Do I need to filter a 50 gallon pond?

[Lungswig]

Hi All,

I'm making my first pond ever - just a small 50 gallon hard plastic liner. The purpose of the pond is to be home to 1-2 turtles. I assume I need to filter the water to avoid algae, mosquitos, and because turtles produce a lot of waste. I'm looking into making a bog filter or just buying one, but either way, the pond seems too small for the pumps I'm seeing online. 50 gph is a tiny 3W pump with a .33" nozzle and it can only pump a max of 2' vertical. But bigger pumps just seem like they'll move too much water. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[j.w]

@Lungswig
I'll leave the comments to the turtle experts here

 

[JRS]

Welcome to the forum. What kind of turtles do you have in mind? For example, 50 gallons would be on the small side for even one adult red eared slider but could work well for common musk turtles.

A bog filter is an excellent idea to handle the amount of waste you will likely encounter. Higher flows can be handled by spreading out the return to the pond to reduce the velocity of the current.

Some type of enclosure would be in order also for that type of pond to prevent wandering.

 

[Lungswig]

Thank you JRS! I live in NY, and red eared sliders were recommended to me, but still open to other options. I will read up on common musk turtles, but why would they be bette suited? The yard is pretty well enclosed, so the current plan is to let them roam. Assuming they can't escape, do you think that's a problem? I will build them a few options for shelter near the pond.

 

[Lungswig]

Thank you JRS! I live in NY, and red eared sliders were recommended to me, but still open to other options. I will read up on common musk turtles, but why would they be bette suited? The yard is pretty well enclosed, so the current plan is to let them roam. Assuming they can't escape, do you think that's a problem? I will build them a few options for shelter near the pond.

Also, this project is mainly for my daughter. She will be handling the turtles, so I think musk turtles are out since I see they can release a strong odor when threatened. I guess I can start with 1 red eared slider, but my daughter has her heart set on a pair. Do you think if the water is well filtered, this pond and a yard to roam in can support two?

 

[JRS]

Turtles are not normally sociable except when mating or sharing prime basking sites. https://www.gardenpondforum.com/threads/social-turtles.33071/

Many people start out with multiples but do not have the space to keep them long term as they grow, or they start fighting as was the case with my rescues and have to be separated so each need their own tank. There is never a guarantee they will continue to coexist peacefully. Sliders are cheap and easy to find but when they get as large as a dinner plate, and live 20+ years, enthusiasm often wanes.

Sliders and musk turtles primary habitat is water, except for when they bask or exit the water to nest or move to another body of water. They usually eat, defecate and hide in the water, thus the need for a decent volume of water. In NY, you will also have to bring them inside for the winter. The bare minimum for a single adult female inside would be a 75 gallon tank partially filled to include an out of water basking area with a heat and UV lamp with good filtration and partial water changes.

One of the turtles I took in was a female musk and is one of the turtles better suited to captivity due to their smaller size. I have not had any issues with the defensive musk when I have had to handle her, keeping in mind they do not prefer to be handled at all.

I am wondering if some type of a box turtle might not be better suited for your setup with a yard to wander in. They need some water but it is not their primary habitat. https://www.petfinder.com/scales-fi...d-atlantic-turtle-and-tortoise-society-md148/

Unfortunately, you can see all the big sliders available: https://www.petfinder.com/search/scales-fins-others-for-adoption/us/ny/new-york-city/

 

[Lungswig]

Thanks so much for this information. I don't think I can legally get a box turtle in NY. Also, I am looking into the possibility of having the turtle(s) brumate underground in the winter. I hole that works!

 

[Mmathis]

I will comment on “do I need to filter?” Yes, in some way, but I don’t have a solution. Turtles ARE extremely messy. I had a pond connected to a satellite “turtle bog.” The filtration was the ponds system. Water from pond was pumped to the bog and the bog flowed back to the pond via gravity. Mine are box turtles, so they needed a source of clean water, but not the depth. The bog worked great as the water was constantly circulating.

Think cleanliness for the turtles’ health. We no longer live at that house…..so, sadly, I am back to daily dumping and refilling their water bowls. It bothers me to see them soaking in a bowl of dirty water.

It sounds like you need to decide on the type of turtle(s) you plan to keep. As mentioned above, turtles aren’t social creatures so multiples aren’t necessary.

Also…..TURTLES DIG AND CLIMB! They are excellent escape artists! Any enclosure you make that surrounds the water source will need to be made ESCAPE PROOF!

 

[Lungswig]

Great feedback and thank you very much! I'm definitely going with the bog filter and am looking into some sort of box turtles. They'll have free rein of my yard - there's no way to escape. Any experience with brumation over the winter?

 

[Mmathis]

Brumation. Where are you located? Here in Louisiana all I do is provide them with plenty of soft soil and mulch/leaf litter…..to a depth of about 12”. I also place dead branches over this area so they can dig in and hunker down — I try to mimic nature. Mine are 100% outside turtles. They know what to do, but are native to my area and we have mild seasons. Right now they are just under the soil surface, but some years they go down several inches. Again, research your area, and research the specific turtle you plan to have.