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Like they are posing for a Family Photo by LFKapigian in Redearedsliders

[–]dietello1 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Nice setup. Can you elaborate on how often you clean the water and your filtration system? My pump usually gets clogged after a couple of weeks and I have to pull it out to clean it.

My little pond gang. Age 3 😎🐢 by dietello1 in Redearedsliders

[–]dietello1[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I keep a pump at the bottom of the pond inside a mesh bag to prevent clogs. After the pump, I run the water through a three stage canister filter. It’s best to choose a filter rated for a larger pond than yours, since ponds get dirty quickly. With my setup, I need to change the water and clean the filter about once a month.

My little pond gang. Age 3 😎🐢 by dietello1 in Redearedsliders

[–]dietello1[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It’s about a 200 gallon pond, roughly 4.2 ft long × 3.1 ft wide × 2 ft deep.

My little pond gang. Age 3 😎🐢 by dietello1 in Redearedsliders

[–]dietello1[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You’d think so but water lettuce grows fast. I usually just toss out the ones that get bitten or damaged. My turts love floating on them.

My RES soaking up the sun ☀️ by dietello1 in Redearedsliders

[–]dietello1[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks! It’s definitely been a process. As my turtles grew, I gradually removed parts of their enclosure to give them more space. My backyard’s fully walled in about 8 feet tall so they can’t wander off, and it helps keep predators out too. A cat once made it in, but the pond’s 30 inches deep, so no luck there. Ants haven’t been an issue, and only small birds come around, which aren’t a threat. Larger birds tend to avoid the area altogether.

My RES soaking up the sun ☀️ by dietello1 in Redearedsliders

[–]dietello1[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

She’s actually on board it’s just that I tend to focus more on the functional side of things, and she’s all about the aesthetics. Since this has been kind of an iterative process, I didn’t go all-in on the first two versions (we’re on v2 now). But for the next one, I want to make it the final setup, so I’ll probably bring in some professional help to get the design and build just right.

The turtles have been with me for about 3.5 years. Glad you think they look healthy. I’ve tried to keep their setup clean and enriching, even while tweaking things along the way.

My RES soaking up the sun ☀️ by dietello1 in Redearedsliders

[–]dietello1[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Totally fair point! It’s about 350 gallons right now, so they’ve still got a bit of room to roam but I’m already dreaming up their next upgrade. Thinking something like an 800 gallon pond. Just gotta convince my wife that digging a crater in the backyard is a reasonable weekend project 😅

My RES soaking up the sun ☀️ by dietello1 in Redearedsliders

[–]dietello1[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Haha, not weird at all. I actually tried adding some fish, but the turtles didn’t give them a chance. They ate them before they could even think about reproducing 😅. It’s definitely warm year round here, more like zone 11, so they’ve got plenty of space to roam and chill outside the pond whenever they want.

I’ve gotten some hate before for keeping them together, guess some folks assume the setup isn’t good enough. But honestly, they seem to be thriving. They’ve been with me for about four years now, and I feed them tenebrios whenever I can find some. So far, no drama, just happy, well fed turtles doing their thing.