Urgent Care :: 2 baby RES, 1 with eye infections...HELP

[bd0cksaint89]

How big is your turtle? 2.5 - 3 inches
How long have you had it? 5 months

What is the water temperature? ?
Did you use a thermometer? no
Are you using a water heater? no
How much water is in there? currently 6 inches
Are you using a water conditioner? ?
Are you using any filtration? as of today yes

What is the basking temperature? ?
Is there a basking light? there is now
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? yes
What kind is it or what is it made out of? its a big rock
Is there a UVB light? yes

What have you been trying to feed it? staple pellets and dried shrimp from pet store
When was the last time your turtle ate? possibly weeks

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 2x3 ft
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? yes
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? yes

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? ?

i must say ive been quite neglectful for these RES and i feel terribly about it. today i went out and finally brought a filter and uvb bulb for them. im still working on getting a water heater however.
one of the little guys has what looks like a pretty bad eye infection. its in both eyes. they havent been eating for weeks and have been mostly sleeping. as soon as i put the heating lamp on today with the filter/running water, the healthier one at least has been very active, whereas the one with the infection has been basking.
i see him trying to open his eyes, scratching at them, but they wont open. and are puffy. im hoping that the uvb light starts helping at least, and gets them to the point where they start eating again.
my main concern is wether or not i should rush the infected one to a vetrinarian first thing tomorrow, or if i should wait it out and see if it gets better?

[steve]

Hi, you should really separate them until you know what's going on with the eyes.

How many gallons of water is there? Can you get a water temperature reading? You can try the Zoo Med turtle eye drops, or some cod liver oil.. are the eyes closed when he's underwater?

[marisa]

The one that has the eye issues---does it look like there's a film of wet tissue over the lids? The fact that he's basking is good. If there is a film, it should eventually come off.

You need to know what the water and basking area temps are. Checking with a thermometer would really be good. Is there both a UVB light and heat source?

The infection could be the result of bacteria in the water if it hasn't been kept clean, a lack of Vit. A in the diet, a water temp that's too cool, or a combination of the three. Find out what the temps are and make sure they're warm enough (basking area temp high 80's to 90F and water temp 80 - 82F. To add Vit A to the diet, get some plain cod liver oil and apply it to the lids with a q-tip once or twice a day. It there is any deficiency, there should be some improvement in a few days.