Wood turtle pen

FireFly_1976 · #1 (**permalink**) 07-07-2007, 08:51 PM

Well,the turtle forum doesn't seem to get used much, so this may be a lost cause post, but I'll put it here anyway. I may be getting a wood turtle. (kinda a long story, might not be able to swing it, but it would help the lil guy out, and he's cute and smart and gorgeous...).

In order to get him, I'd have to make him a home first. I could get him and temporarily house him in one of my larger aquariums, but that really wouldn't be big enough for him, definitely not long term, and the whole see through bit of it would not suit him well. But, if it's a temporary home while his new one is being constructed, I could find ways to deal with it. It would be better than where he is now.

My idea for his enclosure (and I thought I saw a pic of it on here, but I think it must have been another forum..) would be a fairly large wooden box, with a preformed pond in it, and land all around the pond. I'd love to have a waterfall--with rocks and wood into the pond, but I'm not sure how to swing that. I can always add that later. I'll definitely have to have major filtration for the pond part (I think I may have found a reasonably priced 100-150g pond liner (hard one fine for indoors), but it didn't have dimensions on it, so I don't know how it will fit size wise with my plans), but wood turtles like wooded streams, and a waterfall into the pond would be great for him. (actually I haven't sexed him, it's probably a her...).
The land around would of course have a foresty substrate, with lots of hides and wood and such. I'm not sure what I'd do for live plants, but there would definitely be some. Maybe a bonsai tree or two? I'd also have to work out lighting. Mostly it would be cool for him, as they like cool--no heat in the pond etc., but he'd need a basking light somewhere, and then of course excellent UVB/UVA lighting as well. I'm wondering though what to fill the box with around the pond--obviously a planting mixture on the top, but I'm not sure I want to do that all the way through, as it will be a deep box (the pond is probably two feet deep, that is what the turtle needs...) and it would be expensive as well as heavy. I was thinking of a false bottom, but that would be complicated since the pond is not a uniform shape, but rather curvy. I do want the land to come directly to the edge of the pond, so that the turtle can get in/out easily. I think I'll also need to do something around the edges of the pond inside to give him areas to get out easily as well. I'm not sure how to do that, but I'll think of things. Definitely some rock work in the pond for haul outs and shallow areas as well as a deeper area. I'm thinking the plant shelf edge will allow for those things, so I don't have to use huge boulders, and the middle of the pond can be the deep area, with maybe some floating wood for extra comfort. I could weight it down at the bottom, so it wouldn't float totally away, and hopefully it wouldn't eventually sink either...
Has anyone done something like this? If so, I'd love to see pics. Any tips would be appreciated. Though, it seems people here are not so much into turtles, but rather frogs/lizards etc. I will post pics/a journal if I do this, and we shall see how it goes.

Emily

Layna · #2 (**permalink**) 07-07-2007, 09:06 PM

Well with Wood Turtles, I've read that they do like the water as much as they like the land, but they aren't considered semi aquatic like Red Ear Slider, Mud, Musk, etc. I am wonder would a 2 foot deep pond be too deep for the little guy?

Also at what age, shell lenght are you recieving him. I want to say from past research on the subject they can do fine with water as along as it's chest deep. Just enough for them to sit in.

You could weigh your wooden float with fishing line and a rock (if the pond is two feet deep). Or even pre drill some eyehooks into the bottom of the liner, then seal them and run fishing line from those to the wood.

Layna · #3 (**permalink**) 07-07-2007, 09:16 PM

Nope I stand corrected, 2 feet is fine for the little one. Sorry about that.

FireFly_1976 · #4 (**permalink**) 07-08-2007, 09:03 AM

Yup, two feet is what I read these guys need for water depth. He's about six inches or so, I would guess, so not a tiny one by any means. Certainly would like a nice large enclosure. I just have to look at ponds and find dimensions. I'm thinking maybe a 4'X4' enclosure.... Dunno. I'd like to go bigger if possible, but might not be right now. I suppose I could do some sort of a square pond (not as neat looking, I know) with a liner instead of a pre-formed (though I'd trust the pre-formed one better), to make a false bottom easier, then I could have a door into the false area and put all the filtration stuff there, and have less depth for the substrate on the top.... I'll have to definitely do some research and planning for this. This guy is a great swimmer, and spends lots of time in his water tub. He really wants a big ol pond.

Emily

Layna · #5 (**permalink**) 07-08-2007, 08:32 PM

Will his enclosure be indoor or outdoors? I saw once an enclosure with a pond indoors. It was made with a prefab. pond with a wooden enclosure around it. It's hard to explain, lemme see if I can pull it up.

Layna · #6 (**permalink**) 07-08-2007, 08:39 PM

If you can do something similar to this:

And just lay a prefab pond in the center. I am bad at drawings and explaining building stuff...sry...

Layna · #7 (**permalink**) 07-08-2007, 08:59 PM

Here's a quick drawing I did.

