Picture Update - new ponds and turtle moving

New indoor pond setup; 250 gallon wooden pond and 300 gallon Rubbermaid stock tank. 

The shelves aren't going to be there; I was laying out a way to keep the turtles inside with a shared basking setup but went with a different plan.

The turtle-catching party.

 The turtles in the wading pool containment area.

The turtle-washing crew. We had to get the hard water calcification off the shells.

Got the parts to build the basking lamp setups for each pond. Lots of GFI goodness.

And now for the turtles!
BETTY

CHEWY (who may be a Western Pond Turtle)

FRACK

FRICK

MINDY

MORK

SHELLY

TIMMY (the original)

My bite wound is healing up to look almost like a heart.

BABY TIMMY in his castle.

Got the light mountings built but I can't find any ceiling studs to screw the rope into.

Anyway, that's it. Everyone is accounted for and I am still exhausted. 

The turtle-catching crew did a fast job of finding everyone and nobody got bitten but me, despite them having found all of the turtles using their feet. 

Floating Success

Saw Timmy perched on his floating dock I tied out there. It was the one that was in his tank that he used as a sunning area and, since it floats and has an end that sits down in the water, I stuck it to one of the shade tent poles with a bungee cord. And he was on it today! Yay!

Fat Fish

The fish seem to be trying to eat all the turtle sticks I put in for Timmy these days. No wonder I have such fat fish. I saw one take down an entire stick by himself. It was half his body length.

Maybe this isn't healthy for them. 

I need to get another basking area set up just to put food on so Timmy can eat it at his leisure and not have the fish steal it. 

Video of Today

Today's pond time was so great! This video sums up why - it involves the fish and toes.

Timothy's Old Mom

I'm so glad that Timothy went to an awesome home! I was so upset that I couldn't bring him with us when we moved and trying to clean that big stinking tank by myself was impossible. I know that he will have an awesome home with you and I thank you for loving that cranky little brat. I'm thankful that B and K gave him to you.
Timothy's old mom.

As much as this is going to sound cheesy, I think Timmy saved me as much as I saved him. I'm really glad I got him too. I knew he would be a great way to teach the kids about different species, and they had been wanting a turtle for a long time, but I didn't realize how much I really would love having him around. Now I have a project that I'm wholeheartedly involved in, I've done something constructive with the hole in the ground out back, and now I take time out of my day to just sit and relax. That's something I've really needed.

So you're welcome, and thank you in return; I'll be sure to update pictures whenever I can snap a few of him in the pond. Right now he's only poked his head up a few times and then darted back underwater when he saw me, but I'm sure he'll get used to it and hang out with me again eventually.

Feeshes

Oh yeah, I also put in 20 more large-ish goldfish and 20 more smaller ones. I know Timmy will eat some of the smaller ones, but I'm hoping it'll be enough to keep him away from the bigger ones for a little while.

Timmy is still kind of surprised by the whole thing, it seems, because he's staying on the bottom of the pond. He's alert, though, and looks at me when I come by or get in, but he doesn't swim around or move much. I did pick him up and he squirmed, so I know he CAN be active, but the girl at $petstore said that's normal when they have to adjust to a new place.

Pictures

Shade Made

Put up a shade tent across one side of the pool. Set up two sunning areas. Released the turtle.
The water temp in the shade was around 80 and it's 100 outside now, so I think the turtle will be ok even if it goes up a little. I will be closely monitoring him the entire day, though, to make sure he's ok. And to make sure he doesn't eat all my surviving fish.