MY RESCUE BAIRNS SEEM HAPPY EH?

[jeanetteclay]

Aw - aren't they canny???

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[turtlegirl]

Ooooooooooh they're gorgeous! Lovely pond. Good of you to adopt 5 unwanted adult sliders and give them such a good home. If only we had more people like you

[turtlegirl]

Hoping for some advice.
I would like to set up an outdoor pond for my little ones like yours but I am not sure what to do about heating. As you know turtles being coldblooded need to be kept in warm surroundings. Otherwise they cannot digesrt their food and may stop eating. This year it's been so cold that I only started taking my turtles out in the garden for some fresh air and exercise this week and I still bring them in at night when the temp drops.
How do you heat your pond? Also, do you keep them outdoors in a heated pond all year round or bring them in in winter. I believe Dan keeps his turtles out all year round but his pond is much smaller and easier to heat.

[jeanetteclay]

Hiya
Sorry for delay in replying but I haven't been online. I originally had two yellow bellies that've always kept in a tank during the winter and in the pond during the summer. I've recently rescued more and been kindly given some by a local guy that also has an outdoor turtle pond. My indoor turtles have always been at room temperature and have been put out when the weather warms up. My local mate keeps his outside all year round. Neither my pond nor his are heated. If you check out RFUK you'll find people all over the country that are keeping turtles outside in unheated ponds (even Scotland). As far as I've been able to research there is no effective way of heating an outdoorpond. You can buy pond heaters for the winter but they will only melt the ice in the area that theya re located - they will not warm the water as such. However, rest assured my turts have been soooooooooooooo happy since they went outside and its great to see them in a more natural environment. Hope this helps

[jacquisunderland]

Here at TURTLE RESCUE we work with experienced vets and take advice from qualified experts. We value the health and welfare of all turtles. I can't stress enough the importance of the water temperature which should be in the region of 22 - 25 degrees C (72 - 77 degrees F) at all times. A basking area should be available with the temperature ranging from 28 - 31 degrees C ( 82 - 86 degrees F . Failure to do so is very dangerous for the turtles and abrupt temperture can kill turtles. Outdoor ponds can be used in the hot summer months but the terrapins should be brought inside on chilly nights and during the colder months. Terrapins are cold blooded reptiles which are very susceptable to temperature and in the wild are native to central to south America, Mexico right to areas of Brazil... not the colder, unpredictable weather of the U.K. Having lived with and observed these fascinating creatures in my home, in my experience, when they are warm enough they are active all day during day light hours, playing and swimming when not basking. On home visits to other owners, when the water is too cold they are very inactive. Even when transporting terrapins I have heat pads in the pet carrier to keep them safe. I have no doubt that there are many other owners around the country keeping terrapins in unheated ponds and tanks.. I come across many of them when I am called to rescue/adopt them.. many small for their age, with signs of shell rot, covered in algae where they have been buring in the mud to keep warm among other illnesses and signs of neglect often by misinformed well meaning people and they cant digest food in these conditions so are malnourished. A concerned and caring owner should not expect these creatures to endure such conditions and hardship. x

[jacquisunderland]

Hiya everyone..
can anyone considering keeping turtles in a pond please check out the posts on 'turtles in ponds' in TOP TIPS xx

[farmersbone]

This has been interesting for me to read. I had posted on Turtles in ponds, but have now read the info here. I agree that the air temperature should be maintained high. My turtles always respond better to being warm and cosy. My partner says that they also eat better than we do!

[turtlegirl]

Quite right. Turtles being cold blooded reptiles rely on the temperature of their surroundings to keep warm. If temp drops turtles are no longer able to digest their food so they naturally stop eating. Normally it won't matter if they skip a few meals but if they are going to hibernate next winter they need to eat as much as possible during the short summer months so they will have enough stored body fat to keep hem alive over winter. So if it is too cold bring them back indoors and/or heat up their pond above 22'C.

You should get a proper turtle vet to check them out in late summer to confirm that they are fit to hibernate. If they are underweight because they were too cold to eat properly then they must be kept warm,awake and eating indoors all winter. Otherwise they won't survive a harsh winter outdoors.

[secdean02]

A friend of mine used to keep prize koi in a pond with a 'heat coil' in the bottom, although I'm not sure how you'd put a guard over it, all my aquarium heaters have guards. Did'nt expect to see yellow sliders in a pond!

[jeanetteclay]

Hiya - just to let you all know my turtles are more than happy in their pond. They're very active and are out basking every day - it must be lovely for them to be in such a natural habitat. Its so much closer to the surroundings they would have in the wild. Its heartwarming to see them sunbathing and you can almost see the smiles on their faces. So much better than having to endure being cramped in a tank - they have the freedom to leave the pond whenever they want as they have a large enclosure but we've had no attempts at escapeeism. I think that speaks volumes don't you? Jeanette

[turtlegirl]

Yes ponds are definitely best for summer because they provide a more natural environment as you observed.Glad to hear your turtles are enjoying their pond.
However, you do need to think ahead about winter. The best and safest solution would be to bring them all indoors, keeping them warm enough so they will be active and eatng properly all winter. Some people do keep urtles on ponds all year round BUT unless the pond is heate dproperly you have to make sure
1. Vet examines them to make sure they are healthy, heavy enough amd fit to hibernate
2. Pond must have a deep layer of mud so they can bury themselves in it and be at lest 4ft deep to prevent it from freeing
3. Pond surface must be agitated to preveny ice forming, even with deep ponds so filter pump need to be operating right through winter

Even with all these precautions, not all turtles survive winter hibenation and you must be prepared to lose the odd one sometimes. Personally Icouldn't bear the thought of any of my darlings dying slowly in cold water outside so I would always bring them in for winter. Better to make sure they remain alive, even in cramped conditions