Best Turtles for 22,000 gallon Pond in Northern Virginia

Astrid37

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We're building a 22,000 gallon bog-filtered pond in northern Virginia and want to bring in some captive-bred native turtles to be part of our family. Any suggestions?
 

wellington

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I can't help with what turtles are native and best for your pond. I would think any of them.
But please, oh please, don't forget to share pics of the pond whenit's done, please. Love pond pics.
 

jeff kushner

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22K gallons? That's sweet!

Yellow-bellies, Red ears are both found in your area...they will love it. Musk turtles help keep the bottom clean, and if the water has some motion, there are various river cooters that will thrive. I would caution against trying to get too inventive and trying to keep too many different species though.

Enjoy and def post pics!

jeff
 

wellington

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@Markw84 may be able to help as far as species mixing and how many may be safe.
He has a beautiful giant pond that you should look at.
 

Maggie3fan

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Y also has a great pond that she will lose in a couple of months...don't forget Western Pond turtles...so pretty. They are like Redfoots who swim...lol
Buddy is here having photos of him eating goldfish. He is fully grown being abt 4-5 inches scl...
100_6689.JPG
100_6685.JPG
100_5048.JPG,
if you are going to have some protected and escape proof land area, box turtles love water and are SEMI aquatic
 

Markw84

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We're building a 22,000 gallon bog-filtered pond in northern Virginia and want to bring in some captive-bred native turtles to be part of our family. Any suggestions?
Is your pond going to be contained and escape-proof? That would be important for keeping turtle in that are of value to you. Otherwise, you will always have some at various times wandering off to find new territories.

In VIrginia you are lucky to have about 25 different species of native turtles. So you have lots to choose from in keeping with a native theme.

IN a large pond the basking turtles will do great and most enjoyable to see. The cooters are great large pond turtles. They never are aggressive and do not disturb fish or other turtles at all. They do and will eat plants in the pond. They soon learn to swarm towards you as the "food God" and are relatively freindly. I love the Northern Red-bellied Cooter as a great choice.

You will be hard pressed to beat the painted turtles for friendly. Beautiful smaller turtles that are not aggressive towards other turtles at all. The eastern painted turtle will be a great addition.

The Northern Map turtle would be a great turtle. Also never aggresive, but extremly shy. They will be the last turtle to calm down and actually come over when feeding. They are great swimmers and love the more open water. Avid baskers, but will dive into the water at the least disturbance. I love the map turtles and do have a few species in my pond.

The sliders are all now established in Virginia. Red-ear, Yellow-belly, and Cumberland. I do not like them in a pond as they do get aggressive. I will not keep sliders in my pond.

The eastern spiny softshell is a very interesting turtle. Depending upon the type of pond, it could be an interesting choice. I do not keep softshells as I do keep koi an other fish and softshells will chase fish vigorously.

YOu have a good choice of Mud and Musk turtles. I do like them as I have glass windows in my pond and can watch them patrolling the bottom. In most ponds, you may rarely see them. The eastern and the three-stripe mud is a great choice. The common musk (stinkpot) is also a good choice. IF you keep your pond well filtered and clear, you would enjoy them. They also would do very well in the bog portion of you pond. The love living amongst the plants and hunting for insects. They rarely will nibble the plants.

My favorite turtle of all is the spotted turtle. Not sure about laws in Virginia as it is native to parts of Virginia as its range extends the whole east coast. They are extremely personable turtles and one of the most beautiful anywhere. I have my upper pond set up as more of a bog pond and have a large colony of spotted turtles there. When we go to the upper patio, soon many spotted turtles are on the edge of the pond staring at us for food. They will eat from your hand easily. Because of their cost, be sure your pond is secure if you choose to get some captive born spotteds.

You could put a snapper in there! IF well designed and not prize koi, they are interesting turtles. You would rarely see it unless you water is clear. They are not aggressive to other turtles, but in a feeding frenzy another turtle's head can become a casualty! They also do not feed on plants.

If you have a larger land area, the wood turtle would be great. Again, need to check the laws, as critically endangered. However, a captive born wood turtle(s) would be a great inhabitant. Would need a decent sized land area up by your bog filter.

A box turtle or two could also go up there if you choose to make a nice land area around your bog. It would be a very nice habitat and extremely interesting for your wood, spotted, and box.
 

Hutsie B

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We have a one acre natural pond on our property and there are a lot of different turtles in it, red ears, sliders, painted, mud and snappers are a few. find out what is native to your area and stock it with those.
 

