swollen eyes

Question
i've just bought 2 turtles 10 days ago. first they both active but after 2 days, one of them became lethargic..and 2 days after that..their eyes were swollen...then i separated both of them to 2 tanks...i usually kept it indoors..but now i keep it outdoors but still in aquarium...it just 2 inches long..i've just bought filter n gave it drinking water for its water.but it eyes still swollen..and it haven't eat for 5 days..can i drop their eyes with cod liver oil that usually for human to consume?what should i do?

Answer
It sounds like there are some problems here.

I suspect that the basic cares are flawed. You may want to check the site http://www.redearslider.com for some ideas.

Some things I wonder about include:

1. Tank size- there should be at least 10 gallons of swimming water per inch of total turtle shell length. Smaller tanks mean dirtier water, crowding, stress, territoriality, etc.

2. Tank temperatures should be about 80 in the water and 90 in the basking sites. You should monitor this with thermometers. Cool water is a leading reason turtles fail to thrive.

3. Clean water is important and takes a lot of work- big filters, frequent water changes, etc. help prevent illness.

4. Diet is critical. It is tough to feed baby turtles, but you can get good quality pelleted food. The cheap stuff is bad for them in many ways. One of the better brands even offers a special 'baby' mix.



Eye infections are tough. They can be caused by many things but usually because of basic things.

In most cases, if you offer better care, the eye conditions will clear up. See articles like http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/eyeprobs.htm or http://www.turtlepuddle.org/health/eyes.html

Good luck!