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So here's the story...just became a new RES owner when my wife and daughters bought two of them while walking in downtown LA. After hours of research and $500 invested in their new home, they seem to be thriving. However, I have noticed that both of them have milky white eyelids? Their eyes don't look "swollen" so to speak, I just notice that their eyelids are a different color than the rest of their body.

I've tried to take pics but I can't seem to get a clear shot of the eyes when they are closed to reveal the white discoloring. I have a 7.0 megapixel camera but it still won't show up.

Was wondering if anyone has encountered this and hopefully can offer some advice. Any info is greatly appreciated.

How big is your turtle? 2"
How long have you had it? 2 weeks

What is the water temperature? 78 F
Did you use a thermometer? yes
Are you using a water heater? no, water stays the same temp. I live in San Diego.
How much water is in there? about 50 gallons
Are you using a water conditioner? yes
Are you using any filtration? yes, cascade 700 canister filter

What is the basking temperature? 95 F
Is there a basking light? yes UVB 10.0
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? yes, both of them frequent the area. One more than the other, but I suspect this is because the other one is still getting used to the new home.
What kind is it or what is it made out of? It's made of driftwood pieces that I fastened together.
Is there a UVB light? yes

What have you been trying to feed it? hatchling pellets with vitamins, live guppies and lettuce. Going to add some carrots as I think this may be a Vit A deficiency.
When was the last time your turtle ate? today x 2

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 60 Gl
Is the tank near a window? yes
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? no

How close is the UVB bulb to the basking area??? What wattage bulbs are you using??
The bulbs might be irratating their eyes
Any chance of pics of the tank and setup??

I have a repti glo 5.0 26 W UVB positioned about 15" off the basking area. They have just been released into the new habitat. Prior to this, they were in the breeding container they were sold to my wife in. I noticed the milky eyelids prior to releasing them into their new home. I suspected that it was due to improper conditions in their breeding container but now that they are in a better home, it seems to be getting worse. I will post pics soon. I will try and get lucky and see if I can get a good shot of one of the eyes while i'm at it.

I use the same UVB bulb and your distance seems right

What about your basking bulb wattage?

I use a 60 W soft white bulb in a clip on lamp.

It sounds normal -- have you seen other pics on the forum with eyes closed?

I have but none that really match the symptoms that mine are exhibiting.

From what you wrote, the pale eyelids don't sound like there's a real problem. Do they open their eyes easily? Are the eyes alert when they're open? With smaller RES, you can sometimes see their eyes "moving" around under the eyelids (they can see movement and are able to slip into the water if threatened).

I'd lower the basking area temp a bit, to more like 90F.
A basking light is not the same as the UVB light. The UVB light provides UVB and UVA rays. The basking light provides heat, and you can use a regular incandescent lightbulb to do this.

They open easily and they seem to be very alert. I apologize but am still not able to get a good pic of theire eyelids to better describe the pic. When I pick them up to photograph them they don't close their eyes and when they are basking with closed eyes, my camera doesn't seem to get a clear shot. Thanks for all the help from everyone though, you guys are awesome.

My hatchling's eyes were closed and seemed to have a flim over them so I bought the turtle eye drops from Petco and that fixed the problem in two days. The eye drops really work great, that is what I would recommed trying.

I've heard rave reviews about the drops as well as the cod liver oil treatment. If I don't see any type of improvement now that they have the proper setup, I will def move to that step next.

Normal RES eyelids are milky-white. This sounds normal. Do their eyes have any discoloration when their eyes are open? If not, don't worry. It just sounds like they have their eyes closed (:

That color is normal? I know their eyes are closed when I see the milky white, it's on their eyelids. There isn't any discoloration on the pupils. Other than th eyelids, they seem to be thriving.

I'm glad to hear that color is normal. This puts me at ease.

rest-es -- If your uvb lighting is 5.0 that should be fine. The 10.0 is too harsh. I wish you could get a photo of the eyelids. I had one of my 4 inch turtle to do the same thing, but since I cannot see it I am not sure it is the same thing. I dry docked mine and kept eye drops on them every several hours. They were dry docked for about 8 hours per day for three days and they cleared up. Make sure you have a problem before you do anything. Good Luck. b.

The lighting could be the problem,lik the others said.It could also be a lack of vitamins & calcium,or it could be just the way the eyes are.But try putting cuttlebone to help get some calcium,and it's not like turtle cuttlebone,you can use the same kind that are udes for birds.Hope this helps!