Turtles 2

[mikedd]

Hello
Yea those little guys are awesome.

Food
When they are young give them high protein foods such as very small feeders
Stay away from frozen foods and dried foods they will get spoiled and won't eat anything else and there is not much value in frozen foods or treats.
Also get calcium stakes for them they just go crazy for them and it is very good for there shells.
As they get older/Maturity they go towards veggies I give mine there little veggie sticks and some Romain lettuce and there calcium stakes.
And they seem very happy.

Ruben

Thanks for that Ruban, just ordered this from turtle rescue on Ebay item no (260615531570) looks as if its got most of the ingreidients required, put turtle steaks in google and just came up with a milk shake, So maybe they are called somthing else this side of the pond

Mike

 

[Ruben Miranda]

Hello

Sorry ment to write Sticks I am old hehehehe

Here is the link to it
http://www.petco.com/product/10181/...5&mr:keyword=&mr:match=&mr:filter=51515443675

and this is the Calcium bone i use that they just go crazy for
http://www.petco.com/product/102286/Petco-Calci-Treat-Turtle-Bones.aspx

Ruben

 

[pond42sliders]

Hi Mike, I have two RES that are 20 years old, and just built them a pond last year. It was late in the year when I built it so I did not let them winter in the pond and they are in the bathroom for the winter. I had to figure a way to keep them in the pond area while keeping my Lab out of the pond. I haven't completed the whole project yet, so I keep my dog in a seperate yard. To keep the turtles inclosed I used that stuff some people put up as a cover for their porch, or greenhouse, or whatever else it can be used as. It used to be made only in galvanized and fiberglass, but now it's in all colors and materials. But, the best thing about it is that it is corrugated and the turtles can't climb it. And, believe me they can climb just about anything.
In the picture, this piece hangs a bit out over the pond. I used plastic stakes ffrom the garden center to screw on to the plastic and drive into the ground. Then buried bricks along side. I'm going to grow plants on the outside to hide it but not on the inside for them to climb. Then around the edge of the pond I made sure all the rocks hung out just far enough that they would have to climb upsidedown to get over...like someone else mentioned ealier, they end up falling back in the pond.
I still have some barrier work to do before i release them back into the pond. I don't want them to be able to get into the bog...where they will set up a forever camp.
Eventually, I will border the pond area with rod iron set on top of three layers of brick, and they will have the whole area to roam, while my dog will be doing what dogs do...and watch.

 

[Mmathis]

Hi Mike, I have two RES that are 20 years old, and just built them a pond last year. It was late in the year when I built it so I did not let them winter in the pond and they are in the bathroom for the winter. I had to figure a way to keep them in the pond area while keeping my Lab out of the pond. I haven't completed the whole project yet, so I keep my dog in a seperate yard. To keep the turtles inclosed I used that stuff some people put up as a cover for their porch, or greenhouse, or whatever else it can be used as. It used to be made only in galvanized and fiberglass, but now it's in all colors and materials. But, the best thing about it is that it is corrugated and the turtles can't climb it. And, believe me they can climb just about anything.
In the picture, this piece hangs a bit out over the pond. I used plastic stakes ffrom the garden center to screw on to the plastic and drive into the ground. Then buried bricks along side. I'm going to grow plants on the outside to hide it but not on the inside for them to climb. Then around the edge of the pond I made sure all the rocks hung out just far enough that they would have to climb upsidedown to get over...like someone else mentioned ealier, they end up falling back in the pond.
I still have some barrier work to do before i release them back into the pond. I don't want them to be able to get into the bog...where they will set up a forever camp.
Eventually, I will border the pond area with rod iron set on top of three layers of brick, and they will have the whole area to roam, while my dog will be doing what dogs do...and watch.
View attachment 51171View attachment 51170

I like what you did with the "corrugated" plastic stuff!! That gives me ideas -- I have box turtles, and their habitat and part of the pond are completed [I have a shallow section of the pond fenced off and included as part of their habitat]. But have been thinking about adding an aquatic [maybe a RES] to the other, larger section of the pond, which would require a way to enclose the pond.

 

[mikedd]

Hi Mike, I have two RES that are 20 years old, and just built them a pond last year. It was late in the year when I built it so I did not let them winter in the pond and they are in the bathroom for the winter. I had to figure a way to keep them in the pond area while keeping my Lab out of the pond. I haven't completed the whole project yet, so I keep my dog in a seperate yard. To keep the turtles inclosed I used that stuff some people put up as a cover for their porch, or greenhouse, or whatever else it can be used as. It used to be made only in galvanized and fiberglass, but now it's in all colors and materials. But, the best thing about it is that it is corrugated and the turtles can't climb it. And, believe me they can climb just about anything.
In the picture, this piece hangs a bit out over the pond. I used plastic stakes ffrom the garden center to screw on to the plastic and drive into the ground. Then buried bricks along side. I'm going to grow plants on the outside to hide it but not on the inside for them to climb. Then around the edge of the pond I made sure all the rocks hung out just far enough that they would have to climb upsidedown to get over...like someone else mentioned ealier, they end up falling back in the pond.
I still have some barrier work to do before i release them back into the pond. I don't want them to be able to get into the bog...where they will set up a forever camp.
Eventually, I will border the pond area with rod iron set on top of three layers of brick, and they will have the whole area to roam, while my dog will be doing what dogs do...and watch.
View attachment 51171View attachment 51170

Hi Mmathis,That certainly sounds like a belt and braces job when complete, How big are your babes at present and what is your lowest temp in winter? weve been getting down to -6 or 7the last 2or 3 days

 

[Mmathis]

Hi Mmathis,That certainly sounds like a belt and braces job when complete, How big are your babes at present and what is your lowest temp in winter? weve been getting down to -6 or 7the last 2or 3 days

Mike, We're having an odd winter this year... Normally, we might "average" lows in the 30's (F) for a month or 2, but lately they're staying closer to an average of 10 degrees higher (just my observation). I don't measure ground temps, so can't say what it's doing below the surface. Lowest we've had so far, maybe 20's? My concern, far as the boxies go, is that the temps jump around so much: 20's one day, and 50-60's 2 days later, so hope they've dug deep enough that these bounces don't effect their brumation process.

How big are they? Gosh, last year I was so caught up in building the pond that I completely ignored the turts! Normally I would weigh & measure them 2 or 3 times a year, but only did it once last year. I'll have to look that up and get back with weights, but think the oldest (and biggest) is about 5". They're about 5 or 6 years old, but have lost track of that, too...