"WilsonKKW" wrote in message
...
WOW, do I have tons of questions. you gave me lots to think about too.
now I worry that they will surely need warmth in winter, I am in
Maryland,
cold winters. I can see myself having to donate them to a good home,money
lost
then,


You need to find out your frost line. Your pond will need to be deeper than
3ft to keep them in over winter, You will also need a heater to keep a hole
in the ice to let gases escape. The turtles will bury themselves in mud to
keep warm. If it gets too cold you will need to hibernate them. I have a
4ft fence around my pond, to keep the little ones in. They also need a
muddy area to dig in, and remember to sink you fence at least two feet into
the floor. Make sure that you check the sex, as if you hibernate them, they
will mate. Plenty of basking area is needed, to allow the shells to dry and
get the UVA and UVB rays they need. Small feeder fish are useful for the
turtles to chase, and possibly eat. I have a pond that is 4m * 5m * 1.5m
deep. I then have a central island with sloped edges and two sloped side
edges for easy entrance and exit into the water. I have a pump that is
designed for a 10m *10m * 2m pond, and this manages to deal nicely with the
waste from 3 2 year old turtles, and a handful of goldfish and koi. Any
plants will be easy prey.

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Victoria Concordia Crescit