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Aquatic Gardens
Ponds, Streams, Waterfalls & Fountains:
Volume 1. Design & Construction
Volume 2. Maintenance, Stocking, Examples
V. 1
Print and
eBook on Amazon
V. 2
Print and
eBook on Amazon
by Robert (Bob) Fenner |
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my outdoor above ground turtle tank
5/23/16
-Dear WWM,
<Hiya – Darrel here>
I have 8 RES of various sizes and 1 pond turtle in a 700 gallon polyethylene
tank (8ft. diameter, 2 ft. deep). I live in Pasadena, California.
<One of my sons lives in Pasadena, CA. Do the turtles seem snooty to you?
Acting like they’re better than turtles that live in Highland Park or
Covina?>
The turtles have been outside in a much larger and deeper pond but I had to
move them. Does the tank need to be insulated or should I get a heater for
the winter. I've read your information but couldn't find an example that fit
my circumstances.
<no … and .. no>
<Our winters are more than mild enough for 2 feet of water. Assuming the
pond gets sunlight during the day the water will pick up enough heat that
the bottom is toasty (by turtle standards) all night long. I live
approximately 30 miles due south of you and MY turtles spend the winter in
an 8 foot wide pond 12 inches deep. The only caveat would be if the pond
spent all winter in perpetual shade, but even then I’d rig a couple of
basking lamps for daytime use, not a pond heater>
Also, you have a "turtle corral" picture on the first page of the turtle
section. Can you give me any information about how it was made? It looks
perfect for a better basking platform/nesting area for my girls. A male
turtle came out of nowhere and has been busy, so I would like to better meet
their needs.
<I’m not sure what picture you’re referencing but in my experience – every
time I’ve ever tried to construct a nesting box the turtles have rejected it
in favor of something they find on their own – and these are ordinary
Torrance turtles, not fancy, shmancy Pasadena turtles. Perhaps get them a
suite at the Sheraton?>
<Ahem. The best thing to do is expand the area around the pond to include
some grass area and allow them to wander around? In the wild they’ll climb
the banks of their swimming area, find a spot about the high water line and
dig test holes, looking for some indescribable situation.>
<That said, Sliders are flexible little guys. When the female is gravid
she’ll start acting fussy and hyperactive, never satisfied and always
wanting more even when she’s not sure what she wants … in that way not at
all unlike my ex-wife. This phase will last for a week or so (not my ex –
THAT phase lasted 22 years) and toward the end of that she will either
absorb the eggs and she will expel them wherever she happens to be. People
who can recognize the behavior have been known to put the turtle in a big
cardboard box for two days and one day come look and see the turtle with 6
small eggs just laying on the bottom of the box. Those eggs can be incubated
just as if they’d been laid and buried>
Thanks for your generosity in helping the rest of us care for our turtles.
*-- Lou Anne*
Re: re my outdoor above ground turtle tank
5/23/16
Dear Darrel,
My turtles and I thank you for the quick response. They aren't snooty
because they're all rescued turtles and are grateful they're not homeless.
How many turtles do you have?
The tank is sitting on concrete and they have no way to get out. They have a
basking area in the pond. I was going to make a cover for the tank so
raccoons, herons, and my dogs can't get them. That's why I was interested in
the corral (see attached).
Would it be better to move them to a grass area where they can have an
enclosed fence with a top? Then how they get out of the tank onto the
ground to walk around or lay their eggs. Do your Torrance turtles have a
little stairway up and over, similar to the picture of the corral? Any
design suggestions would be appreciated. I've been pouring over the
internet for ideas but everything I've see is either too fancy or too
down-market for Pasadena turtles, not to mention the discussion of egg-bound
turtles who will die if I don't provide a proper nesting ground.
What do you suggest? What do you do with your turtles? Does Torrance have
the same predators to worry about? I would appreciate hearing your thoughts.
Thanks,
Lou Anne
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from aquarium to pond 6/27/13
Hello!
<Hiya - Darrel here>
A little over a year ago, my mother brought home two painted turtles
when one of my niece's classmates rescued turtles from their yard and
gave them to classmates. We suspect them to be about 1 yr and 4 months
now. They've been picky about their diets since they were little and now
pretty much ignore everything except shrimp and krill.
<Neither of which would be part of their natural diet. Both are
fatty and not very nutritious>
While they normally get along, they are starting to nip and bite each
other, one doing so more than the other. They are both also swimming
with an arm or leg (and almost always tail) tucked.
<They may need some alone time>
They have both grown very quickly lately, seeming to have new chutes
constantly and one always being slightly bigger than the other for a
week before it switches. They are about 5 inches now. Both seem in well
health. We are looking for local friends who would like to host a turtle
permanently, but feel they might benefit more in a pond.
<I'm not sure I agree, Jennifer. I'm not a fan of turtles in ponds
mainly because Raccoons, Possums, Skunks, Herons, Crows, Owl and Hawks
ARE a fan of turtles in ponds. It can be done and they're
wonderful when done right, but it's safer and easier for the turtles to
be indoors - or at least in a controlled tank-like environment.>
Are their any steps to follow? I am worried because they are picky
eaters and have only been in an aquarium setting.
<The biggest problem is their fixation on food. Get some Koi
Pellets or Repto-Min floating food sticks (same exact food, just more
expensive). Let the turtles go for 4 days with NO feeding. (Don't
let them guilt you - they can go months without food!) and then offer
about 5 pellets or sticks at feeding time. If they ignore
the food, scoop the food out and wait 3 more days and try again.
DON'T give in! DON'T give up. Trust me… when they are hungry
enough, they WILL eat the pellets!>
We just don't have the space or resources for 2 large tanks and they
need to be separated before this becomes a big issue.
<I suspect that the problem you're seeing is that one is a male and he
has reached maturity. If the other is female, she won't mature for
another inch or so in size (turtles mature by SIZE, not age). He's
bothering her and at times behaves in kind.>
<They probably don't need separate tanks, just some time apart.
I'd take both of them out of the tank and "dry dock" them for a week or
two… doing the food experiment every 3rd or 4th night as described here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/treating%20RES%20Dis%20DarrelB.htm
In other words, put them some place warm and dry. Even together,
they will likely not fight in the new surroundings. They'll both
rest and recuperate. Give them daily baths so they can drink
and poop - and every 3rd or 4th night offer a few pellets to each.
If they don't eat, don't worry - they will.>
<Now AFTER a week or two and AFTER they've started eating, you can move
them bank to their tank. In the man time, redecorate their tank:
rearrange a few things, maybe add a rock or a brick or something that
would allow them (from a turtles' perspective) to get out of each
other's site. That, by the way, is an invaluable trick for
reptile AND fish keepers when dealing sign aggression. A two step
process: 1) rearrange things so that no one feels like they are on
their "home turf" and also make places for one or another to hide.
You'd be amazed how just adding a brick… so that a turtle can swim away
and go "around a corner and out of sight" of the other -- seems to calm
them both down.>
Any advice in the matter is greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
~Jennifer
<Yer welcome>
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paint and goldfish? and what about turtles?
2/25/13
Hi, thanks for your website - I learned a lot reading through the closest
posts to my question.
<Welcome>
We have a small-ish pond, about 3 feet by 8 feet, in quite sunny Northern
California. We have a deep "refuge" right in the middle, surrounded by
potted aquatic plants, that the 14 large goldfish can hide in when hawks,
herons, and raccoons visit.
<Good>
The raccoons disappeared as soon as we set up an electric wire - they
recognized it before we turned on the current, so we never needed to turn it
on! We have transparent fishing line and thin black netting
spread over most of the pond, and so far it has stopped the hawks and
herons. But it gets tangled and comes away from the sides and
looks unsightly.
<Ahh, very good>
We have just come back from Asia where we liked the use of bamboo as
supports in the garden. Now we would like to create 4 bamboo frames
for the fine black netting to cover both ends and both sides of the pond.
Then we could lift them up easily to clean, and they would look more
deliberate and less messy.
<Sounds good, and this material is quite pond and weather resistant, and
non-toxic>
My question is: can we use some handsome black-painted bamboo from
China, or will the paint poison the fish?
