Urgent Care :: Turtle Stress

[Cory]

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How big is your turtle? 4" Shell
How long have you had it? 5 Days, was a birthday gift for my 21st, Always wanted one.

What is the water temperature? 73/75F Daytime 78F Night
Did you use a thermometer? Yes
Are you using a water heater? At Night
How much water is in there? 7ish gallons
Are you using a water conditioner? Yes Ziilla Aquatic Reptile Water Conditioner
Are you using any filtration? Yes This Filter that came with the tank Setup.

What is the basking temperature? 95ish
Is there a basking light? Yes a Zilla 75 Watt day bulb
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? Yes, Turtle Stairs
What kind is it or what is it made out of? Fake Rock, Polysomething
Is there a UVB light? Yes Zilla Tropical 25 13W UVB

What have you been trying to feed it? Feeder Fish(wont eat em), Zilla AQUATIC Turtle Food Pellets, Romaine Lettuce (it shuns this), Grapes(shuns this too), Carrot Shavings (Shuns This)
When was the last time your turtle ate? Today (Pellets)
How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 20 Gallon Long 30"x12"x12"
Is the tank near a window? No
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? No

Have you read the Basic Care section? Entirely
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? Indeed

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms?
Fist of all lets say this. over the last few days the tank was getting really really really cloudy. Now I read that the tank should get a a little cloudy in the first week and that it should balance out once the beneficial bacteria start growing. So I wait it out. I leave the filter on high, the lights are on for 13 hours a day on a timer.
Yesterday afternoon I noticed the turtle laying in a corner he usually doesn't lay in with his eyes closed. They are gray and puffy. Now I noticed this one other time when I first got him, and called the pet store they said don't worry he is sleeping. But this time he didn't flinch when I opened the top of the cage or anything. So I move him. He swims around for a second and goes back to his estranged corner sinks to the bottom and closes his eyes. Seeing this I figured I was jumping the gun let him sleep. I left for a few hours and when I came home last night he was was swimming around but with his eyes closed. I mean like really swimming around with his eyes closed. Whenever he stuck his head above water he opened his eyes. I immediately said that's it and got the spare tanks out. Set it up. Conditioned 3 gallons of water (this tanks is much Smaller) Cleaned out the filter with conditioned water rinsed the filter pouch with conditioned water, cleaned the heater, rinsed it in conditioned water stuck that in. got it up to temp in the water and moved him in the tank alone. This morning I Wake up, His eyes are still shut although he does open them under water sometimes, and he does seem a little better, but he is still spending most of his time at the bottom of the tank with his eyes shut. I cant tell really if they are swollen but Id imagine the puffy look his eye lids have is the swollen eyes everyone talks about. Right now he will only open his right eye and he keeps rubbing the left with his arm. this is in the clean tank. I cant seem to find an answer for this. He only shuns the fresh veggies I try to give him and Id hate to do the wrong cure for the problem. He has taken all of my free time for the last 5 days.

Thanks Everyone

Edit - I Just noticed another post of someone talking about white puffy eyelids that pretty much describes it. I feel really uncomfortable removing the UVB light because it says everywhere that you must have one. Could it be that the light was to close?

[steve]

Hi, welcome to the site.

For the closed eyes, can you leave the UVB light off and see if there is an improvement? Has he eaten the pellets?

Why are you only using a heater at night? They should have a thermostat so they should turn off by themselves. Ones that are preset are usually set at an acceptable 78F.

[steve]

Leaving it off for a day or 2 is fine, just make sure the basking light is still on. CF UVB lights usually need a burn in period, since they have unusually strong output when they are new.

[Cory]

Well from reading everything I was under the impression that having the tanks water in the mid to low 70s was the best and also having a cooler water would entice the turtle to bask on the stairs, which he was not doing. for the first days.

Right now I am going to empty the tanks, Remove the gravel (petco sold my girlfriend gravel that was small enough for him to eat) wash everything, with vinegar and water, then rinse all the parts (stairs, fake plant, heater, filter, thermometer, Bubble wand) and there cords/hoses.

How long should I let the tank sit with the turtle after I have set it all back up before returning him to it. The small tank I have doesn't have a proper basking spot and I don't think he can get on it, and if he can get on top of it. he cant dry his underside. fi

Also, what should I do with the feeder fish? Put them right back into his tank with him or keep them seperate and put them into the small tank once he is out. They have been sitting in the big tank with its dirty water and no filter or oxygen for the last 12 hours and only one died.

