# Turtle Pond,enclosure



## WOODNYMPH (Aug 6, 2008)

We finished all this in MAY,08...Tired but HAPPY! 3000G.turtle pond,(only exit/50'triangular enclosure),stream connects to fish pond..ebts,n.a.woods,epts,1redear,2yellow bellies.---koi,goldfifish.thanks for looking,Linda(in R.I.)


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## Chucky (Aug 6, 2008)

Very nice! If I had the equipment, I'd love to do something like that.


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## WOODNYMPH (Aug 6, 2008)

Nina and Chucky, thanks...yes we have 4 acres of woods...We had(own) a backhoe for the pelim. digging,thank goodness..all rocks,ledge,boulders and clay here.(rocks came in handy,lol)Linda


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## Jas2Cats (Aug 6, 2008)

Wow, what a beautiful pond! I'm sure your turtles will love it.


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## russian (Aug 6, 2008)

WOODNYMPH said:


> Nina and Chucky, thanks...yes we have 4 acres of woods...We had(own) a backhoe for the pelim. digging,thank goodness..all rocks,ledge,boulders and clay here.(rocks came in handy,lol)Linda



How do you keep the racoons out? I would think they would like a fish or turtle treat!


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## WOODNYMPH (Aug 6, 2008)

Hi guys,something is stealing goldfish..heron or raccoons,hawks,....we have BIG owls(bard,barn),sawhets,screech.....fox,coyote...hmmm,and this huge pilated woodpecker(?), and more..can't do much about the fish,but plan on a couple of strands of electric wire around the enclosure......won't work with birds though,sigh...Linda


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## wayne.bob (Aug 6, 2008)

That is so beautiful!!!!!!! i wish i could make something like that.


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## Chucky (Aug 6, 2008)

Yes, the raccoons and Heron are a big problem with my fish pond. I'm always missing some every now and then. My turtle pond though is all caged in so nothing can get to them 

If I could ever get my Son-In-Law up here, he works in construction and runs all the heavy equipment. Don't know how much a backhoe would cost to rent but it wold probably be worth it and it would only take a few hours.


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## WOODNYMPH (Aug 6, 2008)

Actually it took a lot longer,but depends on what you design..I wanted1',2',and a3'section(+ it slopes down,everything has to be leveled,and we wanted a big falls,and 3"drops"in the stream to the fishpond,so you have to figure how much of a total drop inbetween the 2 ponds,but that's handshovel work...Give me your email if you ever get into it...can send you pics of the shelves hubby did..very detailed pics..the ponds are about30'x35 and streamabout40'.Linda


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## Jacqui (Aug 7, 2008)

Like I said in your other thread, I really love your area. Nice place to unwind, de-stress and remember what is important in life. Are you planning on allowing them to hibernate naturally out there?

We started a project something like this years ago, when my oldest son was still home. Mean (and cheap...think he got paid $40) Mom that I am, had them do the digging by hand. Hey, they already had practice from digging the hole for the hot tub to be buried for a turtle pool.  Toby was smart however, he conned his younger brother and his friend into doing much of the digging for him.  We only got as far as the big hole before school started and thus it has remained for several years.  My son keeps talking about finishing the project, but welllll you know how a kid's life moves in other ways and is always busy. Every time I see a great natural set up like yours, it gets me thinking maybe it's time to work on that again...right after I finish covering the last of the enclosures, reworking the three toed pen, working on the new redfoot area, fixing the garage for a tort area, and then there is Tillman's new pen to build, and then...  Does it ever end? Always keep "upgrading" and changing everything around.

Would love to see more details. My email is: [email protected], if you would be so generous as to tell me more of them.


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## WOODNYMPH (Aug 7, 2008)

Am gathering info now.Linda


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## Isa (Aug 7, 2008)

Beautiful pond Linda!

Your littles ones are sooo lucky! They must be very happy


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## terryo (Aug 7, 2008)

OMG!!!That is beautiful!!!!! I can't stop looking at it. You have a little piece of heaven.


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## bacaraj (Aug 8, 2008)

That is such a beautiful setup I'm green with envy of your space... thinking of moving a bit north of the beach to do something similar.....thanks for the great pictures.


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## Jacqui (Aug 10, 2008)

Linda as I have been going thru all the emails of pictures you have been sending me, I think you should tell the members in here a bit more about what this took to accomplish. We all seem to end up making our projects look easy and often fail to mention some "minor" points. Like what your husband gave you for Christmas and how many tons of it.  How about a rough guess as to how much it cost all together? How many hours was the backhoe used? How many pallets of blocks did it take? How many hours would you guess you alone put into this? This was really a major major undertaking.


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## drgnfly2265 (Aug 10, 2008)

Wow, very beautiful!!!

