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- Sep 7, 2022
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Hello everyone!
I am new to GPF (see my intro post to learn more about why I'm here!), and I am in need of some assistance from this lovely community. I currently have a pond, and I use the term loosely, but this pond, which is about 20sf, is completely destroyed, and I believe it was just due to poor craftsmanship along with a lack of knowledge of proper equipment that was needed. I have two red-slider turtles who have been with me for over 10 years, and both have gotten used to the "pond situation". Whenever they want food, they come out of their lemongrass formed cave and go up to the backdoor and basically knock. Or, if we are filling the pond with water, we may hear them shuffling in the lemongrass, which means they are hungry. Being the clever escape artists these species are known for, they come and go as they please. I live in Arizona, so I am fortunate the climate here is better for turtles than in other places.
Now that you know our situation, please understand this- I hate that my turtles don't have a proper habitat, and it wasn't until recently that I started to learn more about what they truly need. I have asked on NextDoor for pond services with no avail, I have called pond builders here and the last quote I got was $20-22K. Last Friday 9/2, my mom's coworker gave us a desert tortoise and a small red-slider. I have been doing so much research on the desert tortoise and pretty much have her habitat set, but this is where my concern for my other turtles kicked in. I have a new, young turtle who is not accustomed to this current habitat and will most likely not survive if it stays this way.
So, long story short, I am doing this myself. I am starting from square one. I will be removing the old pond liner and underlayment. I also know this pond is so small for one turtle, let alone 3, so I will be working with a space of 20'x7' (LxW). I have been researching and looking at youtube videos and have a general idea, but after reading some posts on here, I just want to make sure I do things right. So, with that being said, I am going to list questions/comments in 3 separate categories:
Comments:
- I have a budget of about 2K, give or take. I can always add more during the long run.
- I am aware that turtles need to have a pond that has a shallow end and a deep end
- I am aware that they need to have an outside area where they can hide and hibernate (yes, my turtles hibernate. The new youngin will not be participating in hibernation this year or next), so a little outhouse, plants, rocks, etc is needed
- I will be doing most of the work. I am having a neighbor who is a landscaper dig the hole for me (bless his heart)
- My biggest concern is having a clean pond and not having gunk and feces build up.
- I know the area needs to be enclosed with a small fence or something so the turtles do not escape.
- I understand a basking area is needed..
-The desert tortoise will not be part of this area. She has her own setup.
Questions:
-I need to know what equipment is needed for the pond to work efficiently and stay clean. I read about skimmers, filters, pumps... I don't want to skimp on the equipment, so I would like to have good, solid equipment that is going to get the job done. Here are my concerns:
1. I read that skimmers are helpful in catching larger debris like falling vegetation, which we have, however I also read that the turtles can possibly be hurt. What is the general consensus out there for skimmers? Do you just do manual skimming for the turtles' safety?
2. I read that a filter treats the water chemically, specifically with carbon filler media. Is this non-toxic for turtles?
3. I was planning on buying a 250 gal preformed pond liner, specifically a MacCourt Lagoon liner. Not only does it have a lifetime warranty but its construction is UV stabilized, which I think is perfect with the AZ sun. This one is 7.6'x7.6'. I don't know if I should buy two, or if there are other rather inexpensive, larger, durable options out there? Thoughts?
4. I need underlayment. Some people suggested epdm liner. So, is this the order of construction: dirt, underlayment, pond liner? Am I missing something? I read something about clay soil...
5. I read about edging, stable shelf, always leaving a good amount of underlayment, river rocks, plants....what the heck is edging and a stable shelf? Any helpful links would be much appreciated!
6. What do you recommend for a basking area? And do you recommend this be done inside or outside the pond, or both?
7. Will the filter take care of turtle waste, algae buildup, and untouched food?
8. I wanted to incorporate like a small riverbed connecting two ponds, or something, but I haven't seen much information on that. Thoughts?
9. I'd like to add some other small guests, like snails or even a few fish (not koi, not goldfish). Any recommendations?
10. Would I be adding piping, like pvc piping, before laying the underlayment? I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around the magical mechanics of ponds and flowing water.
11. Is there anything else you recommend I do? Do I treat the water with something specific?
I'm happy this thread does not have a max word count. As you can see, I have a lot of questions, and just need some general guidance and tips. If you have any links, plot plans, documents, whatever- anything you think will be helpful, please post it. I welcome any positive feedback and words of advice. Please understand that I a love for animals and unfortunately was not aware of how much red-sliders need, so instead of dwelling on it, I am doing something about it. I can get my hands dirty and can follow directions down to a T- I just need to know where to start, what to get, what the purpose of the equipment is, the mechanics of the construction, and the order of the construction.
Thank you for taking the time to read my thread. I truly appreciate every one of you
Big thanks from Frankie, Xena, Marco Polo, and Pumpkin.