Are all my precautions necessary? ie: rinsing everything in conditioned water before putting it back to use or can I just use tap. Also is it possible that my turtle sustained permanent damage due to the lamp being to "Hot" in UVB Rays. The UVB Lamp has been off the small tank for two hours and he still has his eyes shut. not even opening them above water.

I have the UVB lamp on in my closet, hopefully i can finish the burn in period on my own eyes rather than my turtles fragile eyes. How long does a burn in period last for?

Sorry for the outrageously long posts.
You guys are life savors. Thanks Again

[Cory]

Update: Sir Turtle McGurdle, aka Turty McGurty aka [----] is doing really well.

I got him back into his full size tank, I did everything I said and more. He has no gravel a nice basking spot and no UVB light. His eyes are wide open. I cleaned everything with vinegar and water and then rinsed it in conditioned water before placing it back into his tank. I took the UVB light and put it in my closet to pass the burn in period. How long is that anyway? It took him overnight to begin opening his eyes again both of them at the same time all the way. I got him new food today, Its by Reptomin. Its like a 3 in 1 Mini Sticks, Baby dry shrimp, and mini krill. He seems to like the krill and mini sticks. I also put a background on the tank. I added ceramic cylinders to the filter I have to cultivate the bacteria that will help combat the ammonia. Ill keep you guys updated but for now we have open eyes.

What should I do about the UVB light ? That seemed to be the problem. Thanks guys

Cory

[bradmeisel]

The real problem is your tank is 33 gal to small. You should have him in a 40 gal tank. The dirty water probrably irritated his eyes with the uvb bulb. Don't worry about rinsing everything with conditioned water. Just conditin the water once you put it in the tank. With a 7 gallon tank you need to change the water extremely often (every other day). your tank is way to small to even consider cycling. I am glad his eyes are open. Good luck I hope you all the best.

[steve]

When I change the water, I usually wait for it to warm up to 77F before I put the turtles back in. I rely on the water heaters to do it, try to avoid warm tap water.

The chlorine can be a bit irritating to the eyes, but that is only temporary. However, the fish should be in dechlorinated water.

There shouldn't be any permanent damage from the UVB. The bulb might have burn in directions, so try to find out. If not, start using the bulb at greater distances and gradually bring it closer.

Try to stick to just baby reptomin pellets... the other stuff is like candy and junk food to them.

[bradmeisel]

steve - when I change my water I keep them in the tank and make sure the water temp does not go below 70. It takes a few hours to come up to 74-75. I think it would stress them more to take them from the tank. Also I keep the basking platform in the tank while I do this so they can get out if they feel cold.

Question #1 - Should I take them out anyway while I change the water?

Question #2 - What is the ideal temp for two 3 yo RES'?

PS I use turtle clean and algae drops. The turtles are very accustomed to this and do not stress when left in the tank.

[steve]

I usually do complete changes, rather than partial so the water from the tap could be from 50 to 70, depending on the season. I also do this at night so they can dry dock (or have access to a MVB) and it lets most of the chlorine evaporate. Personally, below 72F is out of my comfort zone, but obviously most adult RES won't have an issue with that temp.

If I were to do partial changes, I would set aside some water in a bucket or container and let it warm up... to keep the temp change as minimal as possible.

My RES don't really like to be in there when they water is drained or when it's being filled. I'm afraid they get to close to the python and the water is a cold stream during refills.

As for ideal temps... I would say between 75-78.

[bradmeisel]

Thanks for the reply. You are right about them liking to go under the streaming water. They seem to love to swim through the currents. But with winter coming, I think I will put them in a holding tank until I can get their big tank up to temp.

Thanks for a great site. I like the upgrades.

[marisa]

I'm wondering why the water is kept cooler during the day than at night---it would be more natural to have the water cool off a bit at night than during the day.

To me, a water temp of low to mid 70's should be fine for your 4-inch RES. When I do a total or large partial water change, I let the water temp come up to around 68 - 69F before putting my RES back in the tank (the temp usually gets down to 54 - 56F in cooler weather). I usually do water changes in the evening, and my RES usually stays in a small tank with a towel overnight until the water has warmed sufficiently. His water is normally around 70F.

[bradmeisel]

Thanks Marisa for the reply. I have their temp at 74.5 and they bask enough. I would also think the temp would be cooler at night if not kept at a constant temp.