<Depends on the paint. Epoxies (water-based) that are fully cured should be
fine/safe>
We could use regular bamboo, but the pond is dark gray with a
dark-gray slate surround, and the black would be more attractive.
<Mmm, well, there are also some naturally dark bamboo varieties to consider,
search for>
Second question: Are there any minuses to getting 2 turtles from a
reputable Vivarium store nearby? Our goldfish are too big now to
be eaten by the turtles. We would build the turtles a
raised flat rock to sun on, with a ramp into the water. (They
wouldn't be able to escape via the flat sides of the pond.)
<Mmm, well, principally that turtles are very "dirty"; will add a good deal
of waste to the system, water... they may also scratch your goldfish
occasionally. Up to you to decide whether the enjoyment you'll derive from
their company, display is worth the bit of extra care>
Thanks very much for your answers.
Linda
P.S. The photo is an old one, when the pond was new and not yet
seasoned/dirty/algaed and the plants hadn't yet been moved all to the center
to protect the refuge.
<Ahh, a very nice formal basin. Your turtles may leave if there is no
barrier to retain them here. Bob Fenner>
|
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Re: question about red eared slider's
living outside 14/10/11
Ya I see what you're saying...the 22 year old turtle used to
hibernate every winter until we found out it isn't good for them
about 5 years ago...
<I agree. The can survive cold winters and even sometimes their
lakes actually freeze -- but that's not top say that every
individual turtle survives. I never want to take the chance>
And yes we touch the turtles constantly and put our hands in our
mouths... probably not the best idea.....I thought the risk of
salmonella was with baby turtles?
<In reality, there's more risk of contracting salmonella from
handling raw chicken or even rocks in your garden that perhaps an
animal has defecated on. The issue with baby turtles is that they were
give to children as pets - almost toys. Babies and small children
don't have the immune systems to deal with it as easily as you and
I do.>
Maybe that's a myth.
<More like an occasional event, but when it does happen it's
HORRIBLE>
Anyway we have no way to heat the air just the water... so I don't
know what we will decided to do yet.
<Well remember, you only need to heat the air over the basking rock,
which is what a 150w or 250w heating lamp does. If you heat the water
to 65f/19c and the basking platform is 90f/32c during the day, it
should be fine.>
Thanks for your help and sarcastic [she means BRILLIANT] humor.
btw I agree they are creatures of habitat more...but my turtle beats
the odds lol...she never leaves us alone...we have an ideal res SETUP
DURING THE SUMMER AND SHE HAS FULL ACCESS TO BE IN HER HABITAT OR
OURS,,,, AND MORE TIMES SHE CHOOSES TO BE WITH US...WEIRD? I KNOW
<Very little they do surprises me. I have a Galapagos tortoise that
follows me around the yard to get her neck scratched. She'll even
come up behind me and give me a gentle 'bump' if I'm not
paying enough attention to her>
<Good luck!>
question about red eared slider's
living outside -- 10/07/11
HI,
<Hiya - Darrel here>
I have two red eared sliders. One is 22 years old that my husband has
had since it was the size of a quarter. We have another that I believe
to be 5 years old. We don't have the ideal setup for the 22 year
old turtle. She was in a 55 gallon tank that we filled a little more
than halfway and even with a filter used for 200 gallons of water
didn't work.
<Compared to fish, turtles are poop machines. You'd need a
biological filter the size of the Everglades to assimilate it all.
Weekly siphoning of the bottom and replacement with fresh water is the
best way to solve the waste problem>
We had to change the water every couple of days. Especially, in the
summer because she has been laying eggs in the tank. We bought a huge
tub/bin and put 50% sand and 50% dirt in hopes of her laying the
unfertilized eggs so she wouldn't clog the filter and such. She
would not lay the eggs unless she was in the tank. Anyway, we retired
the 55 gallon tank and we just keep her in a large plastic tub filled
with water and we dump the water out every couple days and refill it
with warm water. We don't have the money to get her a good
setup.
<That's not a BAD setup at all. If the tub is large enough for
her to have a reasonable basking area - and you have a basking and UV-B
lamp, a tub is just fine!>
I was wondering if we keep the turtles outside on our porch in the
winter what kind of heating system could we use? Is it possible to keep
them outside in the winter if the water is warm? It is a screened porch
with roof.
<You'd need a heating lamp that heats the basking surface to
around 80 degrees (in the winter) and a water heater that keeps the
water at around 70 degrees. Any kind of water heater in a turtle
environment is risky, because they can break the glass, bite the cord,
etc. This CAN be done, but I suggest that you don't do it>
We keep the turtles inside 50% of the time and in the tank 50% of the
time. They roam the house free and have been for years. They are super
friendly and even come when you call them. They are trained well. The
turtles even bang their shells on the door to let us know when they
want to go back in the tank and eat or relieve themselves. I was
wondering if it would be possible to heat a tank during a cold winter?
We have a 2 year old and she climbs everything, I'm afraid of a
large tank or tub of water to be in the house. I don't want any
drowning accidents.
<The 2 year old complicates everything. Toddlers tend to pick up
everything they can - and sample them by mouth '¦ which is
bad for the toddle and no picnic for the turtles, either>
Like I said they pretty much tell us when they are hungry or need to
relieve themselves otherwise they are free roaming the house. Any
advice would help. Thank You
<Well, Tracy, the 2 year old complicates things. Based on personal
experience with 2 of my own, I say 'keep the turtles and donate the
2 year old to a local animal shelter' but even money says you
won't do that, so let's look at it from the other side
:>
<The turtles are going to have to be separated from the two year old
for at least 6 more years. An entire self-contained environment should
be set up for this purpose. If it was me, I'd set up one for the
kid and let the turtles roam free, but that gets into sticky areas with
Child Welfare Dept and such '¦ so let's concentrate on
the turtles.>
<The screened porch sounds like a good place to start. Think of a
different kind of enclosure. Instead of starting with a tub of water
and making a basking area, think of a 3 foot by 4 foot wooden fence,
enclosing a garden of sorts - and as part of that garden, a tub of
water for swimming. Start with a wooden base of plywood and 2 1x12 pine
boards around the edge making a 24 inch high wall. Add 8 inches of
sand, top soil and peat (that's a LOT of material, by the way, so
plan on this project taking a while) and then burying a large, flat
plastic tub in one end with a ramp of sorts. A cover of hardware cloth
to protect the turtles and the kid - and you have a mini natural
habitat on the porch and the house is a bit more child-safe. You STILL
need a basking lamp and a UV-B bulb shining on the land portion, but as
a plus, you could plant a tiny garden in there as well - anything that
you and the turtles get along with that a 2 year old needs to be kept
from.
Another way to accomplish the same thing would be to just fence off a
portion of the porch "Turtles Only!" and place a tub of water
in there with several ramps on the outside as well as one on the
inside. Again, some place requires a heat lamp and a UV-B lamp (they
won't get UV through the screens of the porch). In setups like
this, I also include a heating pad (you have to search like crazy to
find one WITHOUT an Auto-off feature) wrapped in a towel. I place that
near, but not UNDER the basking lamp. One hint: don't make the
turtle side SO big that they can wander away from the heat source and
chill down too far before they get back to it. ALSO: every night, as
part of your routine, is to check the turtle pen and see that neither
turtle is off in a dark, cold corner. If so, pick them up and put them
on the very edge of the heating pad area.>
<With some clever shopping and planning, a setup like this can be
built for surprisingly little time, money and effort>
Re: question about red eared slider's living outside
10/10/11
how long is your oldest RES?
<I have some approaching 30 years>
is it domesticated in the extent ours is?
<Well, I don't let her eat dinner at the table, if that's
what you mean. She used to live in an aquarium in the den and then
moved outside to a dedicated turtle pond out by the pool.>
Just curious....My 22 year old turtle is devastated if she can't be
in the house and getting attention from us. believe it or not.
<That doesn't surprise me '¦ but they are far more
creatures of HABIT than of emotion>
she hasn't bitten anyone in over 15 years...