BirdHerder

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When I saw this I had flashbacks to Nick falling in my pond about a month ago. He was given to me with the understanding that there was a large pond in the enclosure and I wasn't sure how he would fare if he ever fell in. He wasn't in his shed like he usually is first thing in the morning and then I saw a large, brown mass in the water. My best guess is that he had been in there all night since it was 7am and he usually doesn't leave his shed until it warms up mid morning. It was fun putting on my waders and lifting a 70lb tortoise out of the water while being attacked by a swan.
 

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Maggie3fan

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When I saw this I had flashbacks to Nick falling in my pond about a month ago. He was given to me with the understanding that there was a large pond in the enclosure and I wasn't sure how he would fare if he ever fell in. He wasn't in his shed like he usually is first thing in the morning and then I saw a large, brown mass in the water. My best guess is that he had been in there all night since it was 7am and he usually doesn't leave his shed until it warms up mid morning. It was fun putting on my waders and lifting a 70lb tortoise out of the water while being attacked by a swan.
When I saw this I had flashbacks to Nick falling in my pond about a month ago. He was given to me with the understanding that there was a large pond in the enclosure and I wasn't sure how he would fare if he ever fell in. He wasn't in his shed like he usually is first thing in the morning and then I saw a large, brown mass in the water. My best guess is that he had been in there all night since it was 7am and he usually doesn't leave his shed until it warms up mid morning. It was fun putting on my waders and lifting a 70lb tortoise out of the water while being attacked by a swan.
Oh he's beautiful! His carapace is perfect! Mary Knobbins was rescued in downtown Portland Oregon wandering around the streets with antifa...honest!!!! lol... she really was picked up from the downtown streets, but the rest is just gossip lol Have you raised him from small right here in the PNW ? I've only had Mary for 2 or 3 years but her new growth is smooth
 

BirdHerder

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Oh he's beautiful! His carapace is perfect! Mary Knobbins was rescued in downtown Portland Oregon wandering around the streets with antifa...honest!!!! lol... she really was picked up from the downtown streets, but the rest is just gossip lol Have you raised him from small right here in the PNW ? I've only had Mary for 2 or 3 years but her new growth is smooth
Maybe she was marching for tortoise rights :) I got Nick (Saint Nicholas) from a family last September. They purchased him from one of the local pet stores as a baby about 10 years ago. He had become a little too large for them and they thought he would be happier at our aviary. They must have taken good care of him because he seems to be in great shape.
 

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Jan A

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Maybe she was marching for tortoise rights :) I got Nick (Saint Nicholas) from a family last September. They purchased him from one of the local pet stores as a baby about 10 years ago. He had become a little too large for them and they thought he would be happier at our aviary. They must have taken good care of him because he seems to be in great shape.
He's gorgeous!! And now you know he can float/swim!!
 

Astrid37

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Is your pond going to be contained and escape-proof? That would be important for keeping turtle in that are of value to you. Otherwise, you will always have some at various times wandering off to find new territories.

In VIrginia you are lucky to have about 25 different species of native turtles. So you have lots to choose from in keeping with a native theme.

IN a large pond the basking turtles will do great and most enjoyable to see. The cooters are great large pond turtles. They never are aggressive and do not disturb fish or other turtles at all. They do and will eat plants in the pond. They soon learn to swarm towards you as the "food God" and are relatively freindly. I love the Northern Red-bellied Cooter as a great choice.

You will be hard pressed to beat the painted turtles for friendly. Beautiful smaller turtles that are not aggressive towards other turtles at all. The eastern painted turtle will be a great addition.

The Northern Map turtle would be a great turtle. Also never aggresive, but extremly shy. They will be the last turtle to calm down and actually come over when feeding. They are great swimmers and love the more open water. Avid baskers, but will dive into the water at the least disturbance. I love the map turtles and do have a few species in my pond.

The sliders are all now established in Virginia. Red-ear, Yellow-belly, and Cumberland. I do not like them in a pond as they do get aggressive. I will not keep sliders in my pond.

The eastern spiny softshell is a very interesting turtle. Depending upon the type of pond, it could be an interesting choice. I do not keep softshells as I do keep koi an other fish and softshells will chase fish vigorously.

YOu have a good choice of Mud and Musk turtles. I do like them as I have glass windows in my pond and can watch them patrolling the bottom. In most ponds, you may rarely see them. The eastern and the three-stripe mud is a great choice. The common musk (stinkpot) is also a good choice. IF you keep your pond well filtered and clear, you would enjoy them. They also would do very well in the bog portion of you pond. The love living amongst the plants and hunting for insects. They rarely will nibble the plants.

