Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello all, I have kept turtles in the past and recently I have had the desire to build an outdoor pond for anywhere from 1-? turtles...I do not plan on keeping them outside all year long as I live Ohio and I really do not want to risk losing any turtle over the winter...I am looking at getting a preformed plastic pond from home depot and I really just am not sure as to what plants to plant, what type of filter, pump, if I need a water heater, etc...Any and all help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Robert

A good aquarium store will carry a pump/filter combination especially designed for ponds. The filter is about 12 inches square. They are not cheap but they work REALLY well, and you clean them by unsnapping the filter box and rinsing the filter pad with a garden hose. Easy. You don't need a heater unless you plan to hibernate the turtles right in the pond over the winter. I think that plants in the water just get in the way. Have some pretty ones planted in the ground around the edge. I DO like to have a large floating piece of wood (or two) for the turtles to climb out on (see photo). I generally look for a piece of wood already floating at the local lake, bring it home, keep it wet, sanitize it with Clorox water, then put it in the pond. The turtles love it and it has a very natural look to it.