<Sounds like my ex-wife>
and my toddler can annoy her. But she is the perfect pet for a toddler
she goes in her shell when she doesn't want to be bothered. More
times than the toddler bothering the 22 year old turtle, the turtle
bothers the toddler lol...she thinks my kid is fun to chase around the
house.
<Except for communicable diseases and the possibility that the 2
year old could pick her up & then drop her.>
the 22 year old turtle loves my 2 year old. The turtle actually follows
my 2 year old everywhere. you would think it would be vise versa.
anyway..
my porch is small and cannot be dedicated to just the turtles. The
turtles are like dogs to us. The 22 year old turtle climbs onto our
laps and loves affection and attention.
<Yes, but I'll bet you that you don't handle the turtle and
then put your hands in your mouth>
I'm not looking to covert my entire porch to the turtles. I want
them in the house often. I was just wondering how I would go about
heating the water properly during a cold winter season. thanks.
<Heating the water can be done with a stainless steel (not glass)
submersible heater, perhaps a 300 watt model. More likely, if this is a
small enough tub, the heating lamp that is on the basking rock (or
platform or whatever) will also heat the water. The fundamental problem
(beyond mixing babies and reptiles) is that once the turtle is exposed
to winter conditions, it's likely to succumb to seasonal cycles -
and tend to hibernate. What I mean is that reptiles thrive in summer
and hibernate in winter. The SHOULDERS to those seasons (too warm to
shut down digestion, but not warm enough to actually digest, etc.) are
dangerous and sometimes deadly to them. Same with spring time: warm
enough to be active and eat but not yet warm enough to digest and
metabolize. As long as they are in the house, it's summer all the
time. Once you put them on the porch in winter-cold air, but warmer
water, etc. the results are unpredictable and the health aspects
unfortunate.>
<Do what you can to keep their water in the mid 60's and their
air in the mid 80's>
<And read up on salmonella>
|
Turtle pond pictures 9/7/11
Darrel, thanks for the great information.
<No charge!>
It was very helpful.
<Luck of the draw, Ken. The Law of Large Numbers says that
I'll get a few right once in a while>
I am looking forward to having the turtles as life long pets. Let
me know what you think of the pond.
<It's a GREAT Pond, Ken. Just two things: First, I'm
not a fan of anything under the water that turtles can get under
(like caves & such), they can and do get caught &
drown>
<Thing TWO: Never underestimate a turtle's ability to
climb. That material looks 'climbable' to me and
depending on the turtle's size, I could see one deciding to
go on a 'walkabout' one day>
<As a rule, I have smooth/slick non-climbable material for at
least twice the height of the turtle's shell length and THEN
an inward-hanging lip of 4 inches. It looks like the land area is
particularly low. So what all that means is that I'd go back
to work on the rock work and add a few more inches in height -
then I'd lay a 4 inch inward lip of 1/2 hardware cloth around
the perimeter and THEN a final layer of the rockwork to secure
& hide the hardware cloth. That's what I would do>
<But kudos for style and aesthetics, Ken!>
Cheers,
Ken from NJ
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New Turtle pond 9/2/11
Hi,
<Hiya - Darrel here>
I recently built a 300 gallon turtle pond in my backyard.
<Cool!>
The area around the pond has a sandy area and a mulched area that is
about 3 times the size of the pond. The pond is kidney shaped and is
enclosed by blue stone walls. There are plants and one small tree in
the enclosed area as well. This is my first pond and I have about a
years worth of experience caring for the turtles indoors. How often
should I change the water in the pond? There is one male and one female
red eared slider in the pond. Also, the filter/water fountain that I
have, states that it moves about 150-200 gallons of water per hour. Is
that enough?
<The filter rate SHOULD be 2 to 3 times time volume per hour
'¦ BUT -- with only two turtles you have a very light
biological load. As long as you have good water circulation and the
water remains clear and odorless, I'd say that you could change 50
gallons once a week and be OK>
The pond gets good sunlight during the day, but I am concerned about
the water temperature that fluctuates about ten degrees day to night.
During the day the temperature warms to 78-80 degrees by 2 o'clock
in the afternoon. During the late evening hours and early morning, the
temperature is in the high 60's. Is this ok?
<Perfectly fine. Providing the pond is deep enough, the water at the
deeper levels will be much cooler than 80 in the day and much warmer
than 60 at night>
<The only concern I have so far is that a 300 gallon pond that gets
strong sunlight is likely to have algae blooms '¦ algae on
the sides and green water problems. You can treat this a number of
ways. With just turtles in the water, you can use small amounts of
chlorine bleach ( 1/2 cup per 300 gallons twice weekly), a UV
sterilizer or more frequent water changes. Again, turtles are very
forgiving here, so you don't have to do anything in a rush - just
watch out for algae growth>
The turtles are doing well. They bask, eat and seem happy in their new
home.
<They should be- you're doing a great job!>
I live in New Jersey and plan on taking them indoors during the cold
months... At what water temperature should I bring the turtle indoors?
The temperature probe is in the lowest part of the pond. The pond depth
varies from about 14 inches to 28 inches. I do not have a pond heater
installed yet. I do have a dedicated electrical GFI outlet installed
for the pond. The filter is using one plug outlet, so I can accommodate
one other turtle appliance. Do you recommend a pond heater? If so, what
can you recommend?
<No Pond heater, Ken. Here's what I recommend :>
<It's not exactly the temperature, it's how fast it drops
and how consistent it is. In the fall, when the daytime temperatures
are in the high 60's add a Heat Lamp suspended over their primary
land basking area. A 250 Watt Radiant Heat Lamp on an inexpensive
appliance timer from Home Depot would do just fine. Set it to turn on
at 7am, off at noon, then on again at 4 until 7pm>
<When the time has come that most daily temps are in the mid-low
60's, time to bring them indoors.>
<Now this is important: Very few turtles are ever lost to
fall/winter cooling. In other words, you're unlikely to hurt them
if you leave them out a little bit longer in the fall.>
<THE DANGER IS WHEN YOU BRING THEM OUT IN SPRING>
<Some people over-winter their turtles by placing them in a
cardboard box filled with shredded newspaper and place them in a garage
or shed and allow the turtles to hibernate. Others bring them indoors
into a tank or other enclosure, eliminating winter conditions
completely. If you bring the turtles out too early they suffer through
some wildly swinging temperatures.>
<One condition is a turtle coming out of torpor after winter in the
garage gets a nice warm day and has a big meal, then two cooler days
when he doesn't warm up enough to digest and the food sits in his
belly and rots.>
<Another is a turtle coming out from indoors (where it's been
summer-like all winter long) is subjected to his first cold day and he
BEGINS to react to hibernation '¦ then a warm day whips him
the other direction, etc.>
<So, when you bring them out in mid to late April, make sure that
heat lamp is set up and available so that they can find the heat that
Nature may not yet be giving them>
Thanks,
<No charge!>
Ken
Red Eared Slider Prefers pool to pond
6/5/2011
<Hi, Julia, Sue here with you.>
We have a Red Eared Slider, Dunk, who is 16 years old. We have had her
since she was a tiny little hatchling and she has been with us through
several sizes of aquariums, the kiddie pool, a hand-dug pond in the
back garden next to the pool and now, she has her own custom made pond
at the front of the house with a waterfall, rocks, a filter system,
plants and goldfish (I know, we shouldn't have added goldfish
but
they started as feeders and grew up )
<What a lucky girl! Isn't it amazing what a slippery slope it
all becomes '¦ literally?!>
Our problem is that she keeps climbing out of her pond and going in to
the pool.
<Which pond are you talking about, the new custom-made one that you
made for her in your front yard, or the hand-dug one in the
back?>
She prefers it - probably because she has so much more space and the
water is clear and she really seems to enjoy it.
<What are the dimensions of the new custom pond you built for
her?>
<It may also be just a matter of time rather than of size; turtles
are creatures of habit. She may just need a few weeks to adjust to her
new habitat. When turtles don't have a choice of where to go (as
yours does right now), they often freak out for the first few weeks in
their new home until they get used to it -- even if it IS bigger and
better than their old home!>
But she needs to eat and to bask and she can't do either in the
pool (and of course, she needs to poop and it's probably better
that she doesn't do that in the pool.)
