My small turtle pond

[_simon_]

I used to keep my turtles indoors but moved them outside permanently a little while ago.

I have a female YBS, unsexed Peninsula Cooter and a pair of False Maps.

Their pond is 343 US gallons filtered with a hozelock 4000 solids pump coupled to a hozelock 5500 bioforce pressurised filter with UV clarifier. I've got elodea growing in the bottom and duck weed on the top. So nothing massive but it does the job.

The planting around the pond is still growing so it still looks too new for my liking.

Video: http://youtu.be/9LNCtugjJ4o
Since the video I have extended the ramp to the bottom of the pond.

I've not seen any of them in the soil area, they bask on the ramp but the soil is there if they fancy having a dig or decide to lay eggs.

Here they are just before I took them outside to introduce them to their new home. (that wasn't what they lived in, just the tub I carried them out in!)

 

[Yvonne G]

You've done a nice job. I like it.

 

[ascott]

Very nice

 

[wellington]

Not bad, they should be very happy

 

[terryo]

Great job. I love that nice big basking area too. When all the plants fill in it will be beautiful.

 

[Momof4]

Looks great!!

 

[eagle]

Pretty cool. How deep is it?

 

[LindaF]

nice! My turtles are jealous!

 

[_simon_]

Pretty cool. How deep is it?

It's 2' deep.

 

[redbeef]

Do you worry about it flooding and the water level rising in a heavy rain or do you have an overflow pipe?

looks nice though: lucky turtles!

 

[Jacob]

Very Nice.

 

[_simon_]

Do you worry about it flooding and the water level rising in a heavy rain or do you have an overflow pipe?

looks nice though: lucky turtles!

We've had endless rain here for well over a month now and it's not even come close to overflowing. I guess it's evaporating fast enough to cope.

 

[_simon_]

Just thought I'd update as I finally got around to changing the digging / laying area to something that blended in better.

Plants are starting to fill in better so it's not looking so new now.

 

[MarcaineArt]

That is very nice. I'll have to check out the video when I get home. Work blocks youtube :-( So will your turtles live in there year round? What are your winters like?

 

[_simon_]

Yes, they've moved outside permanently now. Our winters vary but I'm told that as long as there is adequate oxygenation then they should be fine.

 

[MarcaineArt]

Oh don't they dig in and hibernate? wild ones do here and I'm not sure what type of requirement (space and depth wise) I would need to allow mine to do that. We generally get a good amount of snow where I am.

 

[_simon_]

People who keep them out all year here tell me that they usually remain active and can be seen swimming under the ice. I think it depends how extreme the weather is perhaps.