Super Huge Update

Things that have happened in the last two weeks:
1. We got a new turtle. Her name is Betty and she is the biggest turtle in the pond.
2. We've decided to winter the turtles indoors (garage) and redo the pond while they're all out.
3. I took lots of pictures.

1. So about Betty... She came to us from someone on Craigslist who was moving and couldn't bring her to where she was going. She was very well cared for and the person giving her away made sure we had the right environment for her before she even told us where she lived. Betty was found crossing a road as an adult and was taken home to a pond where she's been for five or so years. She is hand-friendly and not nearly as skittish as the other turtles in the pond.





2. I cleaned out the garage and made room for both a car and a turtle habitat. We plan to get a couple of tubs or tanks for the turtles to swim in, but also to have an "outdoor" area with grass and plants and places for them to crawl around on. To have the appropriate amount of water for all the turtles, though, we're going to have to have two areas with tubs. I'm thinking the small kiddie pool for the little turtles and a larger, sturdier stock tank for the big ones. The whole area will be fenced off with two foot tall fencing; since Betty has a nine-inch shell, we have to make the fence over 18 inches, so I figure two feet is a good measurement so we won't have to re-make everything when she's full grown (12 inches). There will be heaters in the water and lights for basking, and I really hope they like it in there since they'll be there for a few months.

3. More pictures. I love watching these guys bask so happily and I can see 'em all from my bedroom window without startling them.



4. Bonus video:
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/1UW9abFx5WGHvr4UjAWTTEGiZnxpabpekDmw0TBMsWs?feat=directlink

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.

Water Temperature Comparison

I'm filling the pool to how high I want the final pond level to be because I built a temperature reader (pvc pipe with aqua thermometers duct taped to various depths) and I want to get an accurate reading of just what my range is. Right now, in a depth of about one-and-a-half feet, I have a temperature (at three inches and on the bottom) of about 83 degrees with a half a degree variance. That's a bit hot for a 'slider, so I'm going to have to make sure my shade plants cover at least half the pool and I'm going to have to make sure it's ok at different depths.

I just checked on average water and air temperatures for Lake Mead and then my part of the city, and the air temp status were only different by a maximum of six degrees (but most of the numbers were only three or four degrees difference). The water temperature at three feet of depth out at Lake Mead (with no shade plants and no wall of shade in the morning) might just be an accurate reading of how I could expect my pool/pond to be. Mine should even be a little cooler because I'll be constantly adding water and I have shade plants.

The lowest the water temperature on the list would be 55 degrees, and that's in January and February. I could get a heater and put it at the bottom of the deepest part and I'll bet I could keep my water temperature at closer to 60, which means my 'slider won't hibernate. He may be a little cold, but he won't hibernate. And it will be ok for my goldfish too, provided the turtle doesn't eat them all. Because he might. Greedyguts.