<Is there some reason why you can't just remove the kiddie pool?
If it's because you have actual young (human) 'kiddies'
using it, then you're definitely going to have to devise a way to
keep Dunk out of it!>
There seems to be nothing we can do to stop her from escaping from the
pond, we built rock barriers, but she climbs them, we built a fence,
but she pushed through it, she seems really determined to spend time in
the pool.
<Yes, as you found out, turtles are great climbers! However, equally
important as preventing her from escaping is making sure the pond is
'predator-proof'. You also don't want anything getting at
her!>
<Is there a way you can send us a picture of your whole set-up,
especially that shows the fence you built that she pushed her way
through?>
Another problem is that even if she wanted to get out of the pool she
can't climb out. We tried creating a kind of bridge out of the pool
but she avoided it and it was a temporary fix and kept floating
away.
<There are things you can do, but given that you have just built a
new custom pond for her, unless there is some reason why you still
want/need the kiddie pool, I'd just remove it. Or make it so that
she can't get at it -- see below.>
She does seem to enjoy her pond sometimes, has a favorite basking spot
and has a routine for swimming over to us to receive her breakfast, but
it does not seem to be enough. Sometimes she stays away for a week or
more and then ends up back in the pool, or less frequently, will come
back to her pond, we don't know where she lives when she's not
in the pond or pool, but we worry about her roaming away. Is there
anything we can do to encourage her to stay in her pond?
<That is a good sign that she is starting to find some enjoyment in
her new pond, but even if she LOVED it, turtles still can and do wander
off when they're left to their own devises. You really do want and
need to build a sturdier and more secure outdoor enclosure for her so
she won't escape or get harmed in any way. I'm sure you'd
be heartbroken to lose her after having had her all these years!
>
<Is your new custom pond 'in ground' or 'above
ground'? If above ground, how high off the ground is it? The height
of your pond will determine the height of your 'fencing'. The
fencing should be at least 12' higher (ideally even more) than the
top of the pond.>
<Generally speaking, there are many ways to go about building a
'fence'. One way is to staple hardware cloth (you want a
minimum of ½' square holes in it to allow enough UVB
to come in) to a 24-36' high picket fence (leaving no gaps for her
to crawl through!) At least 6' of the fence should be buried into
the ground, if not more (because sometimes they can also dig their way
out!) At the top of the fence, add a lip bent inward about 4-5' at
a 90 degree angle to prevent her from climbing out. Also, don't put
any shrubs, rocks, etc. around the inside of the fence that she can try
to use to try to climb her way up it.>
<If you don't care about seeing through the fence, or having her
see out of it, you could also box in the enclosure rather than use
picket fencing. You can do this using either wood, pavers, or even
cheaper just cement cinder blocks as the 'fencing' though the
latter aren't as attractive. If you stack stones though, you need
to make sure they're secure and can't topple over.>
<Also, depending on how much area you have to cover, I'd also
suggest putting a top over the enclosure to prevent predators from
climbing IN! What I've done for mine is place poultry wire (has
larger hole size to maximize UVB rays coming in) in a wood frame that
comes down securely over the sides of the fence, about a couple of
inches.>
<Best of luck with it! If you send us some photos and more details
of your current pond(s), we might be able to help you even further.>
Re: Red Eared Slider Prefers pool to pond 6/7/11
Oh I see the fence we had was just wire wickets - I'll send photo
of the pond. It is about 9' long and in the center is about 4'
or 3 1/2 ' deep and maybe 6' wide at widest point and
surrounded by plants we want it to look natural so an enclosure wont
work for us she has two hiding rocks where she can hang out and when
she hibernates in the winter, she just hunkers down in the deepest
center part of the pond It is too deep there for predators to reach
Yes, there are raccoons that have tried and failed to reach her and I
suppose that it part of her joy in the pool - big real human pool - no
one can get her there. No one except me with the pool net, that is
<Hi Julia '¦ Thanks for sending along a photo of your
turtle pond, and it DOES look really nice! However '¦ There
are 3 BIG problems with it-
1) She's able to escape from it! If your #1 concern is keeping your
pet, unfortunately you really do have no choice but to build some type
of a more secure enclosure for her or she WILL stray, eventually maybe
even permanently! I understand you want to create as natural a habitat
as possible for her, but after keeping her as a pet for 16 years, she
really shouldn't be left completely out in the wild.>
2) It leaves her exposed to predators '¦ fortunately
she's been lucky so far and averted them!
3) She's getting into your family pool! I really suggest that you
do everything you can to keep her out of it -- both for your
family's health benefit as well as for hers! Even though it might
be providing her with an added feeling of security against predators, a
chlorine pool is not a healthy environment for her, and a pool with a
turtle in it is not a healthy environment for you and your family!
>
<The good news, though, is that I think you really CAN have the best
of both worlds -- a natural looking pond AND a pet turtle! I'm from
New England, and have seen many a beautiful (and completely natural
looking) country stone wall built out of field stone, brown stone, etc.
The only added consideration with a turtle is that you'll need to
lay down large flat stones over the top so that they create at least a
4' lip inward to prevent her from scaling the wall and climbing
out.>
<And if you prefer the 'plant' look over the 'stone
wall' look, you can simply surround the stone on the outside with
shrubs and other plants to conceal it -- but you still DO need some
type of wall or fence with an inward bent lip on top.>
<However, if this is still not 'natural' enough of a look
for you, unfortunately you're going to have to make a decision
between having a completely natural looking pond and having a pet! Hope
this helps. Sue >
Re: Red Eared Slider Prefers pool to pond 6/8/11
ok
flat stones make sense and I can start building it now, to head off her
next escape
Thanks!!
<You're welcome, Julia. Good luck; let us know how it turns out!
Sue>
indoor pond tank... filtration... for
turtles, N. Am. native fishes 5/20/11
Hello-
I work at the Ct Audubon society in Fairfield ct. We have a large tank
that is in a wall that is:
Height: 40 inches
Length: 56 inches
Width: 25 inches
The tank holds 242.42 gallons of water. We currently have 3 small
turtles in the tank, along with 2 catfish and 2 sunfish. It is a pond
tank that we use for teaching purposes. However, it is UGLY. Algae
grows everywhere you cannot see the back of the wall of the tank, we
don't have a real filter in it, the filter is homemade.
<Mmm, these can work... but of what configuration, size?>
However the water is clear and ph is in great shape. It's just a
real eye sore.
So I was wondering:
What filter would be best for this tank?
<Mmm, there are a few "routes to go", but if a very large
(or two) canister filter (Eheim is my fave brand) is out of the budget,
some form of reverse flow pond filter (read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/PondSubWebIndex/upflowfiltpds.htm
How can I make it look nice and professional, like in an aquarium? We
have cinderblocks down at the bottom, and its gross looking.
Please help!!!! Thank youuuu!
<And read as much of the linked files above as you deem necessary.
Bob Fenner>
Linnea
SOS! YBS & SCRC MIA IN H2O!!!! --
8/24/10
Hi WWM Crew!
<Hi there, Hey there, Ho there!! Darrel here>
I have a YBS--10" diameter
<That's a Yellow Bellied Slider for those of
you that are acronymically challenged>
-- and a SC
<South Carolina?>
<USC (Trojan football)?>
River Cooter--5" in my outdoor pond. The pond is
natural...water lettuce, hyacinth, snails, frogs, etc. Pretty much
takes care of itself ecosystem-wise. It is 3000 gallons and 4.5 feet at
deepest.
<I wish mine was like that>
I live on a waterway (River) which at high tides is also salty because
it mixes with nearby harbor/ocean through a manmade shipping channel. I
have not seen my YBS for nearly a week. Could she have decided to leave
home and get in "the big river"???
