Urgent Care :: Used bleach to clean tank, may have hurt them!

[machina]

I used bleach to clean their tank today, and let it sit outside to evaporate all of the bleach in it. After about an hour and a half it looked dry, so I brough it back in, filled it halfway up, and dropped the turtles in. They immediately closed their eyes and sat in the corner, not moving.

I immediately took them out, for fear there was still bleach, and put them in a pot with some tap water after I washed them off under the faucet. Their eyes are still closed.

The tank was cleaned again, without bleach, and it is drying outside. But my turtles still have their eyes closed! Even in a dry pot they refuse to stop turtling (lets pulled in along with their head) or open their eyes.

HELP!

[marisa]

How much bleach did you use? Did you use it straight or dilute it? Did you rinse well many times afterward?

Their eyes sound irritated, how badly I don't know. I'd put them in some comfortably warm, clean water and which will hopefully dilute any residue and soothe the eyes. Are they rubbing at them at all?

Bleach is for disinfecting; for general cleaning, it's better to use white vinegar and water. For the future, if you're going to use bleach to disinfect, dilute it, 2 oz of bleach to one gallon of water. After cleaning with the solution, rinse with plain water, again and again, repeatedly. Then let the tank air dry overnight (24 hours is better).

[machina]

I used about 250ml worth, and rinsed it 10 times or so. Fill it up partway, then dump, rinse and repeat. I thought I was careful about it but maybe I didn't let it sit in the sun enough? I'll leave it until it gets dark tonight (6 hours from now) as I don't have a secondary setup, they would be in a pot all night.

They aren't rubbing their eyes. In regular warm water they were sitting with their eyes closed, I took and placed them in an empty pot and one of them is running around in it with eyes open now. One is still sitting closed but I saw him open his eyes earlier.

The tank was REALLY dirty. I left for the weekend, and when I came back the entire tank was dirty as hell, as well as having algae everywhere. I thought a bleaching would just get it back to sparkling clean.

[machina]

Ok, they are both running around in the pot, eyes wide open and energetic.

*whew*

The tank is outside drying. It's about half dry. I'm still leaving it til it's dark out.

[urbancleopatra]

it won't hurt them to leave them in a temporary rubbermaid container overnight with a spot of water and a damp washcloth as long as it isn't a regular practice. if u plan on bleaching again any time soon just leave them in a small container and let the tank sit for a day. they'll be ok i promise!!!