My favorite turtle of all is the spotted turtle. Not sure about laws in Virginia as it is native to parts of Virginia as its range extends the whole east coast. They are extremely personable turtles and one of the most beautiful anywhere. I have my upper pond set up as more of a bog pond and have a large colony of spotted turtles there. When we go to the upper patio, soon many spotted turtles are on the edge of the pond staring at us for food. They will eat from your hand easily. Because of their cost, be sure your pond is secure if you choose to get some captive born spotteds.

You could put a snapper in there! IF well designed and not prize koi, they are interesting turtles. You would rarely see it unless you water is clear. They are not aggressive to other turtles, but in a feeding frenzy another turtle's head can become a casualty! They also do not feed on plants.

If you have a larger land area, the wood turtle would be great. Again, need to check the laws, as critically endangered. However, a captive born wood turtle(s) would be a great inhabitant. Would need a decent sized land area up by your bog filter.

A box turtle or two could also go up there if you choose to make a nice land area around your bog. It would be a very nice habitat and extremely interesting for your wood, spotted, and box.
This is
Is your pond going to be contained and escape-proof? That would be important for keeping turtle in that are of value to you. Otherwise, you will always have some at various times wandering off to find new territories.

In VIrginia you are lucky to have about 25 different species of native turtles. So you have lots to choose from in keeping with a native theme.

IN a large pond the basking turtles will do great and most enjoyable to see. The cooters are great large pond turtles. They never are aggressive and do not disturb fish or other turtles at all. They do and will eat plants in the pond. They soon learn to swarm towards you as the "food God" and are relatively freindly. I love the Northern Red-bellied Cooter as a great choice.

You will be hard pressed to beat the painted turtles for friendly. Beautiful smaller turtles that are not aggressive towards other turtles at all. The eastern painted turtle will be a great addition.

The Northern Map turtle would be a great turtle. Also never aggresive, but extremly shy. They will be the last turtle to calm down and actually come over when feeding. They are great swimmers and love the more open water. Avid baskers, but will dive into the water at the least disturbance. I love the map turtles and do have a few species in my pond.

The sliders are all now established in Virginia. Red-ear, Yellow-belly, and Cumberland. I do not like them in a pond as they do get aggressive. I will not keep sliders in my pond.

The eastern spiny softshell is a very interesting turtle. Depending upon the type of pond, it could be an interesting choice. I do not keep softshells as I do keep koi an other fish and softshells will chase fish vigorously.

YOu have a good choice of Mud and Musk turtles. I do like them as I have glass windows in my pond and can watch them patrolling the bottom. In most ponds, you may rarely see them. The eastern and the three-stripe mud is a great choice. The common musk (stinkpot) is also a good choice. IF you keep your pond well filtered and clear, you would enjoy them. They also would do very well in the bog portion of you pond. The love living amongst the plants and hunting for insects. They rarely will nibble the plants.

My favorite turtle of all is the spotted turtle. Not sure about laws in Virginia as it is native to parts of Virginia as its range extends the whole east coast. They are extremely personable turtles and one of the most beautiful anywhere. I have my upper pond set up as more of a bog pond and have a large colony of spotted turtles there. When we go to the upper patio, soon many spotted turtles are on the edge of the pond staring at us for food. They will eat from your hand easily. Because of their cost, be sure your pond is secure if you choose to get some captive born spotteds.

You could put a snapper in there! IF well designed and not prize koi, they are interesting turtles. You would rarely see it unless you water is clear. They are not aggressive to other turtles, but in a feeding frenzy another turtle's head can become a casualty! They also do not feed on plants.

If you have a larger land area, the wood turtle would be great. Again, need to check the laws, as critically endangered. However, a captive born wood turtle(s) would be a great inhabitant. Would need a decent sized land area up by your bog filter.

A box turtle or two could also go up there if you choose to make a nice land area around your bog. It would be a very nice habitat and extremely interesting for your wood, spotted, and box.

Thank you so much for all of the info everyone, in particular @Mark84!! This is so helpful, especially the part with the aggressive analysis for each species. We do have koi that we are also going to be putting in the pond, so that is all good to know. I will definitely send photos once it is complete. It's going to be quite awhile before it's anywhere near that point. It's a pretty big project, and we're doing it ourselves. Thanks again! I really appreciate it!!
 

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