<Absolutely, Ronda. Sliders are notorious for simply one day decide
to go for a walk. I've had animals in a pond/enclosure seemingly
happy for years '¦ and then one day they simply up &
disappear, only to be found months later (in one case TWO YEARS
later!!!) buried at the base of a bush or shrub in the yard. Why? No
one knows. It happens in HUGE yards, where an argument can be made that
it went for a walk and got lost, but it's also happened in yards so
small that the turtle could never lose sight of the pond. Sometimes, we
dig them up & put them back and it never happens again -- other
times they seem happy & adapted, they eat, poop, bask & swim
just like normal and then in a week they're gone again.>
<Oddly enough, I find more of them that have wandered down the
sidewalk & up the driveway and climbed a 3 inch door sill and
climbed into my garage than any other single place>
Where else could she be? (My entire back yard is fenced-in).
<Buried at the base of a bush or rock, dug under the fence and into
the river itself .. any of these and all other possibilities>
I am worried about her.
<Well, now that you're thinking to look everywhere she could be,
you might just find her. It's possible that she is in the big
river, in which case she'll live happily J but you may not ever see
her again L . The salt is not al issue for her, so don't worry
about that.>
<All of my turtles kept outdoors are surrounded by a hardware cloth
fence that is buried FIVE INCHES below ground level, at least FOURTEEN
INCHES about ground level -- and this part is very important: and
additional horizontal lip 4 inches wide bent inward at a 90 degree
angle. Sliders are INCREDIBLE climbers.>
Appreciate your thoughts.....
Ronda
<Those are my thoughts. Keep looking and don't give up
hope!>
|
Outdoor Pond Questions -- 8/3/10
Hi Darrel,
<Hiya!!>
Sorry to be adding to your recent barrage of queries! Wish I
could be helping you out with more of them.
<You do - more than you think!>
I was wondering if you'd mind giving me some advice about
some finishing touches for my outdoor turtle pond? In the spring
I set up a 60 gallon preformed pond (surface area of pond is
about 5' x 3') with two small attached waterfalls and
some surrounding land area (about 12' x 6') for my 2
turtles Shelly and Shelby to enjoy this summer. I only keep them
out there during the day because of all the wildlife that roams
around the larger pond behind them at night. I attached a photo
to give you some context for the questions.
<Nice pond - and - NICE POND!!!!>
* Protection overhead?: There is already fencing around the
perimeter of it. However, do I need to be worrying about birds
coming in from above and trying to get to the turtles when
they're out walking around, etc.?
Besides all of the birds flying around, there is also a heron
that occasionally walks across the backyard looking for his
afternoon snack.
<Yep! The Heron will even dive into the water and try to get
them there!>
If you think I should, then what material (i.e. hardware cloth,
chicken wire or other) do you suggest I use to cover the area,
and what diameter holes should it have that would allow for
plenty of UVB to filter in but still offer enough protection for
the turtles from any type of *flying predators*?
<The most inexpensive and longest lasting is simply poultry
netting (Chicken Wire). Any size you come up with is fine for
sunlight & UV -- the UV problem is for screens and cloths of
various sizes. Once you get to quarter inch (which is the
smallest hardware cloth There is) your concerns of blocking UV
are over>
* Plants for the land area: I'd like to put a few plants in
here and there around the pond (I know not near the fence) to
provide Shelly and Shelby places to hide when they're out
walking around. I read the WWM article about landscaping, but it
only listed plants that are considered toxic to fish, not to
turtles. Are there any specific plants you'd recommend in the
land area around the pond that would be compatible with the
turtles (i.e., not toxic to them) in case the leaves land up
either blowing into the water or the turtles decide to try to
take a bite out of
them?
<This is a case where the warnings for fish will work just
fine. Avoid the same things>
* Existing evergreens outside the perimeter: Some pine needles
and rhododendron leaves are falling/blowing into the pond from
nearby bushes.
Do you happen to know if the needles/leaves from these bushes are
harmful/toxic to them in the event they try to eat any of
them?
<Not at all>
* Land around pond: What top layer of substrate would you suggest
I use to protect the plants that would also be safe/appropriate
for the turtles?
(i.e. such as just plain topsoil, mulch, pea stone, etc.)
<Yep - I use plain old dirt>
* Weeds: Any safe suggestions other than yanking them? Are you
aware of any weed control products that could be used safely with
turtles?
<yep.. Salt. Salt water sprayed on the weed will usually kill
it and the turtles couldn't care less>
Thanks, Darrel! Also - Would you like me to send you the
notes/photos that I took during the different stages of making
the pond for the eventual ; ) outdoor pond article you're
thinking of putting together? It's kind of a "middle of
the road" option (both price-wise and labor-wise) between a
professionally installed in-ground pond and a simple kiddy pool
that might work out well for some people.
<By all means send the pictures. Maybe you can help me out by
letting Me help YOU write the article I've not be getting
around to!!>
-Sue
|
 |
outdoor turtle pond heater....also red worm problem
2/28/10
Just discovered your site...hope you can help.
<We often wonder that ourselves>
We have 2 turtles (red slider and African side neck) in a fiberglass
pond (with a small pond above with waterfall) We have had them for
years and they have grown from 1" to dinner plate size. We live in
central Florida (Tampa) and they have done well outside for years.
<Normally the turtles you describe will do fine over winter in the
mild Central Florida climate>
Now I find with the weather changes that we need a better heater
(rather than bringing them into the bathtub, which I have done for the
past few weeks) The pond is apprx 100 gal. so what size heater should I
buy?
<It's an interesting question, Mike. Unlike an indoor 100 gallon
aquarium, where we'd need a 300 watt heater to raise the tank 8
degrees above room temperature, a pond should work WITH nature and not
against it -- the
day/night cycles, cooler air all conspire to initiate a slowdown of
their metabolism in a very natural way and oddly enough, having 70
degree water and 56 degree days is BAD for them.>
<So what I suggest is a low watt pond de-icer and a thing called a
"Thermo-cube." The model I use senses air temperature and
turns on the de-icer when the temp gets below 35 and turns off when it
gets above 45.
Since water resists temperature change better than air, it just runs
the heater during the coldest "snaps" that come from time to
time. (Make sure you get the 45/35 degree model and not the 30/20
degree model)>
<The most important things are that they have been well fed and
cared for during spring, summer and fall and that you slow the feeding
down by November and nothing at all from December to March - then start
slowly again in April until May.>
Also, there is a problem with small red worms in the water. I
haven't been able to find out what kind of worms they are but it
can't be good.
<read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/PondSubWebIndex/pdinvertfaqs.htm >
Any idea what they are and how to get rid of them? After cleaning the
pond it only takes a couple of weeks for them to be a problem again.
Our cats like to sip from the water's edge so I am concerned for
their health as well.
<The pond professionals here usually recommend that you leave them
be & accept them, but I can't do that either. The thing you
have to do when you clean is sterilize as well. I clean and then I use
1 cup of chlorine bleach per 5 gallons of water, leaving the pump and
filter running for 24 hours. (this is while the turtles are taking a
vacation in the bathtub, of course). Draining the water into a proper
drain, not the lawn, then filling a rinsing for 6 hours TWICE before a
final fill and restocking.>
Please help. ....the sooner the better so I can take care of both
problems.
<Hope it helps, Darrel>
Red worms in turtle pond/heater info needed
3/2/10
Have read your site and love that I found it....thanks for all the
shared knowledge.
<Glad you're enjoying the site.>
We are in central Florida and have turtles in one of those fiberglass
ponds with a lg one on the bottom and smaller on top to create a
waterfall effect. The turtles were bought when they were quite small
nearly 20 years ago. After outgrowing various sizes of aquariums; they
were moved outdoors into this pond and have seemed happy. One of them
is a red slider and the other an African sidenecked. The winters here
in Florida are getting steadily colder and longer and the heater we had
in the pond has broken and so I want your suggestion as to what to buy
and what temperature the water should be kept. The two ponds together
are a little over 100 gallons of water. Both ponds are set into the
soil to the lip. I had the old heater in the top pond so the turtles
wouldn't bother it. They are both the size of dinner plates and
weighty. We hardly ever used the old heater before it broke.....but
this year it has been cold for so long and colder than ever before that
we brought them into the bathtub. Appreciate your help in this
matter......