I am new to GPF (see my intro post to learn more about why I'm here!), and I am in need of some assistance from this lovely community. I currently have a pond, and I use the term loosely, but this pond, which is about 20sf, is completely destroyed, and I believe it was just due to poor craftsmanship along with a lack of knowledge of proper equipment that was needed. I have two red-slider turtles who have been with me for over 10 years, and both have gotten used to the "pond situation". Whenever they want food, they come out of their lemongrass formed cave and go up to the backdoor and basically knock. Or, if we are filling the pond with water, we may hear them shuffling in the lemongrass, which means they are hungry. Being the clever escape artists these species are known for, they come and go as they please. I live in Arizona, so I am fortunate the climate here is better for turtles than in other places.
Now that you know our situation, please understand this- I hate that my turtles don't have a proper habitat, and it wasn't until recently that I started to learn more about what they truly need. I have asked on NextDoor for pond services with no avail, I have called pond builders here and the last quote I got was $20-22K. Last Friday 9/2, my mom's coworker gave us a desert tortoise and a small red-slider. I have been doing so much research on the desert tortoise and pretty much have her habitat set, but this is where my concern for my other turtles kicked in. I have a new, young turtle who is not accustomed to this current habitat and will most likely not survive if it stays this way.
So, long story short, I am doing this myself. I am starting from square one. I will be removing the old pond liner and underlayment. I also know this pond is so small for one turtle, let alone 3, so I will be working with a space of 20'x7' (LxW). I have been researching and looking at youtube videos and have a general idea, but after reading some posts on here, I just want to make sure I do things right. So, with that being said, I am going to list questions/comments in 3 separate categories:
Comments:
- I have a budget of about 2K, give or take. I can always add more during the long run.
- I am aware that turtles need to have a pond that has a shallow end and a deep end
- I am aware that they need to have an outside area where they can hide and hibernate (yes, my turtles hibernate. The new youngin will not be participating in hibernation this year or next), so a little outhouse, plants, rocks, etc is needed
- I will be doing most of the work. I am having a neighbor who is a landscaper dig the hole for me (bless his heart)
- My biggest concern is having a clean pond and not having gunk and feces build up.
- I know the area needs to be enclosed with a small fence or something so the turtles do not escape.
- I understand a basking area is needed..
-The desert tortoise will not be part of this area. She has her own setup.
Questions:
-I need to know what equipment is needed for the pond to work efficiently and stay clean. I read about skimmers, filters, pumps... I don't want to skimp on the equipment, so I would like to have good, solid equipment that is going to get the job done. Here are my concerns:
1. I read that skimmers are helpful in catching larger debris like falling vegetation, which we have, however I also read that the turtles can possibly be hurt. What is the general consensus out there for skimmers? Do you just do manual skimming for the turtles' safety?
2. I read that a filter treats the water chemically, specifically with carbon filler media. Is this non-toxic for turtles?
3. I was planning on buying a 250 gal preformed pond liner, specifically a MacCourt Lagoon liner. Not only does it have a lifetime warranty but its construction is UV stabilized, which I think is perfect with the AZ sun. This one is 7.6'x7.6'. I don't know if I should buy two, or if there are other rather inexpensive, larger, durable options out there? Thoughts?
4. I need underlayment. Some people suggested epdm liner. So, is this the order of construction: dirt, underlayment, pond liner? Am I missing something? I read something about clay soil...
5. I read about edging, stable shelf, always leaving a good amount of underlayment, river rocks, plants....what the heck is edging and a stable shelf? Any helpful links would be much appreciated!
6. What do you recommend for a basking area? And do you recommend this be done inside or outside the pond, or both?
7. Will the filter take care of turtle waste, algae buildup, and untouched food?
8. I wanted to incorporate like a small riverbed connecting two ponds, or something, but I haven't seen much information on that. Thoughts?
9. I'd like to add some other small guests, like snails or even a few fish (not koi, not goldfish). Any recommendations?
10. Would I be adding piping, like pvc piping, before laying the underlayment? I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around the magical mechanics of ponds and flowing water.
11. Is there anything else you recommend I do? Do I treat the water with something specific?
I'm happy this thread does not have a max word count. As you can see, I have a lot of questions, and just need some general guidance and tips. If you have any links, plot plans, documents, whatever- anything you think will be helpful, please post it. I welcome any positive feedback and words of advice. Please understand that I a love for animals and unfortunately was not aware of how much red-sliders need, so instead of dwelling on it, I am doing something about it. I can get my hands dirty and can follow directions down to a T- I just need to know where to start, what to get, what the purpose of the equipment is, the mechanics of the construction, and the order of the construction.
Thank you for taking the time to read my thread. I truly appreciate every one of you
Big thanks from Frankie, Xena, Marco Polo, and Pumpkin.