Pond Finally dug!!

[The Veteran]

Soft shells are one of the fastest swimming turtles and need a lot of space to swim. Anyways softshells are fully aquatic and almost only come out to breed or take a breath, Every once and a while you might see it bask. I cant think of any type of turtle right now that wouldnt wipe out your crayfish population. I would start the set up with about 10 ramshorn snails and 10 pond snails and keep them in there for a week, Then the crays, then the plecos and koi. My petstore used to give me there ramshorn snails for free. Try checking petstores that have a snail infestation(not apple snails) and ask if you can have them.

Cool buddy! Yea, kinda what I was thinking...Getting a big snail population going so the craws will have plenty of food and not bug any of the fish. Guess Ill wait for a crawfish explosion, then throw the the turtle in. Do you think that my pond is enough room for a SS turtle?

 

[Killerpeacock]

Nice. You're living my dream. Do you plan on heating it and if so how? That's my big big dilema. I don't want koi so how do I heat it without breaking the bank. You're in AZ so maybe not an issue.

 

[acerkai640]

here's my p.o.v for this.....you have only lived in AZ for one summer, just wait some days its 5*F hotter than they were this year.....another you might want to put a nice big shade tree 15-20' away, like a desert museum palo verde or a mesquite tree ( Great shade trees, and fast growing)....also think about getting some native fish maybe catch a few at the lake or just stick with koi. i have NEVER seen anything besides koi in any pond in AZ (ive been here 20yrs).....good luck tho

maybe think about some koi and may some RES turtles

 

[smokymcjoe]

Ill tell you what....If you pay for half the liner cost, ill make it 30x16 with a max depth of 6. Around 900, not inlcuding shipping, so for you or anyone else that wans to see it bigger, Ill do it, you guys pool together and pay half of the liner with half shipping cost. Everyone that does, when they vivist arizona can stay at my house and look at "our" pond, lol....

its tempting, lol. but travelling from the uk is maybe a bit too much.

but with your hot summers id want to be swimming in a monster pond that size.

geez id even make a rope swing lol.

 

[The Veteran]

here's my p.o.v for this.....you have only lived in AZ for one summer, just wait some days its 5*F hotter than they were this year.....another you might want to put a nice big shade tree 15-20' away, like a desert museum palo verde or a mesquite tree ( Great shade trees, and fast growing)....also think about getting some native fish maybe catch a few at the lake or just stick with koi. i have NEVER seen anything besides koi in any pond in AZ (ive been here 20yrs).....good luck tho

maybe think about some koi and may some RES turtles

Thank you for you pov, yea, first year in arizona, but not first in a desert. Been places here that get hotter than here (yea, imagine that), and I had buddies that had ponds. At the depth mine is,the gallon amount, and water aireation, heat is not the issue im worried about, its the cold during the winter. Thanks for the info on the trees, will go out looking in the next day or 2 for some. Also, yea, I think im going koi....

 

[The Veteran]

its tempting, lol. but travelling from the uk is maybe a bit too much.

but with your hot summers id want to be swimming in a monster pond that size.

geez id even make a rope swing lol.

haha, awsome!!! we got a river about 10 minutes down the street, we can just go tubing there when you come to visit!

 

[The Veteran]

Nice. You're living my dream. Do you plan on heating it and if so how? That's my big big dilema. I don't want koi so how do I heat it without breaking the bank. You're in AZ so maybe not an issue.

haha...yea, i was worried about heating it, i wanted a rtc but dont want the added cost of heating a pond this size...so koi it is....

 

[iloveoscars702]

looks really good. should make it longer.

 

[The Veteran]

looks really good. should make it longer.

Ok, how much you wanna kick in on the liner?

 

[acerkai640]

what parts of the desert have you lived that got hotter than mesa....i bet not here where i live