<Pond heaters don't (normally) heat ponds. Heating a pond during
winter would be incredibly expensive! It would certainly be cheaper to
keep turtles or fish indoors, if that was the aim. The point of a pond
heater is to create a small ice-free area that allows gaseous exchange.
In theory, Red-ear Sliders should survive a Floridian winter, but the
African Side-neck turtle is an unknown quantity. Given the variety of
tropical animals firmly established in southern Florida (from about
Palm Beach southwards) it would probably do okay through most winters.
However, unusually cold winters cause massive die-offs of these
tropical animals, and that's something pet owners probably
don't want put their pets in such a risky situation. In short, if
you think water temperature is going to dip below 12 C (about 55 F) for
any length of time, then these animals would be best brought indoors.
12 C happens to be the lethal temperature for a lot of tropical fish
and reptiles across periods of more than a day or so.>
My other concern is that there are red worms in the pond water. After
cleaning out the pond thoroughly they are back in a matter of days. I
can't find any info as to what these worms are and don't know
if they are dangerous to the turtles (but I can't imagine that
worms can be anything but) My concern is not only for them (turtles)
but our cats who like to drink from the pond. Help!! what are these
worms? and how do I get rid of them? They are bright red, about 1/8th
" long max. and there are a lot of them! If this sounds familiar
to you, I did write on the 24th but didn't see an answer on the
website and I had included my email address and didn't hear there
either. This is a new for me and I am having some computer problems
too, so wasn't sure if my post went thru. Thanks in advance for
your help...and I will check this site often now that I know about you.
The turtles are family members after all these years so we want what is
best for them...and have been blessed that they have remained healthy
all these years. thanks again...look forward to hearing from you.
<Red worms are likely one of two things. Chironomid larvae are what
aquarists call bloodworms. These are midge larvae, and their name
"bloodworms" is accurate because the red colour comes from
haemoglobin.
These animals are segmented and tend to curl up in little comma-shapes.
The other option is some type of freshwater oligochaete such as Tubifex
or Lumbriculus. These are similar to earthworms, but are aquatic. They
do tend to be commonest in places with a lot of organic matter, but in
themselves aren't harmful. Nor, incidentally, are midge larvae.
Cheers, Neale.>
Baby Red Eared Sliders, pond sys. 7/13/09
Hey guys. We just got two baby red eared sliders that are going to be
living in the man-made pond in our backyard. The pond has two sections;
an upper pond which is 5X3 feet and about 2 feet deep; a lower pond
which is about 7X4 feet and about 3 feet deep; and a 1 foot wide, 3
inch deep stream connecting them both. The pond has plenty of plants,
rocks, and logs for the turtles to hide under and bask on top
of; but are they too small to put in?
<No predators about? This time of year... they should be fine...
They may "leave" if there is no surrounding
fencing...>
They are babies, so they are pretty little.. but it seems like with the
depth of the pond and with all of the shelter that it provides, they
would be able to survive.
What do you think we should do? Thanks.
-Jesse & Amanda
<I'd place them. Bob Fenner>
Pond for turtle... 7/6/08 hi, <Hiya Juanita --
Darrel here> I'm planning to build a pond in my new home (when
the house is done so it will be in a couple of months). I've had a
little turtle that's about the size of my hand (not counting
fingers) and the guy that sold it to me said that it would get as big
as a plate. At the moment she's in a very very little aquarium and
she doesn't fit in it anymore (she does fit in it but can't
move a lot). So I've been looking around to see how this pond thing
works because I really don't know much about ponds. I've got
lots of questions. 1.) How big does the pond have to be? <It
doesn't have to be all that big -- the trade-off is that that
larger the body of water, the less it resists change (heating in
summer, cooling in winter) and the larger the pond, the less likely one
turtle will foul the water -- but then the filter needs to be bigger
and when it does need service the job is that much larger. I've
seen a single slider housed happily in a 67 gallon preformed plaster
pond.> 2.) Should I buy a pond or build one? <Too many variables
for here -- building a pond gives you many more options but costs more
and takes longer. Buying a preformed pond lets you dig a hole and have
a pond all in the same day> 3.) Do I put a fence around the pond so
the turtle doesn't escape? (the back yard is going to be fenced)
<YES! Turtles are remarkably good climbers. The fence should be
twice as tall as his shell is long, PLUS another 5 inches bent INWARDS
(like a flat lip) on the top.> 4.)Should I put fish in with the
turtle? <Not for the turtle's benefit, no. Many of us have put
in 'feeder goldfish' at some point, only to have them grow to
be almost the size of small Koi and become pets themselves. The truth
is that turtles are more opportunistic and scavenger eaters and rarely
catch a healthy fish> 5.)Do I need a water fall? If yes how do I set
one up? <Not unless you like the look and the sound, but they are
pretty and they do help aerate the water. Give it some thought --
doesn't have to be complicated, either -- if you BUILD a pond, you
can find many books at the local building supply store giving you all
of the in's & out's and if you decide to BUY a pond, most
of those same stores sell the kind where you can buy a small pond and
have it drain into a bigger one -- presto! instant waterfall> 6.)Do
I need to put sand or rocks around the pond so the turtle can go out of
the water or can I put things in the water that stick out? <Yes,
this is important. Turtles are more comfortable climbing out of the
water on a rock or a log than they are climbing to shore. If you BUILD
a pond, put in a couple of shallow-sided bays for him to crawl out.
Preformed ponds are designed for water gardens and Koi and usually have
steep sides, but they make them with a shallow shelf-tray on one side
to hold plants -- you can place stones and large rocks there in
"ramps" so that he can climb out & bask on the rock or
easily make it to shore> 7.)How do you put a filter in? 8.)How do I
choose a filter? <Again, more many variables than we can discuss
here. External filters are a better bet for long term use because they
require less care, but in pond filters are less expensive and easier to
clean -- the major building supply chains that sell the preformed ponds
sell a range of low end pumps and filters that should be just fine for
a turtle or two in a pond> 9.)What kind of plants do I need?
<none, really. Turtles just tear them up> 10.)Can I keep the
turtle out year round? (I live in Florida so the cold weather is not a
big deal) <You can from a temperature standpoint. In fact, winter
isn't usually the problem -- it's summer. Remember when I said
the larger the pond, the more resistant it is? Well beside the fact
that a larger pond stays clearer longer, a larger pond stays cooler
longer in summer and warmer in winter. For example, a 20 gallon pond in
the Florida sun would get so hot so quickly that the turtle would
suffer from over heating if not in fact dying from it. Same turtle in a
1,000 pond wouldn't even sense a temperature change. Assuming you
will go bigger than 10 and not 1,000 an important criteria is placing
your pond where it will get a good deal of shade in the hottest
months.> 11.)Is the turtle going to get lonely? Should I buy another
one? <You can, they seem to get along just fine, but there is no
"need" to do that. 12.) How deep does the pond have to be?
<Again, deep water stays cooler in summer and warmer in winter ---
at least 18 inches at it's deepest point> 13.)What kind of
plants can I put in or around the pond? <on the OUTSIDE of the
fence, around the perimeter, would be a great place to plant some
shrubs that would shade the afternoon sun (to the west side of the
pond) but nothing INSIDE the fence or he'll use it to climb
out.> 14.)Should I change the turtles feeding habits? Right now
she's feeding on "REPTILE PREMIUM STICKS" and once in a
while romaine lettuce or can she feed on plants in the pond.