_________________________________________________________

Jamie

1 Sulcata (Bowser)

www.myspace.com/bowsertortoise


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## Yvonne G (Aug 10, 2008)

They make a black plastic netting for just such a purpose. Its invisible from the air, but it keeps birds out really good. Very easy to install...just support it on the sides by hanging it from the trees or whatever.

Yvonne


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## WOODNYMPH (Aug 10, 2008)

Jacqui said:


> Linda as I have been going thru all the emails of pictures you have been sending me, I think you should tell the members in here a bit more about what this took to accomplish. We all seem to end up making our projects look easy and often fail to mention some "minor" points. Like what your husband gave you for Christmas and how many tons of it.  How about a rough guess as to how much it cost all together? How many hours was the backhoe used? How many pallets of blocks did it take? How many hours would you guess you alone put into this? This was really a major major undertaking.


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## terryo (Aug 10, 2008)

I can't even imagine what work this was!!! Mine is only 1,00 gal and no where near as beautiful as yours. It took us forever, and my three boys couldn't straighten up for weeks. I don't think people realize the back-breaking effort that was put into this. I would be sitting in a chair....crying with joy!! As I said before,....a little bit of heaven.


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## WOODNYMPH (Aug 10, 2008)

Jacqui, Oh it was an ordeal,physically.It was 24 tons of peastone,$450.,15 tons of lichon rock,(old farm stone walls)got a good deal$100/ton,for streams edges etc.,and our 30 tons from site ,(saved from site work,1996-2002,as we accomplised one thing at a time..it was forrest,little money,so took a few yrs.paying off land,clearing,driveway in,cleared for a 40x20 garage,his dream,took us 1 yr.96-97 garage built,lived in it 7yrs..saved money for house etc.,meanwhile, had well and another yr.septic put in,those 2 things we didn't do ourselves,lol)about 2000 bought backhoe(oldddd)and saved tons of rock from excavating,ledge,boulders,etc.form area for house...had a "special"pile for my pond rocks, so Jim would save them for my "dream"(yes,we are a strange pair)...and got a morgage,listing us as the builders(that wasn't easy)..took us 4/2002--12/2005,did it all ourselves,like the garage(paid a guy to do the foundation). When it was too much for just the 2 of us(like lifting a framed wall)called my grown son,2 brothers others..etc.guess that's why I knew that I could do the ponds,but like the rest it was brutally hard much of the time.As far as how much" Don Hoe" was used,have no idea,besides the digging,Jim moved boulders etc. around..for instance,I would rig the rocks with straps so he could place them(big ones)that kind of thing,it took so much time,especially the waterfall.All that I can say is we started in May,07,and it took a year..There was a lot of shovel work too,and leveling,screening dirt.I know it's not something most people would do,but I am an ex farm girl,and was very happy(in the 50s')and am lucky that hubby can always figure out how to do something...He had to start his project in the fall/07,rebuilding a 74 ramptruck,from scrap,but moved all the peastone(Don Hoe)to the pond area so I could spread it,in dec.,and that was after I spent Oct-Nov.,rocking the stream etc.A wheel barrow is a wonderful thing,lol...I collected garbage bags of moss,logs,put them all over in January..my most unfavorite thing was the"french drain"(Oct.)with a pickaxe and shovel,140' long...it was worth it to me,but am 61,and really going to slow down now..really..oh,and as for the cement blocks(relatives xmas gift!),3 high,cap on top,so you just figure the size enclosure,and figure how many 6x8x16" blocks that you need,think it was about $400..(50'x38'x50')and the whole project at least $7000.Hubby did the electrical(he loves electrical work)and just put outside lighting around,and in ponds. Hope this helps.Linda


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## terryo (Aug 10, 2008)

God bless you !!!!!! I can't get over it. I feel like chopping up my 1,000 gal and starting over....but just don't have the energy. I printed out a picture of your "little heaven" to show my kids...it is their dream. Now I can print out the above post and show them how much work it was. Thank you for posting that.


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## Crazy1 (Aug 10, 2008)

WOODNYMPH, I quickly looked at the pics of your pond a few days ago and at that time was unable to respond to your post as time got cut short. Now reading through the thread and your last post I just had to respond. W O W ! God Bless You. What a beautiful area you have created not only for your turtles and Koi but for you and you husband and others to enjoy. The work must have been grueling but it always seems a little easier when it is a labor of LOVE. And you can certainly see the love in your work. I take my hat of to you and your husband. You both sound like the perfect match and I look forward to seeing more pics of your ponds and stories from you. What a Labor of Love you succeeded in creating and thank you for sharing it with us all.


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## Jacqui (Aug 11, 2008)

Thank you Linda for sharing the details with us.


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