Can you keep turtles in a raised pond?

[Maegan]

I have a 300 gallon stock tank that I've turned into a pond. I was wondering, can I put a turtle or two in there? It's raised so I don't want them to fall out!

Here's the link tho what the stock tank looks like:

http://m.tractorsupply.com/en/store...am-stock-tanks-300-gal--capacity?cm_vc=-10005

Also, if I can keep turtles, what kind are good for ponds? I live in Maryland so if gets pretty cold in the winter. Do I just keep the pond stocked with minnows for them to eat? Do they need a filter? Any links would be helpful.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

I have a 300 gallon stock tank that I've turned into a pond. I was wondering, can I put a turtle or two in there? It's raised so I don't want them to fall out!

Here's the link tho what the stock tank looks like:

http://m.tractorsupply.com/en/store/rubbermaidreg;-structural-foam-stock-tanks-300-gal--capacity?cm_vc=-10005

Also, if I can keep turtles, what kind are good for ponds? I live in Maryland so if gets pretty cold in the winter. Do I just keep the pond stocked with minnows for them to eat? Do they need a filter? Any links would be helpful.

Maybe one turtle. It will require a place for it to come out of the water to sun itself. It will also need an underwater hiding place in which to brumate (a form of hibernation). And, yes, you will need filtration. In fact, turtles are known to be considerable nastier than fish, so filtration needs to be ample. Most turtles seen in garden ponds are vegetarian.
Keep in mind that turtles are EXCELLENT climbers. If it can reach the top of the stock tank it will climb out.

 

[bettasngoldfish]

@Mmathis has turtles, she may be able to give you some info.

And by the way, Welcome to the forum

 

[JBtheExplorer]

I don't know a lot about keeping turtles, but I had a 400 gallon pond and in my opinion it was not nearly big enough for a turtle. I don't even think my 800 gallon pond would be big enough by itself, when not including the surrounding land. I also don't think 300 gallons would work if you plan to keep them outdoors in the winter.

Also, I'd be worried about them falling out because they can be good climbers, even though they usually seem so clumsy.

I'd like to hear what @Mmathis has to say.

 

[Mmathis]

@Maegan Hi! It sounds like you are talking about aquatic-type turtles. I have box turtles, so my experience is for a different environment. I will try for some helpful input, however.

1. Turtles are excellent escape artists -- they can climb & dig & who knows what else! A fall could be harmful. And if you have a turtle that isn't native to where you live, it might not be able to survive if it got out on its own. If I were to keep them in a stock tank, I would want to come up with a raised edge or a lid that slopes inward to keep them from getting out.
2. They would need something in the water that floats so they can get out of the water when they want to get some sun.
3. TURTLES ARE MESSY! YES, a filtration system -- one that over-filters -- is a must! You'd have to do some research to find out what will work best for you. And for a small tank, one turtle might be plenty.
4. As far as food, they will eat fish, but like any animal, they do need a balanced diet. I wouldn't depend on a staple of minnows, but look into foods that are nutritious for them. My boxies are considered omnivores, but as they get older their diets are supposed to shift toward less protein & more veggies. Not sure, but I think that aquatic turtles need more proteins in their diets. They make processed foods for turtles, but even if that's what you end up feeding, I would still supplement with "real" foods.
5. I would look up some info from your state's wildlife & fisheries web site if you wanted to get a "native" turtle. As far as over-wintering, do some web searches about various turtle habitats. I think that in the wild, aquatic turtles will dig into the rocks & mud, and survive under water during the colder months, so by keeping them in our ponds we are altering their natural habitat. Which means we have to be creative -- but that's the fun part!

It can be done, but there is a learning curve as with keeping any pet or animal. Best of luck and hope this helps!

 

[adavisus]

Mud turtles, Eastern Painted turtles dont grow very big. Turtles less than 6" shell are fairly easy to keep.

Like fish, turtles will learn a food routine and flock for attention when their favourite nibbly is on the way

Live fish may well not be noticed compared to a bit of cooked chicken or a wiggly earthworm. For salad munchies, arrowhead, frogbit, duckweed, water plantain and waterlily stems in particular will be popular...

Regards, andy
http://www.pinterest.com/adavisus/pondering/

 

[TAHOE]

I have painted turtles in an indoor pond we built using a preformed liner. they do well. As stated, over filter, they are messy. I built my own filter out of a 5 gal bucket using principles in the DIY section of the forum. A few large goldfish do help as they clean up excess food. Our turtles even ignore the small feeder goldfish we put in there which then end up in the outdoor pond

 

[HARO]

Welcome to the forum, Maegan. I have the same stock tank, and in the spring through fall it is home to four fully-grown Red-Eared Sliders, all females. You don't say where you are, but if your winters get cold, a turtle would have to be brought indoors. My tank is filtered via a box-type pond filter, but frequent water changes are an ABSOLUTE necessity! The first year I had them, the girls went through about 50 feeder goldfish (yes, I know! ) but since then they have shown a marked preference for salad greens, which are cheap enough in mixed bags at the local grocery store. Goldfish are now cosidered friends, and often use the turtles for shade! As for the tank, if you keep the water six inches under the rim, your turtles can not escape. Any basking sites MUST be kept far enough from the side of the tank, that they can't stretch over and grab it. I use an old plastic patio side-table, with a large piece of slate on top. The white plastic is soon covered with algae, and practically dissappears. If you bring them in for winter, you will need a basking bulb, available from your local petshop.
I know it's not an ideal set-up, but it's MUCH better than what they had when I rescued them (from an animal-rescue, no less!) They were living in two 15-gallon aquariums, with about an inch of water.
John