<Repto-Min is great stuff. Koi Pellets from your local fish/pond
store is the SAME THING only a lot cheaper. Either one is fine &
no, don't change. I raise hatchlings to breeders on that same
food.> 15.)Are there any predators for her, like raccoons, snakes,
or squirrels? If yes what can I do to keep them out? <Ah yes, a
major down side to all outdoor life. They are all out there and they
will all try for her if they can. The only SURE way is to make a fence
with a tight fitting top and again this is a trade off -- easy to do
for a small pond, not possible for a large one. Beyond that .. wide,
deep water allows the turtle to rest on the bottom at night, more or
less out of sight and reach of the common predators.> 16.)In what
season or climate should I build the pond? <In Florida? Any time
it's not too hot for you to be out there!> <Good luck to
you> <Darrel>
Bad trees for pond/turtles -- 06/26/08 Hi,
my name is Russell. I have asked several questions on this site and I
have always gotten a very good response. But i have another question
about my water turtles. I am wanting to put a tree across the turtles
pond for them to bask on and hide in. My question is is there any types
of trees that could possibly poison or harm my turtles? By the way I
have three red eared sliders and one southern painted turtle. Also the
tree that I was wanting to put in the pond is a walnut tree from my
backyard. Thanks for your response in advance. <Yep... read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/PondSubWebIndex/landpltspd.htm Same list as per
fishes. Bob Fenner>
RES Hibernating - 05/17/2006 My sister has
had a RES for years. She keeps hers in a tank. I just got one and put
it in my pond. She keeps worrying about it going into hibernation. She
says it will die if it does. Is this true? The coldest that it would
get in the pond in the winter is the low 50s. < Hibernation is a
normal process for many "Cold Blooded" animals to survive the
winter. If you turtle is put out now it will slowly acclimate to being
outside. As the fall comes and the air begins to chill your turtle will
start to rely more on body fat than on actually eating. If your turtle
has not accumulated enough body fat, then it will not make it through
the winter. This year was a very difficult year for turtles being kept
outside. Sporadic heat waves brought turtles out of hibernation. When
the cold settled back in , many turtles could not find enough food to
eat and got sick with respiratory infections and weak from hunger. Many
turtle keepers resorted to bringing their turtles indoors until the
outside air temps remained consistently warm.-Chuck>
Duck Pond - 11/26/05 Hello, One other thing - do white
ducks with red faces eat fish? <<Muskovies, eh...yes, if they can
catch them, along with crustaceans/insects, frogs, some plant
material...>> Or does the duck poop kill them faster? <<If
this is a large, natural pond, likely the fishes will be fine...else
you will need adequate filtration to deal with the duck waste.>>
Lyn and Gwen <<Regards, EricR>>
Turtles and Fish <Hi, MikeD here> Please help...I
was given (by a pet store) a RES about 12" long<It took me a
considerable amount of time to deduce what a RES was, aka Red-Eared
Slider. That borders on cruelty to ME, you know! **grin**>. About a
week later ALL of my Koi (15 large) died. I did not realize I needed to
treat the water with antibiotic before I introduced the turtle<You
don't. Who told you that?>. Anyway, I also think the turtle has
a bit of ROT<OK, I'll bite, is this just rot, as in an infection
or is it another acronym?>. About 2" long diamond shape, whit
sot<White spot?> on the shell. Also, shell peeling around the
area <I'd use either Iodine or Mercurochrome on the spot
initially, drying it with a paper towel after it soaks in, then return
the turtle to the pond. Also, make sure the turtle has plenty of room
to get completely out of the water. If this basking spot is not in
sunlight, then you'll need to get a full spectrum light bulb to
train on this spot. Sunlight is Mother Nature's first line of
defense>. My question...is this ROT toxic to fish?<NO> I am
wanting to re-introduce Koi as I have treated the pond with medication
for 10 days.<Introducing the turtle should have had no ill effect on
the fish, and I've never heard of adding antibiotics for this
purpose. I'd seriously have to re-think taking advice from them if
this is what they are telling you.> Thank you!<You're very
welcome>
Red- ear slider My Uncle works for the water dept and
last year brought a turtle to me and asked to put it in my 500 gal
pond. It appears to be a male, long tail short claws. He just found
another one in the street and brought it over, I think it is a younger
female, long claws, shorter tail, will they get along? I have several
koi and about 6 smaller goldfish, my original turtle never bothered
them and I'm hoping they will all get along. Any problems with this
situation? <Shouldn't be - though you may want to feed them from
time to time with prepared foods, or they may snack on your goldfish if
they can catch them (which isn't too likely). M.
Maddox>
Red- ear slider - part deux Thanks for the quick
response, but I went this morning and checked on everyone and my larger
turtle has the little one cornered and is biting at its head, feet,
tail whatever he can get a hold of...I got worried for the little ones
safety and took her out. Is this a mating thing or is he that
aggressive?? <Hmm, no luck with them together I guess...if he
doesn't like her, I would wait until spring to re-introduce her and
see how it goes. Good luck! M. Maddox>
Hiding Turtles I have a big pond and water fall. It is
15 feet by 16 feet 4.5 feet deep. A friend gave me two slider turtles
for the pond one is a baby. Then I bought one. For the first day or so
I could see them swimming on the top of the water. But when I open my
sliding glass door to get a better view they went to the bottom. I have
not seen any of them for a few days. How long can they hold their
breath? < Up to a couple of hours depending on the water temp and
their activity level. During the summer months it is up to about 20
minutes.> I have a bunch of feeder fish in there too. I have a UV
sterilizer that I just add and it is clearing up the water. I still
can't see them. I have rocks and gravel at the bottom of the pond.
Do they dig in to hide? < They do some digging but not to the extent
you are suggesting.> Do the walk away for the pond? < It is
totally possible for your turtles top walk away.> It's in my
back yard and there is really no where for them to go. My pond has not
a lot of shade I am waiting for the trees to grow. How do I get them to
come out if they are still there? < When turtles get hungry they
leave the pond to find food. I would put one of the turtles in a small
kiddy wadding pool with some water, a brick to create a basking spot
and some cover over the pool for shade. Leave the turtle in there for a
few days. Walk up once a day and throw a turtle food stick in right in
front of his face. After awhile your turtle will not be afraid and will
learn that you are the source of food and actually come out to see you
and be fed. Once one turtle does it then the others catch on pretty
quick and they will all be out wanting food.-Chuck>
Winter and Red Eared Slider I really need to know if I
can leave my red eared sliders out side in the winter or not. I have a
little pond outside that they can live in. I have a heater for the pond
so it won't freeze. I keep gold fish in it and they stay alive. I
have it all fenced in so they can't get hurt by any animals. They
also have land to go onto so they can be on land if they need to.
please help <It really depends on where you live. If it gets cold
enough they should bury themselves at the bottom of your pond and go
into hibernation. I personally would move them inside, I have never
hibernated a turtle or tortoise and if I were going to try it I would
like to be in control of the conditions. Check out the links below to
help with your decision. Best Regards, Gage http://www.anapsid.org/hibernation.html
http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/Refrigerator.htm
>
Turtle Hibernation Regarding hibernation, we live in
the Houston, TX area, where the temperature rarely drops in the
20's. the kiddie pool is only 9 inches high, so am I right in
saying its not suitable for hibernation of my turtle? my family does
not plan on bringing inside for the winter, so can I just hibernate it
in a 14 inch high bucket that we have that's wide enough for her to
fit in with an inch or so at least the whole way around extra? after
all, she doesn't need any room for movement, just a deep
hibernating spot, right? I just want to know if the bucket is deep
enough for her to hibernate safely at 14 inches or if its too shallow.
thank you <I have no experience hibernating turtles, I do not know
if the bucket technique is a good idea, sounds like it will be hard to
regulate the temperature. There is a good article at the link below on
hibernating turtles in the refrigerator. I would get a good book that
thoroughly covers hibernation before trying it. Best Regards, Gage.
http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/Refrigerator.htm
>
Duck Pond Hello I didn't find anything related to
this question. I have a duck / goose pond approximately 2000 gallons, I
have two filters hooked up one a regular sand filter for an in ground
swimming pool ( I filled it with pea gravel ) and connected to this is
a modern media filter ( in ground pool also ). I can't and really
want to figure out a way to keep it relatively clean. I have not used
or know of any chemicals available for use and or and other grander
filter system. I do have a small zoo and good looking enclosures is a
must for me. There are no fish in the pond and it house about 20
different ducks. I have the filters set up as a waterfall at the export
side of the filters. THANKS BOB PILZ <There are actual
"formulae" for figuring how many water fowl one can/should
have per acres and acre-feet of ponds, lakes... a two k gallon system
is just going to be a real mess, no matter how much filtration you can
affix to it. I encourage you (if at all possible) to instead devise a
system of flushing the basin with new water, either continuously or in
a pulsed fashion... draining it from a/the bottom... about all the
volume... daily. Bob Fenner, who knows what a stinky mess these birds
make>
A duck and goose = dirty pond I initially got a 175
gallon flexible liner pond for water plants (lily's) and maybe
small guppies. However in the meantime acquired a duck and a goose,
both about two months old. Well guess who is in the pond everyday?
