Turtle Ponds

Ponds are not a very good home for young freshwater turtles. This is because they have not yet developed the fat reserves required to survive year-round outdoors. If you have a more mature freshwater turtle it will most likely love to live in a pond, provided of course that the climate in your area is not too harsh.

Wait until your freshwater turtle is at least three years old before you move him to a pond and make sure he is well fed and in good condition. Spring or early summer is the best time to let your turtle become familiar with the pond. This way it will have some time to adjust before the winter arrives with cooler weather and harder conditions.

The pond need to be at least as big as a normal bathtub and should be fenced to keep the turtle in and predators out. Remember that the freshwater turtle is capable of climbing as well as digging, so the fence should be at least waist high and stretch down into the ground to be on the safe side.

Your turtle will need a ramp or just a gentle slope to be able to climb in and out of the water. It will also require some hiding places since turtles get stressed if they are constantly exposed. You can easily construct nice hiding places from logs, floating water plants and plant pots. Use your imagination! A filter is not necessary if you perform partial water changes every few weeks during the summer.

If you live in an area was the temperatures drop below 15°C during the winter your freshwater turtle will hibernate. Stop feeding him when temperatures reach 15°C. Your freshwater turtle will probably hibernate under water, but some prefer land instead. You should therefore provide your turtle with a hibernating spot consisting of soft dirt and a thick layer of leaf litter. Make sure your hibernating turtle is not disturbed by anyone or anything, since he is very vulnerable in this state and interruption of the cycle can kill him. He will wake up and become active as soon as the temperature is above 20°C and you can now start feeding him again.