Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm about 1/3 through getting my pond dug out. I'm building it for a red ear slider that my wife bought me as an ill considerded gift years ago. The pond'll be a six foot circular stock tank sunk into the ground. I was wondering if it was safe to keep mud turtles in an outside pond like that? We get the yellow mud up here naturally. I was just worried that the water might be too deep since I've heard muds like shallower water.
-----
We wouldn't have 6 and a half billion people if you had to be beautiful to get laid.
6.6 African House snakes
3.2 reticulated pythons
.1 corn snake
4.2 Florida Kings
1.2 speckled kings
1.2 ball pythons
0.0.1 Argentine boa

How deep is the pond? If you have logs or several area that the mud/musk can reach the surface via climbing then you'll be fine. If it just floating things then don't put mud/musk in as they aren't strong swimmers & will eventuall get tired & drown.

it's 2' deep. I plan on jury rigging a platform to have some plants on--I'm not sure how big yet. They I'm envisioning it, it'll basically be a table with the surface 3-6" underwater with some emergent plants on it (leaving the area under the table swimmable for the RES's and fish).
-----
We wouldn't have 6 and a half billion people if you had to be beautiful to get laid.
6.6 African House snakes
3.2 reticulated pythons
.1 corn snake
4.2 Florida Kings
1.2 speckled kings
1.2 ball pythons
0.0.1 Argentine boa

I wouldn't put a mud/musk in that set up to much open water & no way for them to reach the surface. Try a map or other open water swimmer.The table will prevent the muds/musk from useing the plants to reach the surface. I jusd had a drowning last night in a 75 gal so I advise against them in that set up. It works great for strong swimmers like cooters,maps,painteds,etc. so will be fine for your current pet.

Cool. I can't have shallow ponds cause they freeze over. I could dig a graduated pond...but the pond liners have problems with tree roots growing into them, and none of the solid ones that have different depths get deep enough *sigh*
Maybe I'll get some for an indoor tank at some point, but it sounds like they're out for an outside tank atm.
-----
We wouldn't have 6 and a half billion people if you had to be beautiful to get laid.
6.6 African House snakes
3.2 reticulated pythons
.1 corn snake
4.2 Florida Kings
1.2 speckled kings
1.2 ball pythons
0.0.1 Argentine boa

Kinosternids are cool turtles I keep several species of them. I'm sure you'll like them just not in the pond. Make sure to try & make pond as predator proof as possible I live in the middle of a city & a heron ate a few of my neighbors koi & frogs.

The pond has been enlarged and changed (for other reasons). It'll now be a liner-pond rather than use a preset form. I plan to put in an area that's about 12-18" deep, measuring about 2' long and 8' wide in addition to the bulk of the pond, which will be substantially deeper than planned (going to 3, 3.5'). There will be some plants in that section as well.
-----
We wouldn't have 6 and a half billion people if you had to be beautiful to get laid.
6.6 African House snakes
3.2 reticulated pythons
.1 corn snake
4.2 Florida Kings
1.2 speckled kings
1.2 ball pythons
0.0.1 Argentine boa

As long as they can climb to reach the surface they'll be ok you'll never see them but they'll be fine. There can be no straight drops there has to be a gradual slope, or sudden open areas. It's ok to have one area densely vegetated while another has none. The turtles will know to stay in the shallows.

As long as they can climb to reach the surface they'll be ok you'll never see them but they'll be fine. There can be no straight drops there has to be a gradual slope, or sudden open areas. It's ok to have one area densely vegetated while another has none. The turtles will know to stay in the shallows.