On Sat, 17 May 2003 21:54:50 GMT, "Sue Alexandre"
wrote:

I want turtles. I've ALWAYS wanted turtles. I've tried to have turtles,
and no matter HOW turtle-proof I make my pond, they escape. So last
year I dug a small pond just for a turtle. It was not in an ideal place,
but it was better than nothing, and it was working pretty well. Except when
I cleaned it out this spring, there was no turtle! I can only imagine
something came and stole him, because there is NO WAY he could have gotten
out of this one.

Sue,
I kept two young red-ear sliders in a 50-gallon pre-formed pond for
over a year and they were fine. The sides were steep enough and I
made sure that the rocks around the edge hung over the side of the
pond a little to prevent escape. To keep them safe, I've heard that
depth is important, at least 2-1/2 feet. Supposedly critters won't
want to swim around in that depth. To be on the safe side, I made a
hiding place at the bottom of the pond consisting of an overturned
clay pot propped up on one side with a rock. I live in a mild winter
area (So. California) and they did hibernate until the water warmed up
a bit. Oh, for their basking area, I again used a huge pot upside
down and put a piece of slate on top and they loved it.

I've since moved to a new house and had to leave the little turtle
pond behind, so now my two guys are in a tank. I'll have to build
another little pond for them as soon as I finish with my first big
pond. I can't keep them in there because the new pond has a beach
area and they will escape for sure! Also, they really eat plants like
crazy.

Laura