Turtle pond

[Stanzzzz7]

That's surprising, I thought the turtles would have rode out the heat underneath the water, guess they took advantage of the sun.
I made the mistake of showing the pictures to my 4 year old with the inevitable result, if I hear her ask for a turtle one more time today I will explode!

Yeah my 3year old loves them. Its funny to see her sit talking to them bless her.

 

[Matteus]

This is outstanding. Such a beautiful set up, and hilarious that the one comes for a snack.

This is very inspiring for me. I am hoping for a pond after my move. I’ve heard they have much more moderate winters where I am moving to but it still snows. I thought it would be such a waste to have a pond but then everything either die or have to come inside for the winter.

 

[Stanzzzz7]

I'm not sure just how cold it gets where you are but we get snow sometimes here.
We also get frosts.
Yellow belly sliders, red eared sliders and cooters all do very well year round here.
If your in Canada though I hear it gets bloody cold over there.

 

[twentyleagues]

My buddy has a series of ponds in his yard the most recent one is 6' deep and it's got quite a bit of surface area. Here in Michigan it still freezes most of the way down, if the pump isn't running all the time. He tried a couple turtles they didnt make the winter. He figured it would be deep enough but come spring 1 was nowhere to be found the other was dead. I had thought it a bad idea but the shop that he goes to told him theyd be alright. The logic sounded good they were painted turtles which are indigenous to the area. His bull frogs do survive the winters but their a little different also. All his koi and comets come inside as do most of his plants. But your pond blows all of his out of the water!

 

[Stanzzzz7]

Thanks.
It's usually lack of oxygen or drowning that kills them. Juvenile turtles will also struggle with brumation.
I would not over winter any turtle under 5inches, only healthy adults. I don't know a lot about the painted turtle. Cooters, sliders, European pond turtles and some map turtles do well here and would as far as I am aware, be your best bet.
If you do try, over saturate the pond with oxygen and give them easy access out of the pond.

 

[RD.]

I kept painted turtles as a kid living in southern ON, but I kept them indoors over the winter months. As twentylegues stated they are indigenous to the area so if the pond is deep enough and there is 02, they should survive. Here in AB @ -40F, not so much.

 

[Stanzzzz7]

I kept painted turtles as a kid living in southern ON, but I kept them indoors over the winter months. As twentylegues stated they are indigenous to the area so if the pond is deep enough and there is 02, they should survive. Here in AB @ -40F, not so much.

-40 holy crap, that's cold.

 

[RD.]

Add wind chill in and it can be closer to -50F. In fact the coldest temp ever recorded in Canada was in this province.

January 11, 1911

Fort Vermilion, Alberta

−61.1 °C (−78.0 °F)

 

[Stanzzzz7]

Add wind chill in and it can be closer to -50F. In fact the coldest temp ever recorded in Canada was in this province.

January 11, 1911

Fort Vermilion, Alberta

−61.1 °C (−78.0 °F)

The UK comes to a stand still if we get a few inches of snow. I dont know how we would cope with your winters.

 

[RD.]

Well I'm just glad that you & your turtle colony don't have to deal with it.