Hibernating Paints outside

[Kaitlynr1]

I have 7 adult turtles outside in a large habitat that I do not have room to bring inside this winter. I live in Illinois so I have pretty harsh winters. I have been told in the past to create a compost pile area for them to burrow into. I've started so far only with dry clipped grass that I've wet down and will add leaves to when they fall. My pond is only about 3 foot deep, and it has a basic pond liner in it. Do I need to put a de-icer in the pond? If yes, will it damage my liner, or hurt/burn the turtles? I will add a pictures of what I have started so far. (Don't mind Dinosaur in the picture, he's old and nosey)

 

[johnsonnboswell]

Your pond should be below the frost line with a layer of muck at the bottom for aquatic turtles to hibernate safely.

 

[Kaitlynr1]

How deep would it need to be for that? Does it need to be heated so it doesn't freeze?

 

[Kaitlynr1]

If I put a few more inches of mud in my pond and put a stock heater in it so it doesn't freeze, will the turtles be able to hibernate safely? Do they need to be able to get out of the pond or will they stay under the water?
(these are paint turtles)

 

[Len B]

You don't really need mud, just throw some leaves in and they will eventually sink. Much easier to clean out next spring. I wouldn't add any type of heat to the pond water. If you are worried about freezing, air stones placed low in the pond (but not on the bottom where the turtles may be sleeping) will keep the water moving and it wont freeze. If the sun hits the black liner during winter is a plus also to help keep the water temps up. Some of my water turtles will go to the pond bottom and some will dig into the mulch and straw, I don't know how they decide which way to go.Some have dug into the mulch but were right against the enclosure wall, so now after everyone is settled in I check to make sure that all are tucked in nice and cozy with plenty of protection on all sides and top. With the mulch and straw mine don't dig in deep and do fine.

 

[SarahChelonoidis]

Three feet deep may be too shallow, depending on how cold your winters are. Definitely no chemical deicers, but you'll need to prevent the pond from freezing solid at the bottom. Aeration/a filter pump over the winter is one way, but if the pond is too shallow for your climate, you'll not have the easiest time. What did you do with all those big painted turtles last year? I'm guessing the pond is brand new, since you haven't allowed plants to grow in yet? Once the pond is more mature - full of plants and natural sediments - over wintering will be an easier task (assuming the pond is deep enough after plants and sediments come in).

 

[johnsonnboswell]

Don't add mud.

Decaying vegetation forms something special. It's very soft and doesn't compact. That's the stuff you need at the bottom, the stuff that forms naturally when you have plants in the pond.

The winter I lost all my goldfish was the year I cleaned the pond. Last year the fish survived a brutal winter despite the pond freezing and resting darkly under 3' of snow for months.

Google frost line your area to see how deep you need to go. You need to dig below that.

 

[Kaitlynr1]

Last year I only had two adult turtles and two babies, I had them in a 75 gallon tank inside, but that tank has a ton of fish in it so I really don't have enough room in it for the turtles this year.

 

[Kaitlynr1]

What type of plants can be grown in the pond that won't make it too dirty?

 

[Kaitlynr1]

By a deicer I would use an electric de-icer that is placed in the water, the same kind we use in our water tanks for the cows

 

[Kaitlynr1]

one thought I had was I could use a stock tank and start filling it with grass clippings/leaves ect, now to create a muck layer and put them in the tank for the winter with a surface heater to keep from freezing, but when would I put the turtles in and do they need to be able to get out of the water? Any insight is appreciated.