes of rosy barbs, tinfoil barbs, actually have seen most of my fish eating it. I put in maybe a thousand plants give or take a few hundred and within a few days it is all gone. Realize some think it a nuisance but as a food I have found it to be great. Another cheap and readily available food source is the little black freshwater snails that have arrived care of the local water supply - my red eared terrapins love them and will actively seek them out in gravel. I know that loaches will eat snails but anyone that is buying prepared food for red ears will know how expensive it is so a cheap alternative is always a good idea. Note of caution ------- these little snails will breed like crazy and will compete with ramshorns for space and food -for what it is worth

bred some actually by mistake when transferring fish, all appear to be female, are they like some other fish and the sex is determined by the temp of the water, so they are all female, or do they take quite a while to get colour up. they are already adult size, probably round 6 months old or so

have heaps of spare tanks you could borrow if need be, cheers

then that is the pair, take the others out and they will spawn straight away probably. Has one got a nice curve to it's nose and the other one look like Griz Willie?? If so you have a pair and they will mate sure as little apples

put the reply in the new topic, sorry, been on the wine biscuits hehehehehe