AzFishKid's 500 Gallon Turtle Pond [PIC HEAVY]

[AzFishKid]

This pond was a surprise present for me when i got back from a class trip, since my turtles were outgrowing my indoor aquarium. This is one of the two ponds i have in my backyard.

[ You Can View My 2,500 Gallon Koi Pond Here ]

SIZE: 500 Gallons
PLANTS: Had some.. but the turtles ate them LOL. Umbrella Palms, others that i don't know the name of..
INHABITANTS: 2 female Red Ear Slider Turtles, Cucumber and Celery (both rescued).
FILTRATION: Some commercial pond filter that sits in the ground.. couldn't find a brand name.
OTHER EQUIPMENT: UV Light for water clarity.

[seadreamer]

Very pretty. I really like the waterfall shelf and surrounding area. Is that screen stuff sticking out of the sides to keep the turtles from climbing out?

[resowner92]

Man this is exactly what I want for my turtles Right now I have 2 stuck in a 55 gal and I feel bad for them.

[DevinWolfe]

Wow! That is awesome! It must be deeper than it looks. What will you be feeding them in there?

I am currently helping a coworker set up an "above tank" basking area for her 55G. She is keeping 2 baby Red Ear Sliders. They are pretty cool.

[AzFishKid]

Originally Posted by seadreamer

Very pretty. I really like the waterfall shelf and surrounding area. Is that screen stuff sticking out of the sides to keep the turtles from climbing out?

Thanks!

Yes, the screen is there to prevent an escape. One of my turtles really liked climbing out and taking a dip in the koi pond. Once she got out, it was impossible for her to climb back into the turtle pond, so i didn't feel it was safe to let her stay in there.

Man this is exactly what I want for my turtles Right now I have 2 stuck in a 55 gal and I feel bad for them.

If you can't afford a pond, rubbermaid tubs work REALLY well if you don't care about the looks of a plastic enclosure. You can buy 100+ gallon bins at home depot i think for pretty cheap. Definitely cheaper than a 100+ gallon aquarium.

Wow! That is awesome! It must be deeper than it looks. What will you be feeding them in there?

I am currently helping a coworker set up an "above tank" basking area for her 55G. She is keeping 2 baby Red Ear Sliders. They are pretty cool.

Thanks! It's a few feet deep.. maybe 5 or 6. Definitely not shallow. I feed them Reptomin Pellets, and sometimes put in an anacharis plant and blood worms.

Good luck with that basking area! Sounds like it should be cool. I'm sure she's aware that they will grow out of the 55 gallon in a few years?

[suebe333]

Awesome ponds , I am soooo jealous

[DevinWolfe]

Originally Posted by AzFishKid

Thanks! It's a few feet deep.. maybe 5 or 6. Definitely not shallow. I feed them Reptomin Pellets, and sometimes put in an anacharis plant and blood worms.

Good luck with that basking area! Sounds like it should be cool. I'm sure she's aware that they will grow out of the 55 gallon in a few years?

Cool. I will let her know about the Anacharis in case she wants to try. The 55G is only temporary, she has bigger plans down the road.

Again, that looks incredible!

[AzFishKid]

Originally Posted by DevinWolfe

Cool. I will let her know about the Anacharis in case she wants to try. The 55G is only temporary, she has bigger plans down the road.

Again, that looks incredible!

Yeah, they really like the anacharis - usually devour it within a day!

Mine also like Moneywort and Water Hyacinth.

[cah925]

I'm looking forward to finishing college next year (fingers crossed) so I can afford a house with a yard for my turtle. He's still on the small side but growing steadily in a 55 gal tank. I think about getting one of those tubs from Home Depot and setting it up on the back porch for him, but I'm holding out for a yard and pond hopefully in the near future. Both of your ponds look great, btw.

[BottomFeeder]

Excellent setup!

[AzFishKid]

I'm looking forward to finishing college next year (fingers crossed) so I can afford a house with a yard for my turtle. He's still on the small side but growing steadily in a 55 gal tank. I think about getting one of those tubs from Home Depot and setting it up on the back porch for him, but I'm holding out for a yard and pond hopefully in the near future. Both of your ponds look great, btw.

Sounds like a good idea. The plastic tubs work very well for aquatic turtles if you're a bit short on cash. And thank you!

Excellent setup!

Thanks!

[seadreamer]

Wow, I had no idea it was that deep. Cool!

While I did guess what the screen was for I admit I'm kind of surprised. I didn't know turtles were such good climbers. Your walls look pretty much straight up and down!

[AzFishKid]

Wow, I had no idea it was that deep. Cool!

While I did guess what the screen was for I admit I'm kind of surprised. I didn't know turtles were such good climbers. Your walls look pretty much straight up and down!

Believe it or not, one of my turtles kept escaping to the koi pond! We started out with a wall 2 blocks high, then added another 2 layers, then 1 more layer, then the plastic mesh around the edge. She kept escaping! Now there's no way she can get out. I hate to lock her in, but it's for her own safety. Once she got out of the turtle pond, there was no way she could get back in.

I think the reason she was escaping is because the koi pond is a big cooler in temperature because it's a lot bigger, so i put in a few more plants in the turtle pond to make it a bit more shady, and i occasionally go to the grocery store and buy one of those huge blocks of ice to put in the pond. They like that.

[seadreamer]

Iced turtle......that's too funny.

I'm curious now though.....why couldn't she get back in the koi pond? I looked at the pics and those walls are so much lower. Is it because they're curved/smooth?

[AzFishKid]

Originally Posted by seadreamer

Iced turtle......that's too funny.

I'm curious now though.....why couldn't she get back in the koi pond? I looked at the pics and those walls are so much lower. Is it because they're curved/smooth?

Oh no, she was able to get in and out of the koi pond just fine. But when she got out of the turtle pond, she wasn't able to get back in to the turtle pond because the walls are 5 or 6 bricks high. :P