Recent content by negrtalk

I'm working on adding plants to the ponds in my turtle enclosures. One pond/enclosure houses a sulcata, and the other pond/enclosure houses a couple of boxes. The boxes don't really eat aquatic plants, but the sulcata sometimes does. Are water poppies ok for him to eat on occasion if he wants...

Thanks. Does your advice change if we're talking about a native species (3T box in this case)? I've always let my adult 3T brumate, and now I see why she's always done so at the highest point in the enclosure.

Thanks for this, Tom. I'll give it a read. I appreciate the insight however.

I have 4 year-old 3T box turtles and am about to take ownership of an eastern that's the same age. My 3Ts spent their first winter indoors, but I'd like eventually for them to brumate outside like their mother does. I live in Central Texas, and the winters are mostly down to about 30° as the...

That's really smart. Garden State Tortoise also has a video about turtle security on YouTube that I found helpful. If you need any tips, I'd look that video up.

Nice. Do you have any safety concerns about raccoons and your tortoise?

Ok. That should be fine for your tortoise. It would probably make sense to get a pump/filter setup, and water plants will also help with the water quality. But there's no inherent issue with your tortoise having access to water that fish may be in. Is that what you were asking, or did I miss the...

Also, here's the full pond. It's about 45-50 gallons, I would guess. The enclosure goes up to (and in some places under) my deck. Still a work in progress, but it's looking good to me.

What's your concern about access to both?

No, I don't have turtles living in the pond.

I dug a pond in my turtle enclosure, and Igor here will actually go swimming in it from time to time. The pond extends back behind the wood a few feet. It used to be two separate enclosures for awhile, but now the pond connects the two areas.

The sulcata is mostly in his enclosure except when I'm watching him. But when I let him out into the rest of my yard, he usually beelines for dog poop. As to housing them, they are all together for now. The sulcata is young enough and small enough that he can't hurt the others, and will move out...

Yes to putting them in my pond. I have it set up so the sulcata has access to a very shallow part so he can drink and soak. But directly adjacent to this soaking area is where the plants will be. I'm just wanting to make sure the turtles wouldn't get poisoned by eating the poppies.

I'm getting ready to add some plants in my mini pond, and came across water poppies (hydrocleys nymphoides). I know that most poppies aren't good to feed turtles, but these aren't true poppies botanically speaking. I don't expect the turtles to eat any of the water plants, but my sulcata likes...

Thanks for the response. The enclosure is already secure, so that part is ok. But is it ok to bring them out earlier than this spring since I live in central Texas?