<Bad visual> I have to replace the water every day or two. I want
to keep duckweed in another receptacle to feed them because they'll
eat it up before it can clear the pond. What other filtration system
can I use on a pond this small-or do I have to build them a lake!?
<More likely the latter. The 175 gallon volume is way too little to
even try to filter, keep one waterfowl/foul... I would keep changing
the water. Bob Fenner> Rita De Ferrary St. Thomas, VI
Red Eared Slider Feeding Hi there. Found your website
and learning a lot! I have all the proper husbandry for my two RES,
eight months old. My question is, I have been feeding them Anacharis
and it is not digesting properly in their system. They have been
pooping a lot of the leafy parts and stems out. Should I worry, or is
it just too early of an age to feed them plants? Thanks a bunch,
Kristen, TN <HI Kristen, I would not worry too much about this.
Plant some of the Anacharis (or let it float, it will probably not stay
planted long) they can munch on it if they feel the need, but they
should be eating a variety of other foods with a floating turtle pellet
or stick as a staple. crickets, mealworms, salad greens, earthworms,
wax worms, Tubifex worms, snails, and a quality prepared turtle pellet
are all good, I have never fed my turtles Anacharis, so I am not sure
what it looks like on the way out. Best Regards, Gage>
Digestive Problems with RES Thank you for the response.
I did some studying and found out that hatchlings to four years have a
harder time digesting plant matter. I reduced their intake and they do
get a good variety diet. Their poop has returned to normal. I wanted to
post a follow up for anyone else that needs advice on this matter.
Thank you so much! Kristen <Excellent Kristen, thank you for the
info. All the best to you and your turtles. Gage>
Winter and Red Eared Slider I really need to know if I
can leave my red eared sliders out side in the winter or not. I have a
little pond outside that they can live in. I have a heater for the pond
so it won't freeze. I keep gold fish in it and they stay alive. I
have it all fenced in so they can't get hurt by any animals. They
also have land to go onto so they can be on land if they need to.
please help <It really depends on where you live. If it gets cold
enough they should bury themselves at the bottom of your pond and go
into hibernation. I personally would move them inside, I have never
hibernated a turtle or tortoise and if I were going to try it I would
like to be in control of the conditions. Check out the links below to
help with your decision. Best Regards, Gage http://www.anapsid.org/hibernation.html
http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/Refrigerator.htm
>
Turtle Food Hi, I've got a couple of lovely Red
Eared Slider Turtles and have come to enjoy the sport of giving them
fish to chase around (and hunt and kill :o)). I have been sticking to
Neon Tetras to date as they are quite quick and tend to survive a
reasonable length of time. I have stumbled upon a large number of
tuxedo sword tails and was just wanting to make sure that they're
not going to harm my turtles in any way. I had this feeling that most
fish are ok for a midnight snack, but I just wanted to double check.
Thanks, Matt <Hey Matt, sounds a little expensive for turtle food.
The link below is to a good article on the Red Eared Slider's Diet
http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/aquaticdiet.htm
Every once in a while feeder fish are ok, but I would not make it a
regular part of their diet, the swords should not harm your turtle in
any way. If you have a local bait shop near you, pick up some night
crawlers, they love worms. -Gage>
Help...Red Segmented Wormy Looking Things! Hello,
<Hi, Patricia! Sabrina here> I have a Koi pond, I was just
starting to clean out my filter, but..."ICK!!!, all of the
material is covered by red segmented "larvae/worms?" I saw a
large one about a month ago when re-potting a plant from the pond. They
are not worms, as I know them, They look more like red meal worms. They
have a large mouth and six legs at the front, and a long tail with a
pincer looking thing at the end. The mouth was moving and gaping. It
was a horrendous looking creature. <Definitely some sort of insect
larvae, *possibly* harmful to any tiny baby fish (if they happen to be
dragonfly larvae or some such, they may prey upon fry), but not a
concern with adult fish. Depending on what they are, exactly, they may
actually be beneficial, or may be used by your fish as food. Since
you're seeing them inside your filter on your filter media, I'd
be far more inclined to think that they're actually not predatory
at all, but eating little goodies that they find in your media. Might
be a good thing to have around.> They are about 3/4", but I
think they will get as big as the one I saw when re-potting, which was
well over an inch. <Likely the same kind of critter, but could be
different.> Help...How can I get rid of them? Will they harm my
fish? Do you have the medication that will remove them? <As I said,
I seriously doubt that they're a threat to your fish. If you must
remove them, or they do become a serious threat, it might be done with
a copper-based medication - but that will also completely wipe out any
snails or other invertebrates in your pond, and will definitely wreck
your biological filtration, requiring serious water changes during
treatment. For now, if you feel you must remove them, perhaps just
manually scrape them off your filter media, and try to keep their
population in check. Personally, I don't think it's necessary,
but then again, I'm not seeing them firsthand, either.> Thank
you for any help you can give me, I have never seen anything like them
in my life! I have searched other websites with no success. <Oh
my.... You'd be surprised by some of the stuff I've found in my
ponds.... My very first pond had me running around with a cup and a
microscope for about a month - such incredible biodiversity, and some
incredibly bizarre creatures!!> Again, Thank you, Patricia
<Wishing you and your pond well, -Sabrina>
Turtle Tank Goodies Hi umm, <Gage here, but you can
call me umm if you want to.> This is my first time ever owning a
turtle. I got it from a friend, I'm not sure on the sex, or even
what kind it is exactly. <I'd be willing to bet it is a red
eared slider, but cannot say without a picture. Tons of info on turtles
online - http://www.tortoisetrust.org is a good one> I've had
this turtle for about 9 months, almost 10 now. I was cleaning out the
filter and the tank today, and there were all these very tiny little
seashells all over the place, and I have no idea where they're
coming from. Do you have any idea where they could be forming from?
They're sort of coned shape, and looks like there's something
in them, but they're so small it's hard to tell. Well I hope
you can help me...thanks -megs <Most likely they are snails. Snail
eggs have sneaky way of getting into your tank, nothing to worry about.
-Gage>
Aquatic Turtle Care I have 2 yellow bellied sliders. I
am contemplating putting them in an outdoor pond. We live near the
Virginia coast and I wonder How to set up this pond (supplies, plants,
etc.). Also, can they stay out there year around? <I do not keep my
turtle outside because of the predators, but outdoors is definitely
best for them if you can meet all of their requirements. The link below
is to an article on ponds for turtles, it should be a good place to
start. http://www.tortoise.org/general/pondmak.html>
What kind of plants do I have to have in order to make a outside pen
for them? <most pond plants should be fine> And what kind of
foods do they eat beside night crawlers and lettuces? And where do I
find powder vitamins and calcium's to sprinkle on their foods?
<Here is a good article on feeding aquatic turtles http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/aquaticdiet.htm
If you have a local reptile shop you can get the vitamins from them, or
from an etailer like our wonderful sponsor http://www.drsfostersmith.com/ Best
Regards, Gage> Thanks Julia Rk
Red eared slider turtle I don't know if you can
help me with this or not but I have a little red eared slider. (His
shell is maybe the size of a .50 cent piece. <This is a small
specimen!> We have only had him a week and today I watched him eat a
little rock from the bottom of his aquarium. Latter on I saw him do it
again and then he looked like he was hunting out small rocks. Is there
something wrong with him? And will these rocks pass? <I do hope that
they will... or that it just appeared that your little turtle was
eating the rocks. You have instruction on what to feed this turtle? It
does have a place to climb completely out of the water? Have you read
about its general care? Bob Fenner>