Pond is not flush with wooden bottom, but a few inches (2 or so) from top. Substraite, such as wood chips or soil can be then placed on top of the wood bottom up to the lip of the pond. The two foot depth is just an example of a depth, though probably a good on since the little guy is 6 inches already. Green things are plants, blue is pond.

Edit: 2ft depth is from the bottom of the wooden floor, NOT from the actual ground up.

Also with plants, most of them will probably be eaten, but if you want to try to put live plants in the enclosure, then keep them potted and just bury them in the substrate.

FireFly_1976 · #8 (**permalink**) 07-08-2007, 09:53 PM

Thanks for the drawings/ideas. That is exactly the sort of thing I'm doing (and indoors, as it gets too cold in the winter for him here. I'll take him (and Hermes, the leopard tortoise) outside frequently in the warm weather, for natural sun, but their main pens are indoors. (also hard to have a tortoise pen outside at an apartment, even though I do have a patio...)

I went to Lowes today, and looked at their pre-fab ponds. There were a few I like. They ranged from around 50g-140g. I also found some prefab stuff to make a waterfall for him. Actually, I was going to do the 100g prefab pond (only $20 more than the 50g one) and get two styles of waterfall trays and make a three tier waterfall for him. This was about $40 total less than the 140g two tier pond, but then I realized that the two tier pond comes WITH plumbing, so that makes it a better deal. I'd also put a cannister filter on the main part of the pond, cause I know turts are messy. And of course, my python would do the cleaning of the pond regularly for me. I like the three tier water fall idea, but I think the one with plumbing will suit my needs better. I plan to build a rock work wall around the water fall, for a more natural look. I'll probably have some drift wood there too. I also think the two tier pond was a tad deeper than the others, which were only 18" instead of 24". He'd like it a tad deeper, but could deal with that depth--especially since it's indoors and he wouldn't be hibernating. There has to be at least two feet of muddy stuff at the bottom of the pond (or two feet below the ice top) for a turtle to safely hibernate. But, this is inside, so no worries there...

It will take a while to build, and I'm not sure yet if I have space--gonna go measure my new place this week, to figure things out. I'll draw up some scales of the rooms, and plan out this guys place along with Hermes' and my furniture. (They'll get the spare room if they both fit, otherwise, this guy will have to find another home....as I plan on staying at this apartment for several years, until I buy a house...and well, I don't want this guy in substandard housing all that time.) His pen may not be as large as IDEAL, but it should be big enough for him...everyone can upgrade once I buy a house.....

Thanks again for the pics, that was what I thought I'd seen here, but must have seen elsewhere.

Emily

Layna · #9 (**permalink**) 07-09-2007, 08:55 AM

Notta problem. Do keep us updated. We like to here where things are going.

FireFly_1976 · #10 (**permalink**) 07-09-2007, 08:02 PM

Well, I think I found the perfect pond. I just have to see if I have room...
It is 90gallons, and then has a small reservoir up top for a little water fall. It really isn't too much smaller than the 140g pond, as I think that one was a 100g main pond, and the up top reservoir was 40g. It's also half the price of the 140g pond, and comes with plumbing as well.... I ordinarily go as large as I can, but I think this one will work better both size/shape wise for me. I've got some ideas of how to do a false bottom and work with the irregular shape. I'd love to have my cannister filter stored all underneath... Um, now where can I get Great Stuff in bulk? I'm gonna need A LOT of it. LOL. So, I'll have my waterfall, a decent sized pond, and the pen. Of course, I can probably swing the pond, but then I'd have to slowly gather supplies for the rest... It's gonna be pricey, even DIY.
My other thought was, we have this cool cascading plant tank at work (four tiers, so really like a down hill stream with four pools...) it is what we house our live plants in. However, we are doing a remodel in August, and the plant tank is being replaced with pre-packaged snail free plants. I don't know if I can just have the plant tank, but man would it be cool. Of course, then the base of the tortoise enclosure would be about three feet off the ground, but hey whose counting. Actually I could make the base even higher, to have the 'pond' sunk more into the ground from the start. It is rectangular,but I could work around that I think. My only worry is that we regularly flood the department when doing maintenance on this thing,and I'd rather not flood my apartment at all.... Plus, I'm not sure how I'd get it to my place, it's huge and heavy... Sigh. Oh, well. (It could be free, and cool, but likely a nightmare as well). I think the 90g pond will work better. It's only about 20" deep, but that would work, at least for a while. So, pond down, construction to go. I may wait a bit too, and see if I can get one later in the season on clearance. That would be nice. I have to get to a point where I know this can happen, and in a semi-reasonable time frame before I get the turtle, but if that will, then one of my larger aquariums will definitely work (with some modifications) as a temporary home until I get the big pen built. Obviously not ideal, but a few months in less than ideal circumstances (along with regular outside visits etc.) won't be too bad once he's in his great new place.

Emily